KBIS confirmed that wellness is not a fad or fleeting infatuation. Wellness will continue to grow in popularity among homeowners in Washington, DC who want and expect their homes to perform more effectively and efficiently. KBIS exhibitors showcased the latest products and technologies that enable homeowners in Washington, DC to create in-home refuges and spa-quality experiences in their primary baths. Featured were therapeutic showers offering steam, color, aroma and sound therapies that provide a refuge for homeowners in Washington, DC to spend a few minutes a day, all to themselves, devoid of text, tweets and even little feet to relax, recharge and wash away the stresses of the day.

Workstation sinks were another trending feature at KBIS. BOCCHI’s Baveno Hide-Away Sink System won Best in Show at KBIS 2023. This workstation allows homeowners in Washington, DC to easily convert the sink into continuous counter space that completely hides the faucet, maximizing workspace. Sink covers, multiple faucet options, cutting boards, colanders and roller mats create a true workstation sink experience.

Soft curves to countertops, faucets, soaking tubs and sinks were prevalent throughout the KBIS show floor, affording a new modern style that is calming and relaxing, evoking the desire for a less tenuous and stressful post pandemic time. Industrial chic was another KBIS trend. Faucets featuring springs, dual white and polished nickel finishes and rounded square levers were reminiscent of the motifs closely associated with the industrial revolution.

Fluted surfaces were another ever-present feature at KBIS. All of the major quartz manufacturers featured pleated slabs as did most of the porcelain tile manufacturers. The same manufacturers also introduced an expanded inventory of products that can be used indoors as well as outdoors to provide more options for homeowners in Washington, DC that want to expand their living space outdoors without compromising style, quality or functionality.

Two other trends at KBIS were smarter toilets and products made specifically to improve laundry room look and experiences. We saw great looking sinks and fixtures that take laundry rooms to the next level. Similarly, toilets appear to have become much more intelligent, many of which featured bidet functions, seats that automatically open and close, night lights, self-cleaning capabilities and blue-tooth functionality.

To determine how you can capitalize on the hottest trends in kitchen and bath, give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit our showroom at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132 and let us show you how to convert dreams into dream spaces.

Because the role of the kitchen has expanded to include office, classroom, café and many other functions, many homeowners in Washington, DC are more open to larger windows, glass doors, nature-inspired textures, comfortable areas to eat and multiple workstations in their dream kitchens. Open floor plans that can integrate with other rooms in the home and offer seamless transition to outdoors have been and are expected to remain extremely popular among homeowners in Washington, DC.

A well-designed kitchen is an organized kitchen. As an increasing number of homeowners in Washington, DC are spending more time in their homes and cooking more often. They desire kitchens that maximize the use of countertop space and offer designated areas for meal preparation, cooking, cleanup, dining, studying and working. The desire for clutterless countertops has increased demand for enhanced storage solutions that include pantries, frameless cabinetry and open shelving that can display clear containers to organize food not only on the shelves, but also in the fridge, pantry and other areas of the kitchen.

Smart functionality in both kitchen and bath also promotes health and wellbeing. Everything from smart device charging stations incorporated into kitchen drawers to waterproof televisions being installed in kitchen backsplashes, technology is making kitchens and baths easier, more enjoyable and healthier. In the bath homeowners in Washington, DC are creating in-home spas that allow for a few minutes of calm and relaxation, devoid of texts, tweets and emails where they can wash away the stresses of the day. There has been a boom in demand for smart toilets that clean themselves, automatically lift seats and flush, connect to personal digital assistants and offer bidet functionality.

Advanced shower systems have become a staple for homeowners in Washington, DC that provide steam, light, aroma and sound therapies that reduce stress, remove toxins from the body, rejuvenate skin, message and restore tired and/or arthritic muscles and provide a sense of calm and wellbeing.

Freestanding soaker baths can also include similar therapies to advanced shower systems. Solid surface materials are often the choice for soaking tubs because of their ability to retain heat and are easy to clean and maintain.

Flooring tile for the kitchen bath and shower area also can help promote a healthy and safe environment. We are specifying antimicrobial, slip resistant tile that is easy to clean that resists mold, mildew and bacteria.

If you want to know how you can make your kitchen, bath and other rooms in your home healthier, easier and more enjoyable to use, please give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit our showroom at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132.

The size of your space is another critical factor. Take pictures of your existing space. Also, it’s helpful if you measure the length, width and height and bring those figures with you to the showroom. Quality designers will always re-measure the space in order to assure accuracy once you decide to move forward with a project. Additionally, if you have a copy of the original kitchen plans, bring those with you to the showroom as well. Bringing dimensions with you to a showroom enables designers to determine if an island, one of the most requested kitchen features, is possible. If space is at a premium, a peninsula might be a fall back.

Another important consideration is traffic flow. Your new kitchen should make it easier to prepare meals, eat, clean up and navigate through the room without bumping into things or others. If you currently bump into other family members while in the kitchen, let your designer know.

Make another list identifying all of the things that you want to store in your kitchen and note the approximate sizes of those items. A well-designed kitchen is an organized kitchen. Most homeowners in Washington, DC appreciate clean, clutter-free countertops. When a designer knows the utensils, cutlery, plates, pots, pans, books, computers, small appliances, etc. that you want at your fingertips they can develop the right storage solutions for your project.

Think about how you want the new space to feel. What are your favorite colors and styles? Do you prefer to make big bold statements or lean towards more serene environments? Create idea books on Pinterest or Houzz.com and include photos of and information about the appliances, faucets, sinks, lighting fixtures, cabinets, door hardware, tile, granite, stone or other materials you would like to use in your new kitchen. Once your designer knows your preferences, he or she can develop the solutions that meet your needs, preferences and budget.

Let your designer know what you like and would like to change about your existing space. If your space is too small, your designer may look to open up the kitchen to create more space. Adding windows or doors that allow natural light can change the look and feel of a room. An experienced designer will know how to incorporate your preferences and achieve the functionality you desire.

Don’t be afraid to have a budget in mind. Most clients are reticent to talk about budgets up front. Sometimes budgets are realistic and other times they are not. What you see on home improvement television shows rarely reflects the real world. On television they don’t account for the cost of labor, and labor is typically 30 percent of the cost of a new kitchen and 70 percent of the cost of a new bath. A good rule of thumb is to budget 10 to 20 percent of the value of your home for your new kitchen. The range will depend on scope of the renovation, size of the space and materials selected. Sharing your budget with your designer helps to set the tone, saves time and reduces the likelihood of the unexpected.

Also consider how involved you want to be in your project. Do you want to be involved in every detail or would you prefer to rely on your designer to develop solutions for your review and approval? Either option is fine, but to help your designer save you time and energy, communicate this information up front.

Action Items to That Help Save Time and Provide the Place to Start Creating Your Dream Kitchen:

• Jot down who will use the kitchen and for what purposes.
• Measure the space (length, width and height).
• Take photos and videos of the kitchen and locate plans if you have them.
• Write down what you like about the space and what you want to change.
• Make a list of cookware, small appliances, cutlery, plates, cups, saucers, bowls and other items that you want to store in your kitchen.
• Create idea books on Pinterest, Instagram or Houzz.com identifying products and styles that you like.
• Have an idea of how much you want to spend on your kitchen and what your priorities are. Every new kitchen involves give and take.
• Determine how involved you want to be in the project.

How else can you arrive at the right place to start your new dream kitchen. Give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit us at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132.

A food processor can slice, dice and chop foods in a matter of seconds. Food processors are great for making healthier snacks and appetizers such as fresh hummus or homemade granola.

An air fryer gives you the taste and crunch of fried foods using approximately 75 percent less oil than a conventional fryer. An air fryer is a convection oven that circulates hot air around food to cook it. Air fryers come in a variety of sizes. The largest of which can cook a meal for a family of four looking to reduce fat and calories.

One of the cool new gadgets for dieting is a spiralizer that takes vegetables such as zucchini, squash and carrots and turns them into spaghetti.

Cooking beef, duck and chicken in a rotisserie convection toaster oven will help reduce fat and calories.

A mandoline is another tool that helps to increase the enjoyment of eating veggies. Mandolines cut veggies into extremely thin slices that are easy to prepare and more enjoyable to eat.

Sous vide equipment cooks food to the exact level of doneness consistently. Because whatever you select cooks in its own juices the food is juicier, tastes better, more tender and less wasteful.

A slow cooker prepares food as its name implies slowly. The dietary benefits of slow cooking is the process preserves nutrients in the food thereby making your meals healthier, tastier and easier to digest.

A good quality kitchen scale can help with portion control. Portions are based on weight and not size. To get in the habit of eating the right portions, you need to weigh what you will eat.

A brand new kitchen design will make meal preparation easier and more enjoyable. We can help with that as well. Please call as at (540) 338-9661 or visit us at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132 to determine how a new kitchen for you home can help you live a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Creating a dream kitchen in Washington, DC provides a great opportunity to curate what currently exists and that process will help define storage needs for the future. The number one regret among homeowners in Washington, DC after they have renovated their kitchen not investing enough in storage and organization. We recommend sorting your kitchen gear into three categories:

1. Items you will need to store.
2. Items you will need to use during the renovation.
3. Items you want to recycle/donate/dispose of.

The recycle/donate/dispose of option is often most important. Homeowners in Washington, DC should determine how many sets of dishes they actually need or want. Do you really want to keep dinnerware and serving dishes that are faded, cracked or chipped? How often to you use a saucer with your coffee cup?  If never is the answer, do you really need to keep saucers?  If you have serving pieces or fine china, real silver and large pots and pans that are used occasionally – think turkey roasting pans – then determine if you can store those items in other rooms in the house to make more room in your kitchen for the items that you use daily.

Mugs and food storage containers are additional items that most homeowners in Washington, DC have in abundance.  Many mugs have sentimental value if they were acquired from trips, art shows, etc. Determine if they are needed or wanted in your new kitchen. Also determine how many storage containers you actually use and the right sizes.

Small appliances and cooking utensils are additional categories ripe for curation when planning a new dream kitchen. We encourage homeowners in Washington, DC to give away the small appliances and gadgets that they don’t use or whose functionality is covered by other appliances.

Looking toward the future and what your lifestyle is likely to be in the next three to five years and beyond can aid in the curation process. What items will you need? What items do you love and can’t part ways with and what new items will make your life that much easier and enjoyable?

After you have curated, the next step is to create a temporary kitchen in your garage, basement, utility room or other location to simplify cooking, eating and cleaning up at home during the renovation. You will minimize the expense of dining out and ordering takeout by creating a place to cook and store groceries. You may use a combination of the following to create a temporary kitchen:

• Grill
• Microwave
• Hot plate
• Camping stove
• Refrigerator (If you are replacing your existing refrigerator, the renovation provides a perfect opportunity to move the fridge to the basement, garage or other location that provides additional refrigeration space).
• Toaster oven
• Sandwich press
• Stick blender
• Pressure cooker and/or slow cooker

Depending on the scope, a kitchen renovation can take several weeks to several months. Simply replacing what currently exists in the same footprint can take less time than expanding or reconfiguring space, ventilation, plumbing, electrical and structural components and systems.

Planning For Life Without a Kitchen

• Coffee maker
• Electric skillet
• Folding or portable tables and chairs
• Temporary trash and recycling bins

Your grill, toaster oven, microwave or camping stove offer functionality comparable to an oven. A pressure cooker or slow cooker enable you to make one pot meals that can satisfy even the most finicky of palates.

Maintaining a positive attitude and a good sense of humor help. Remember that the inconveniences you experience during the renovation process are temporary and the reward of having a brand-new kitchen that serves as the epicenter of your home is long lasting and priceless.

If you would like additional guidance for curating your kitchen, effective storage solutions in your new dream kitchen and creating a temporary kitchen, please call our showroom at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit us at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132.

Very Peri used in kitchen and bath designs provide homeowners in Washington, DC opportunities to make unique and personal design statements that are modern, fresh, playful and creative. A purple-blue palate is not common in most kitchens. However, we see it working extremely well as an accent color to provide a pop of freshness to a white kitchen motif. Other applications for Very Peri that could work extremely well in a dream kitchen is to use it on lower base cabinets or as the base of an island.

Color selection for dream spaces in the home depend very much upon how homeowners in Washington, DC want their home to look and feel. Very Peri invokes a sense of calm and relaxation, which could be perfect for homeowners in Washington, DC that want to convert their primary path into an in-home spa. In bathrooms, Very Peri can be effectively used as a spot color or on an accent wall. Very Peri also can be an effective color to make smaller bathroom spaces appear larger.

How can Very Peri or another color make your dream kitchen, primary bath, mudroom, laundry room or other space in your home, bring joy and a sense of calm and relaxation? Give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit our showroom at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132 and let’s discuss how to use color to create exceptional spaces in your home.

Because kitchen designers specialize in kitchens primarily, they not only bring a specific expertise not available from other sources, they also provide homeowners in Washington, DC fresh perspectives, often providing new layouts, configurations and floor plans that homeowners in Washington, DC had not previously considered. These new perspectives often result in a more functional, beautiful and enjoyable kitchen. Providing a new and enlightened perspective is especially important to homeowners in Washington, DC because of the multiple roles that kitchens now serve.

Homeowners in Washington, DC should expect their showroom professional to narrow product choices based on needs, preferences and budgets. That’s why you should expect to answer a lot of questions during initial interviews and meetings ranging from what you like about your existing kitchen and what areas would you like to improve, what style do you prefer, how often do you cook in your kitchen, how often do you entertain, other than meal preparation what other functionality would you like your kitchen to provide, how do you want your dream kitchen to feel like every time your cross the threshold and on and on.

When you research a potential showroom, look on their website for completed projects that reflect your style, but also look at the different styles that are featured. A range of project types and styles that include traditional, transitional, modern, farmhouse and contemporary reflects that the showroom has not only the skill set to meet different tastes and preferences, but also the flexibility to do so.

When you interview a potential designer, ask how they plan to manage the project, the scope of services that they will provide and how they troubleshoot problems. Given today’s supply chain challenges, you should expect your showroom designer to provide a realistic timeline and suggest alternative options in the event that products that are first choices are not available in the timeline needed.

Always ask to see photos of similar projects that the showroom has designed and don’t be shy about asking for references. Additionally, have realistic expectations. There are unforeseen events that happen on almost every project, especially when renovating existing spaces. That’s why we encourage homeowners in Washington, DC to ask during the interview process how a designer troubleshoots problems and responds to unforeseen occurrences.

A professional showroom and designer’s primary responsibilities are to make things work and positively change clients’ lives and living spaces. If you would like to ease the stress of the renovation process and increase the happiness of your home and family, give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit us as 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132.

Open Floor Plan Kitchens

• Pro: Open floor kitchen remodeling plans connect the kitchen to other rooms in the house, primarily living and dining rooms, creating a great room look and feel to the home.  Advantages include ability to move through the space effortlessly, ability to bring in natural light from other rooms, multiple more decorating options and space that can serve multiple purposes for working, entertaining, studying, schooling, meeting, etc.
• Con: Lack of privacy, noise, cooking odors travel to adjacent rooms, constant upkeep because even the smallest amount of clutter can make the space appear messy. Dishes in the sink or toys on the floor are easily visible from the other rooms and on Zoom calls.

Marble Countertops

• Pro: Marble is luxurious, gorgeous and timeless.
• Con: Difficult to maintain. Acids from citrus and common cleaning products can damage marble’s finish and grease from cooking can cause permanent stains.

Wood Countertops

• Pro: Cost-effective, warm, durable, heat resistant and relatively easy to repair.
• Con: Easily scratched, not naturally waterproof, susceptible to rings from water and wine glasses.  Require frequent sealing.

Shiplap Backsplash

• Pro: Great way to add character to your kitchen. Cost-effective.
• Con: Difficult to maintain, especially the gaps between the boards which can be a magnet for dust.  Can warp if not properly installed.

White Backsplash

• Pro: Classic look.  Bright, clean aura.
• Con: Difficult to keep clean and pristine.

Glass Front Cabinets

• Pro: Ability to showcase collectables, glassware, plates, etc.
• Con: Not designed for all products that you want to showcase in your kitchen such as ordinary mugs and glassware, water bottles, Tupperware, etc.

Open Shelves

• Pro: Warm and inviting vibe. Cost-effective. Easily customizable.
• Con: Limited storage. Difficult to maintain. Everything you put on the shelves needs to be cleaned regularly even if not used.

Stainless Steel

• Pro: Extremely sanitary.  Works with any design motif.  Durable. Easy to clean.
• Con: Fingerprint prone requiring constant cleaning.

There are pros and cons to almost every component of a new kitchen.

The advantages and drawbacks depend on your lifestyle, how and how often you plan to use your new kitchen and for what purposes and your lifestyle preferences. What do you need to know to design the kitchen of your dreams? Give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit our showroom at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132 and let us tell you the pros and cons of different elements you want in the kitchen of your dreams.

The top trends from Cersaie that will influence renovations for homeowners in Washington, DC are as follows:

Splashes of color everywhere. Bold colors were found in nontraditional products such as shower bases, radiators and faucets. This trend allows homeowners in Washington, DC to make personal design statements, use color to escape from daily routines and bring a natural vibe indoors through earth-tones, pastels and light shades of blue.

Connecting with natural elements expanded to tiles that resembled marble. Featured were porcelain vanity tops that mimicked different shades of onyx, Carrara, Calcutta and Verona red marble. Additionally, there were tiles that looked like hardwood. The ability to connect with nature was also found in bathroom displays at Cersaie. There were brightly colored floral tiles with tactile surfaces and jungle-styled décor on display.

Combining smooth and textured surfaces for countertops, cabinet doors and tile finishes was another strong trend at Cersaie. Utilizing cutting-edge digital printing technologies, combined with a variety of glaze applications and textures transformed tile to provide the decorative and expressive qualities of wallpaper while boasting the durability and versatility of ceramic.

The use of the same tile to transition from indoors to outdoors to create continuity between spaces was another hot trend in Cersaie.

Large format tiles as big as 10 feet by 10 feet also turned heads at Cersaie, enabling homeowners in Washington, DC to tile an entire bathroom or kitchen wall with a single slab. And for wow, Cersaie showcased an innovative technology that featured a chef preparing and cooking a meal on a countertop where there was no burner to be found. Instead, this technology integrates an induction cooking system into a countertop and transfers heat to cookware while the counter cool remains cool to the touch. This technology is expected to come to the U.S. next year.

How will these new trends enable you to create a kitchen or bathroom of your dreams? Give us a call at (540) 338-9661 or make an appointment to visit us at 210 N 21st St e, Purcellville, VA 20132.