Home Decorating Articles

One of the best things about attending The International Builders Show is getting to meet with all of the different manufacturers and hearing what trends they see coming to market. Kitchens are a very important part of the home, in fact the Research Institute for Cooking and Kitchen found that 30 percent of adults considered their kitchen to be the center of activity in their homes.

The biggest trend in the home - one that continues to gain momentum is lifestyle. Choices are made by considering the homeowners lifestyle instead of a "style" such as cottage, traditional, contemporary, etc. Now we talk about if the consumer is an avid chef, if they are wine lovers, or if they live on "take-in". I have considered myself a Lifestylist® for over 20 years now, so I'm thrilled to see this term becoming more accepted.

Color is coming back into the kitchen! Darker finishes are starting to lose market share, and lighter stains and painted finishes are being seen in more homes. The New American Home this year featured Rushmore® Maple Square Hazelnut Glaze cabinets by Timberlake Cabinetry that were light and cheery.

KraftMaid's director of designer relations Sarah Reep stated that "Cabinetry with colorful finishes adds a burst of personality to your kitchen walls. KraftMaid's variety of woods and finishes make it easy to personalize your kitchen with the styles and colors that inspire you". KraftMaid says this year's kitchen color trends are bringing back the basics - creamy browns, navy and reds. Darker colors will be replaced with colors and styles reminiscent of farmers' markets and country roads.

Thermador is introducing color into the kitchen in a different way - their Sapphire dishwasher that was shown in The New American Home comes complete with Sapphire Glow LEDs that illuminate the interior of your dishwasher with a beautiful blue glow. This was a huge hit at the show, and it is not only really cool but it's also functional - it allows you to see items that are even in the back.

As the size of new homes starts to shrink, the space allocated for the kitchen is also getting smaller. Now more than ever consumers are looking for ways to add storage and make the most of every square foot of space. Being organized in the kitchen is a must.

We are looking forward to attending the Kitchen and Bath Show to search out more trends for us to share.

 

 

There are thousands of show homes built every year, but Champion Homes discovered a way to really set themselves apart from the crowd while doing a wonderful thing.

At the recent International Builders Show in Orlando, their Genesis division unveiled "The Tyler" - a beautiful modular home that was built at Champion's manufacturing facility in Lake City, FL. The home showcased how beautiful accessible design can be. The kitchen and master bath had the necessary clear space radius, and the wider hallways allowed for wheelchair accessibility. the home was filled with lots of innovative products - I especially loved the storage options that were shown.

The home was part of the NextGen Experience and was in the outdoor village at the show. Now that the show is over, Champion is teaming up with the non-profit organization Rebuilding Together and will be delivering the home to a lot in Tampa where it will be reassembled. The home has been donated to Mr. Waldemar Alameda and his family. Mr. Waldemar served our country in multiple tours of Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, and was severely injured in an IED explosion.

The home is beautiful inside and out, and I love the exterior elevation. The trim and color accents give the home lots of character and allow it to fit into almost any neighborhood in any part of the country.

As the Lifestylist® for Champion Homes of Texas, I couldn't be more proud of Champion and their giving spirit, and I hope that this home serves as an example of what can be accomplished with factory built housing and a company that knows how to give back to the community.

It's beginning to look like the interest in The New American Home 2011 is going to continue long after IBS 2011 is over. The homeowners have been gracious enough to put up a website where they are saying thank-you to all of the wonderful companies that have made this home a success. I also just found a great video on The Deconstruction of The Original Homes that shows how everything was recycled.

These homeowners went above and beyond to make sure that this New American Home was one of the best and most successful, and I'm thrilled that they have asked this Lifestylist® to help them add their life and style into their beautiful new home! Stay tuned to see the changes that we make.