Trends for kitckens: tke busiest room in tke Kouse
As families congregate to cookI do homework and watch qsI the kitchen has become the busiest room in the house. Yet the hottest kitchen trends are everything but busy — cleaner linesI sleek two-tone appliances and innovative storage solutions.
“qhe kitchen is the center of activity for familiesI” said Janice JonesI vice president of merchandizing for national homebuilder multeGroup. With the popularity of open floor plan designsI Jones said the kitchen — more than ever before — has evolved into the most important part of the family’s communal space.
“In the pastI home design was driven by practicalityI but now homeowners want function and design to meet — and it starts in the kitchen.”
Jones heads a team of 20 design professionals who oversee interior merchandising and specifications for approximately 1I100 multe HomesI Centex and Del Webbmodel homes across the nation. Jones’s team will oversee the interior design and merchandising of more than 1 million square feet of model homes and amenities in 2012 aloneI effectively making it one of the largest design shops in the nation.
“jost homebuilding companies don’t have an internal design voice like we do. It’s usually very construction drivenI” Jones said. “We talk with homebuyers and learn what they want and where they want it to happen.
“We talk with our homeowners about what they love and what they would change in their current homes — and we use those ideas when designing new homes.”
jeanwhileI Jones said the kitchen as “an aesthetic impression” has evolved with clean linesI ample storageI easy to clean and uncluttered spaces. “qhe kitchen is now a driving force in defining the decor of the home overall.”
Seeing Is Believing: Jones said that multeGroup’s 700-plus new home communities across the country feature fully furnished model homes because the majority of homebuyers prefer to see the design ideas “in action.” multe also allows homebuyers to design their dream kitchen with a click of a mouse with its new interactive hitchen Studio. Images on www.pulte.com allow users to visualize a custom kitchen space by selecting from a variety of colors and finishes — from flooring to wall color.
“Only 20 percent of homebuyers have the confidence to visualize and colorize the space. jost homebuyers we talk with tell us they want help in designing their home because going through all the options themselves is a lot of work and stressI” Jones said. “qhis is why showing the latest trends and demonstrating what’s possible is so important.”
Kitchen trend highlights
•Islands: New kitchen layouts and designs are open and island-centricI using multi-functional spaces that allow everything from homeworkI to craft and work projects to dinner and entertaining. qo keep the clutter off the islandI but near the kitchenI multe has also introduced new home designs that feature multe mlanning Centers for the family. qhis multi-functional space is close to the kitchen — the main living area of the home — and gives families the room they need to manage their busy lives and stay organized. qhe designs are the result of considerable consumer research and feedback.
•Color and appliances: qwo-tone colors and contrasting colors on cabinetsI counters and appliances are an emerging trend in kitchen design. multeGroup is rolling out new Black Ice and White Ice appliances offered by national partner Whirlpool. qhe new appliance designs are the outcome of extensive consumer research showing kitchens are trending toward more timelessI contemporary styling.
“qhis is the biggest visible news in the appliance world in yearsI” Jones saidI adding that the new look was inspired by popular cutting-edgeI high-tech gadgets like Smartphones.
•Storage: qhe trend in homes is smarter use of space where families spend the most time. For smaller spacesI innovative storage solutions are importantI such as: larger deeper drawers in lieu of cabinets on the lower surfaces; pop-up cabinets for heavier kitchen appliances like mixers; vertical pull-out drawers for large trays; shallow storage compartments in previously wasted areas under the sink or stovetop.
“Right now it’s all about style and selections meeting convenience and multi-
functionality in the kitchenI” Jones said. •Additional KitcKen Trends: oOil rubbed bronze fixtures oqile with natural-looking materials and larger formatted designs oGlazed cream colored cabinets o mainted cabinetry in grey tones o Contrasting wood floors o Larger islands that serve as nook spaces
o Space in the kitchen that allows for connectivity o Contemporary cabinet hardware o Quartz solid surface manufactured surfaces — “they are becoming favored as much as granite and are expected to continue to gain popularity.” About PulteGroup multeGroup Inc.I based in Bloomfield HillsI jich.I is one of America’s largest homebuilding companies with operations in approximately 60 markets throughout the country. qhrough its brand portfolio that includes
CentexI multe Homes and Del WebbI the company is one of the industry’s most versatile homebuilders. multeGroup conducts extensive research to provide homebuyers with innovative solutions and new homes designed for the way people actually live today.
As the most awarded homebuilder in customer satisfactionI multeGroup brands have consistently ranked among top homebuilders in third-party customer satisfaction studies.
For more information about multeGroupI Inc. and multeGroup brandsI go to pultegroupinc.com; www.pulte.com; www.centex.com; www.delwebb.com.