Kitchen materials are adapting to how homeowners want to use their space

Smarter design is on the rise

Today, kitchens are being built to require less maintenance while prioritizing the eco kitchen. That’s why easy-to-clean flooring and sanitary countertops are in demand, according to National Kitchen & Bath Association‘s annual report.

The report draws on insight from over 700 designers, architects, contractors, and showroom managers. With the help of new materials and clever design, Sweeten highlights what’s trending to make it a reality. 

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and secure payments—for free.

Low-maintenance material and design

Flooring such as engineered wood and ceramic tiles are popular easy-clean options. Vinyl is a low-cost alternative. These materials are also durable. They can withstand dropped knives and the splatter of hot liquid for years. 

When it comes to low-maintenance countertops, choosing something non-porous is crucial. Quartz is in demand because it is durable and non-porous, so there’s no place for bacteria to gather. Laminate countertops are an economical option for a minimal maintenance kitchen.

Clever design that hides mess and disorganization is another way homeowners are reducing their cleaning time. A working pantry is key. Almost 70 percent of homeowners are using pantries to store and operate small appliances leaving the main kitchen mess-free and organized. 

Millennials push the eco kitchen trend

Millennial homeowners are driving trends towards the use of 100 percent LED lighting. Energy-efficient appliances are also reducing carbon footprints (and energy bills) as are low-e doors and windows, which keep internal temperatures mild.

Recycled materials like glass and plastic are finding a second life in countertops. A dedicated space in kitchen design for sorting and storing recycling further demonstrates the importance of conservation.

New homeowners are reducing their exposure to dangerous chemicals by incorporating non-toxic materials like VOC-free paint (VOCs or volatile organic compounds are chemicals found in common products). It’s good for us and the planet. 

A note on fixture and appliance deliveries: If you’re on a tight timeline, Appliances Connection has over 50,000 items in stock and ready to ship nationally. If you’re in the NY/NJ metro area, in-stock items typically deliver within 2-3 days.

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Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation with Sweeten.

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• Homeowners: Designer, Matthew Stewart, posted his first personal Clinton Hill renovation on Sweeten
• Where: Brooklyn, New York
• Primary renovation: Updating a new kitchen, bathrooms, and a multipurpose guest room for a 1,000-square-foot apartment
• With: Sweeten general contractor in NYC
• Homeowner’s quote: “At the outset, I got a lot of high bids. [My contractor] was the one who convinced me it could be done within my budget.” 

Written in partnership with homeowner Matthew Stewart. “After” photos by Pixy Interiors.

I found a place that needed work and left me with some budget to renovate. It was challenging to work full-time and oversee the renovation. I tried to keep things simple. 

The goal for my home was to feel peaceful and light, but I had a pretty tight budget for all that I wanted to accomplish. I focused on fairly humble materials for the renovation that I really liked and how to use them expanding on traditional neutral colors. Work is always visually intensive for me and I wanted a minimal, quiet space to serve as a backdrop for art and objects.

Navigating the renovation plan

I’ve seen many projects through construction in my professional career. However, it never personally affected my life before. The biggest challenge was: would I be able to figure out the design of the space, hire a contractor, and complete the work in the short window I had before I would have to move in? I ended up having to move into a construction site. It was a lot to have workers show up every morning and not have a kitchen for many weeks. But you forget the hardships quickly once it’s done and you’re enjoying living there. Thankfully, my partner, at the time, and I were able to help each other through it. He has great taste and helped me the whole way through.

“I’ve always liked appliance garages. It goes back to the fact that my grandparents had one in their very modern kitchen from the ’60s.”

Planning a mixed-materials kitchen

Mixing wood and laminate as finishes for the cabinetry was an important idea when I was planning the renovation. It emphasizes the volumes and makes the scale a little more human. The countertops and peninsula are concrete, which I like because the material can take any form. However, it’s also a natural material for a renovation that weathers over time. 

I’ve always liked appliance garages. It goes back to the fact that my grandparents had one in their very modern kitchen from the ’60s. 

Renovating two bathrooms

I was especially excited about the new bathrooms and having a tub to soak in with a smoked glass panel. From the beginning, I knew the partition would not be clear glass. 

In the other bathroom, the general idea was to make a very small space feel as big and open as possible. The renovation materials are pretty simple, but the details and extra showerhead make it feel more special.

A Murphy bed and storage

In the guest bedroom/office, the millwork is a combination of knotty pine and laminate, with a painted wood frame. The red laminate panel breaks up the finish and calls attention to the sliding door. They are both closets and shoe storage.

I made the open shelving in the hallway myself using laminated pieces of reclaimed wood. In a way, it’s the heart of the apartment. I knew I wanted to find a spot for these shelves and the hall was just the right fit. It turns a slice of space that wasn’t so usable into a place for display.

Plants were always an important component. All of the artwork is from friends and acquaintances or people in my community.

A successful partnership with my general contractor

My Sweeten general contractor was instrumental in completing the project and helping me do all of the things I wanted to do. At the outset, I got a lot of high bids. He was the one who convinced me it could be done within my budget. 

He helped me find the millworker who did all the cabinetry. I did all the designs and drawings for them and selected all the finishes. A Murphy bed kit was purchased online and my contractor built the frame, the custom panels, and installed it.

Start your renovation

I highly recommend working with design professionals. It’s easy to underestimate the amount of work involved. And don’t get too hung up on specific choices, sometimes it’s easier to just pick something nice that you know you like and move on. 

My new home makes me feel happy and relaxed, and it helps me focus. Living in the space has forced me to declutter and live more simply. And it’s been a good exercise to direct interests for future projects.

Thank you, Matthew, for sharing your renovation with us!

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When you’re ready to get started on your kitchen or home remodel, work with Sweeten to renovate with the best contractors.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation with Sweeten.

Renovation Materials

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Laminate and douglas fir cabinets: Custom by general contractor. Hardware: Rejuvenation. Concrete countertops: Trueform Concrete. Ceramic backsplash tile: Mosa. Blanco Silgranit sink: Blanco. Kohler faucet: Kohler. Pendant lights: Verner Panton. 

MASTER BATHROOM RESOURCES: Shower fixtures: California Faucets. Kohler sink: Kohler. Vanity: Custom. Duravit toilet: Duravit. Lighting: Rich Brilliant Willing. 

GUEST BATHROOM RESOURCES: Floor & wall tiles: Mosa ceramic. Shower fixtures: California Faucets. Toto toilet: Toto. Lighting: Vintage.

LIVING SPACE: Paint throughout in Alabaster: Benjamin Moore.

The post ‘Spotlight On’ for a Designer’s Own Home appeared first on Sweeten.

Engineered wood flooring in Rima’s kitchen

The decisions to be made when designing a kitchen can be daunting—the sheer number alone, let alone the anxiety. Will this material work in the cook space? Will it hold up? Will I still like it in five years? Factor in a growing family and those worries begin to multiply: What if the kids drop their juice boxes; will it stain? What if my child falls…will he hurt himself?

Besides looks and function, you need to consider what type of traffic the flooring will experience. Is it off the garage or a deck, where dirt can be tracked in? Do you also have pets that can scratch with claws or bring water and dirt from outside? Is your child in a high chair that gets dragged around frequently in one area, or has he graduated to his own mini vehicle during playtime, adding to the wear and tear? Health is a factor, too, of course, and any flooring that is manufactured and/or has a finish should be able to provide a rating for its various contents and performance, including VOC emission and slippage.

Take all of these factors into account as you consider the following materials underfoot. The good news: You can install just about whatever you want, and, with a few precautions, continue to enjoy it as your family grows.

Hardwood
Sought out for its natural elegance, wood also delivers a lot: It offers a slight pliancy underfoot so items you drop are less likely to break than on a harder surface such as tile. The two basic wood options:

Solid wood
If you love solid wood, opt for prefinished floors (aka, “factory finished”) that come from the factory with a hard-wearing top coat of aluminum oxide urethane that offers protection from scratches while minimizing upkeep, like waxing; daily sweeping should do it. Ask your dealer about the warranty, which should be provided by the manufacturer and not the installer, so you have greater recourse if the floor needs a major or immediate repair. This type of floor also can be refinished, as long as the dings are not too deep. If your preference is for hardwood but you worry about those dings, take a look at “distressed” styles that can disguise any new dents.

Caution: This type of floor will fade with regular exposure to sunlight, so don’t put it by a window that ushers in strong daily outdoor sun. You also need to think about exposure to moisture—say, a leak at the dishwasher or fridge, or water constantly splashed by the sink. And if your toddler drops food by the high chair, you will want to take a precaution and put a mat underneath, to prevent spotting or stains.

Engineered wood
The other option in this category is engineered wood flooring, which is made of a thin veneer of real wood attached to structural plywood. It should cost a little less than solid wood, but depending on the thickness of the veneer, you may not be able to refinish it, making it not such a thrifty choice after all.

Caution: Formaldehyde, used as an adhesive, can be found in some engineered wood floors, including bamboo (see below), but at the present time this chemical is not strictly regulated, so you need to inquire with the salesperson or manufacturer with regard to any floor made with pressed wood or medium density fiberboard (MDF).

Bamboo
Although actually a grass, bamboo is sold with hardwoods for many of the same reasons—looks natural and warm, endures light to medium wear, is easy underfoot. Most bamboo flooring is made of a bamboo veneer attached to a backing such as plywood or MDF. But you need to be mindful of quality. Bamboo gets treated with many chemicals to turn it into a material suitable for flooring so off-gassing can be a factor. Also, this relative newcomer to flooring has many manufacturing sources and quality control is not yet highly regulated. Investigate thoroughly, as with any product you bring into your home.

Laminate
This type of flooring is similar to laminate countertops, in that it is composed of dense fiberboard topped with a photographic image of a real wood (or other material) that is then topped with a clear protective layer. With the development of HD printing, laminate offers a lot of different wood looks, and you can mix several styles (e.g., a pale oak with a colored border) to achieve some fun effects. It tends to resist light scratching and fading from sunlight. And that hollow sound that turned off many homeowners once upon a time has been eliminated by many manufacturers that incorporate underneath a sound-muffling material like cork. Laminate is installed as a “floating floor,” which means there’s no glue or nails. Boards connect by means of an interlocking tongue and groove design. Since there’s no need to connect the boards to a subfloor, they can be installed over any uneven surface as long as it’s sealed and remains dry. This makes laminate a good solution till little ones are more grown up if you want to replace it eventually with tile or real wood.

Caution: Laminate wears well but like wood, it won’t withstand prolonged exposure to water, and it’s slippery when wet. Also, it can’t be refinished; if there’s damage, you’ll have to replace the entire board so order extra to have an exact match if needed.

Resilient
Mostly vinyl falls into this category, but there’s also linoleum. As the term “resilient” indicates, this flooring is easy on humans, when little ones fall or adults stand for long periods when prepping a meal, and if you drop a dish, it’s less likely to break on this surface than on tile or even wood. It also handles a lot of wear or sunlight and resists stains from food and drink spills as well as crayons and magic markers.

Vinyl
Recent advances in manufacturing have improved performance since the days when vinyl was for your grandmother’s laundry room. You can now find vinyl that infuses the surface with cultured diamond particles for increased protection against dents, scratches, scuffs, and stains. HD printing advancements allow you to choose a vinyl that really looks like wood or tile. Peer closely, though, and you’ll know it’s vinyl, but the faux effects can be part of its fashion-forward appeal. Vinyl remains probably your thriftiest choice, depending on the pattern.

Linoleum
Linoleum is sought for its range of saturated colors or marbled effects, resiliency, slip resistance and everyday wear. It comes in sheets, for an almost seamless appearance, as well as tiles if you want a classic checkerboard or just like that look. Made of linseed oil and other naturally sourced materials, linoleum is marketed as a “green” flooring choice, but in fact, it requires chemicals, too, to arrive at the finished product, so ask the salesperson about off-gassing and VOC ratings.

Caution: Both wear well but can’t be refinished. Buy extra in case of repairs so you can match the area you need to patch.

Tile
While tile comes in both ceramic and porcelain, the latter is the harder of the two and thus more appropriate for most floors that see a lot of foot traffic. Completely resistant to fading, scratches, and moisture, tile is good for a busy household. And since it’s sealed with a fired-on glaze, it’s good if allergies are an issue, but you will want to take some precautions with youngsters in the house. Until children are old enough where toddling and falling is not an issue, use a rug in areas where little ones congregate. An expansive indoor/outdoor area rug that can be taken outside and hosed off will help protect little ones while adding a splash of colorful style. Many tiles are slip resistant since they are used in commercial areas, so ask the salesperson about this rating, too.

Caution: Dishware will break on this super-hard surface, and tile can crack if not installed by a pro on a perfectly smooth surface. A rug that protects little ones may have to be cleaned regularly.

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Thinking of re-doing or refinishing your wood floors? Check out our Budget Basics: NYC Wood Flooring Costs for everything you need to know to get started.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post How To Choose The Best Kitchen Floor For Your Family appeared first on Sweeten.