Shades of white cabinets, hood vents and tile choices definitely make a clean statement again this year, according to Flower Mound's William French Home Improvement professionals. Real estate pros we talked to agree. But resist the urge to distress the surfaces or add glazes for a well-worn look and instead opt for clean and sleek. Designers are now saying no to faux.
Another returning favorite is this year's top choice for countertops. You guessed it: granite. Let your other design elements—such as furniture, drawer pulls, appliances and lighting—inspire the color of granite for your kitchen. For example, if your accent color is black, installing black granite creates a completely cohesive look. While natural stone counters can be pricey, they add overall value to your home and have proven to be a timeless classic.
Exposed brick is an on-trend design element for the most-used room in the house, but what if you love the look but are missing one thing … the bricks? There's an ingenious solution. Applied much like wallpaper, brick veneers can transform your wall or backsplash and be cut to fit any architectural shape you want to cover—even corners.
Old Mill Brick manufactures natural clay brick veneers that come in a multitude of traditional brick colors. Each web sheet includes 12 attached bricks that are applied to a prepared surface. Once bricks have set, mortar is added to fill in the gaps. After installed, the brick surface can easily be painted to match your décor or left natural. If you're up for a DIY project, your home improvement store pros can provide you with instructions on how to mount the panels securely over any interior surface. But you'll need sophisticated tools such as a wet saw for cutting the bricks, so hiring a pro might be a good call.
For years, the go-to appliances for high-end gourmet-style kitchens have been stainless steel, but black surfaces have recently made a comeback—especially when paired with dark cabinets. Why are black appliances enjoying a welcome return? One is price. Stainless steel remains the most expensive finish option while classic black is more affordable. Another reason is how much easier it is to keep black surfaces clean. If you have stainless, you know it shows every single fingerprint and just breathing on it will leave a smudge. Or explore black stainless steel—a hybrid now offered by appliance manufacturers such as LG and Samsung—that's billed as smudge- and fingerprint-resistant. Now, who saw that coming?
The kitchen truly is the heart of every home. This year, create a space that is both bright and welcoming with the latest in kitchen trends from your knowledgeable neighborhood design professionals.