The story below is from our September/October 2020 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Marry current trends and timeless style with help from design experts.
A kitchen or bath remodel can increase your home’s overall value and resale price, as well as enhance your daily quality of life. They are also expensive endeavors, costing an average of $12,000 to $35,000 for a kitchen, and $6,000 to $15,000 for a bathroom, according to HomeAdvisor. Renovations for large spaces with premium appliances and materials can cost far more, so it’s vital to design these rooms to be both current and timeless.
A new kitchen or bath should feel like it belongs to 2020’s design aesthetic, but won’t look dated in a few years. We talked to three local designers about how to create spaces you’ll love for the long haul.
The Kitchen
Cabinets anchor the kitchen
Both whites and brighter colors are in, with Shaker style or clean lines,” says Darcie Duncan, a designer with Reico Kitchen and Bath in Salem. “You can never really go wrong with a white kitchen.”
White kitchens have endured through the decades, even if the treatment has been specific to an era (think white laminate cabinets trimmed in natural wood in the 1980s), but if you want to steer towards color, you can still achieve a timeless look.
“Any color palette can be timeless—it’s the design details and the way the design is executed that makes the difference,” says Emily Mangus of Emily Mangus Interiors, a design firm in Roanoke.
Some of the details that Mangus alludes to are faucets, cabinet hardware and lighting. Faucets that echo a streamlined look are popular, with chrome, brushed gold and burnished brass topping wish lists. Cabinet hardware in those finishes all feel right, right now.
“Customers are often going with pulls for every cabinet, instead of knobs, and the pulls tend to be bigger, and more squared off…again, the simple lines instead of ornate pulls,” says Duncan.
Islands have staying power
Islands are here to stay, say all three of our design sources. A double island configuration in large kitchens is also catching on, and Mangus says she’s a fan. “We’re actually doing one for a client now,” she says. “It’s awesome if you have the space, because more seating and more storage is always a good thing.”
Mangus says some new homes are nixing the dining room for a floor plan with a larger kitchen, as formal spaces fall out of favor. These kitchens may benefit from two islands, and the island can also replace the traditional table and chairs of the eat-in kitchen.
The island also creates an opportunity to add flair, by varying cabinetry colors (a blue, green or gray island with white perimeter cabinets is a well-loved look), adding bar stools with personality, and pendant lights to anchor the island.
Organic touches win the day
A kitchen that feels at home in your home will reflect its surroundings, and that means bringing in organic touches. That could mean locally mined countertops, art hung on a kitchen wall from a regional artist, or cabinets built by Roanoke craftsmen.
“We’re always pulling from nature, whether that’s a stone like marble, or a mantel made from reclaimed wood,” says Emily Gannon, who works at Emily Mangus Interiors. “And we work with local artisans to build a kitchen island, or beautiful bar stools or the dining room table that feels unique to that project.”
Work in elements in your kitchen that tie it to Virginia in some way, and the kitchen will always feel like it belongs—even if it’s just fresh flowers from the farmer’s market.
The Bathroom
Walk-in showers are a must
“In the master bath if you have room for both, do a nice freestanding tub and separate shower,” says Edith-Anne Duncan, a designer based in Blacksburg who works throughout Virginia. “If you don’t, a really nice walk-in shower works well.”
A tub/shower combo in the master bath feels dated, so don’t think you have to get them both in there. Showers can be made luxe with multiple showerheads, body sprays and even a steam shower, and these upgrades are a draw for homebuyers.
Wallpaper makes a statement
If you want to punch up a powder room or make a statement in a secondary bath, wallpaper is hot. “We try to use unique papers, from local and southern companies…a lot of them smaller, women-owned businesses,” says Mangus. One such design house that Mangus uses is Lindsay Cowles in Richmond, who produces both papers and fabrics. This ensures that Mangus’ clients have spaces that can’t be found all over Pinterest or Instagram. “And we’ve found that unique doesn’t always mean spending more money,” Mangus notes.
Tile touches make an impact
There are more tile choices than ever, though classic looks like basketweave, herringbone, subway, hexagon or penny tile are enduring designs that have stood the test of time. Marble will always be in style, and grays and whites are the reigning colors, eclipsing the creams and browns of years past.
If your budget is limited, Duncan says to use expensive tile sparingly. “Decorative tiles can be very expensive, so treat it like a piece of artwork and frame it out with a less expensive tile on a feature wall in the shower,” Duncan advises. “It’s a lot of bang for the buck.”
Another look that feels spa-like is to echo the same tile throughout the space. A 12×24 inexpensive porcelain can go up vertically in the shower and horizontally on the floor for a cohesive, modern and budget-friendly treatment.
The story above is from our September/October 2020 issue. For the full story subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
