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By Matt Blank
What’s hot… and what’s not… in kitchen and bathroom design and remodeling for 2013?
From National Kitchen & Bath Association:
“As we settle into 2013 and a seemingly healthier national economy, some kitchen and bath design trends continue to flourish, while consumer budgets for these projects appear to have shrunk just a bit. To get specific —
* Gray color schemes in both kitchens and baths have witnessed a dramatic escalation since 2010, particularly over the past year. Used currently in 55% of kitchens and 56% of bathrooms, shades of gray are growing in appeal, creating chic, sophisticated spaces that many consumers desire.
* Also, continuing an important trend from last year, transitional-style kitchens and baths have clearly surpassed traditional styles, a longstanding favorite until 2012.
* While the use of quartz finishes was in slight decline last year, it has surfaced as a clear trendsetter this year, coming a close second to granite.
* Homeowner spending on their kitchen and bath remodels was trending upward a year ago, but the latest numbers tell a slightly less robust story. Heading into 2012, the total cost of the average kitchen and the average bath design was $51,050 and $18,575, respectively. As we move into 2013, the figures have dipped to $47,308 in kitchens, while staying steady at $18,538 in bathrooms.
Over 300 National Kitchen & Bath Association member-designers participated in the 2013 NKBA Design Trends Survey, reporting the materials, product types, and styles that they specified in their kitchen and bath designs over the final three months of 2012. While broad trends won’t be evident in every local market, the following are the top overall trends that emerged for kitchens and baths across the United States and Canada.”
General Kitchen & Bathroom Trends for 2013
- Shades of Grey
- Quartz Counters
- Trending “Transitional” Style (a seamless blend of traditional and contemporary)
2013 Kitchen Remodeling Trends
- White Painted Cabinetry
- Glass Backsplash
- LED/Energy Efficient Lighting
- Touch-activated faucets
- Satin Nickel finish faucets on the rise
2013 Bathroom Remodeling Trends
- Ceramic/Porcelain tile flooring.
- Undermounted sinks remain the most requested in bathrooms.
Average Total Costs: No Growth
NKBA members did not see any increase in the average costs of their bathrooms and kitchens. Kitchens actually fell by .08% (around $3700 less than 2012). Bathrooms sunk even less - .017% (about $300 less than 2012). While no growth sounds like a bad thing, these numbers are up thousands of dollars from the bottom of 2011.
You can view and download the complete 2013 report here.
When you want to make your ideas a reality, call MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC in Lancaster County, PA for the Kitchen or Bathroom of your dreams!
Budget: A major step, and one of the first places you should start is developing an investment budget for the project. This isn’t always easy; without experience in these types of large home addition projects, you may have no idea what to expect. If you aren’t sure where to even begin, try our Addition Cost Calculator.
Style: Maintaining the style and aesthetics of your current home are very important when considering an addition. You do not want an eyesore stuck to your house just to cut costs – it is better to be patient and save so you can do it right the first time. Potential buyers will notice this right away… and will keep on moving.
Create a Wish List to start: Bring ideas to the meeting. Involve your family members as much as possible in the interior designing, colors, flooring, bathroom fixtures and all of the other selections made during the design phase. This is a fun family activity, but also since they will be the one living there, their input is important. An experienced contractor can help you make the right choices to keep your budget intact while making sure of a win-win-win project design process.
Location: Should we go off the back? Add a 2nd story? What about a master suite and garage addition? Maybe we should do a garage conversion? You might have several options as to where to put the addition; or you may not. Working with an experience general contractor will give you some trusted guidance as to the pros and cons and feasibility of the different addition placement options you are considering.
Choosing Your General Contractor: Have they done the type of addition you are looking for? Putting a room on the back of a house is not the same as opening up the roof to add a second story. Always ask for work samples, state registration information and references. Check their website for evidence they have the quality and experience you desire.
From Lititz to Conestoga, Columbia to Manheim, MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC knows Lancaster County, PA home additions.
After the hustle and bustle of
the daily grind, we all deserve to come home to a luxurious place to
unwind. Your home’s bathroom, although often overlooked, could be your
personal retreat.
While planning a bathroom makeover, it’s best to start from the ground up. The floor
is the priority, because it’s the most permanent part of the room.
Options range from luxury vinyl, to natural stone, to porcelain or
ceramic tile, to marble. Tiles and marble may have a higher price tag,
but they are durable and long-lasting. Vinyl on the other hand, is a
lesser expensive option for a remodel, especially coupled with the
intent to sell.
The right style and color of
flooring can also make a bathroom feel much larger than it is. A
light-colored marble floor with a thin, complementary-colored vein adds
luxury, while also keeping the space fresh and airy.
Cabinetry is
the next step in the remodel design and has the potential to be the
largest cost in your budget. A cost-saving alternative is to give your
current cabinets a facelift with a coat of bright, white lacquer.
Another option is to reface
your current cabinets. This involves replacing or upgrading the cabinet
door and drawer fronts and retaining the cabinet base. If the existing
cabinets can not be maintained, there are many styles to choose from,
including custom-made wood cabinets, oak panels washed in white,
mirror-on-mirror treatments, warm pecan-stained oak, contemporary metal
drawers or soft frosted glass panels.
Selecting the countertops is your next step. Often times, marble or granite can be purchased at a discount from a stone scrap yard.
Laminate or Formica are two
other great options, which will give you similar look to marble or
granite at a fraction of the cost.
The finishing details and accessories have the ability to take a nicely remodeled bathroom and make it into your luxury get-away.
Hardware is a
simple way to add your personal touch and style. Whether it’s modern
with clean lines or old and vintage, it’s about what makes you happy.
Let the sunshine in! A
skylight may be just what you need to allow natural light into your
space. A skylight is also quite private.
For windows that need a covering, bamboo or other natural fibers add tranquility and warmth, while allowing natural light to pass through.
Turning your bathroom into your
personal retreat is all about reflecting your style, attention to
detail and selecting the right materials.
Fact: You get what you pay for when remodeling.
Car Sense is a no-haggle way to
buy the car you want. You research the make & model, and you can
trust great service and the right price. Many inexperienced homeowners
treat remodeling they same way; they decide it’s time for a new kitchen,
and all they need to do is shop around for the lowest price.
Remodeling is not a product and
it definitely isn’t a commodity – it is a service, plain and simple.
This is sometimes easily forgotten, especially in an era when Carpentry
is not given it’s proper due as a professional trade; it was in fact
once considered the artist’s trade.
No two remodelers are the same…
no two remodels are the same either. Deciding you are building a
kitchen addition isn’t the same as deciding on the new Samsung TVs. It’s
more like computers- brands, not models. What you save buying an off
brand can easily cost you when the product quickly fails and you are
left at square one.
MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC spends a lot of time discussing best practices for choosing a remodeler in and around Lancaster County, PA.
We hear so many Horror stories, even locally, from homeowners who thought all builders were the same, and that amazing low price was just their luck…
How many horror stories do you
need to hear to realize that ‘too good to be true’ lowball offer is just
that. And having a true professional contractor to come after and fix
the subpar work the cheap guy completed (or didn’t…) is going to cost
more to fix than to do it right the first time.
What To Do
What do you want – the Lincoln, the Ford… or the Lemon? Considerations for choosing your remodeling contractor based on Quality and Value – NOT price alone.
1. Better materials
– this is often a main thing not considered by the average remodeling
client, especially the first-timers out there. Also consider pricing is
low due to big Home Improvement warehouses carry lower quality product
lines.
2. Better craftsmanship – higher % increase of home value after project.
3. Better warranty – Most contractors offer no warranty. Some offer a year.
(P.S. MBC offers 5-years.)
4. Peace of mind
– You need to trust this person and their crew inside your home, around
your family, your pets, and with the fact you are paying them at work
intervals and/or start of phases and not all up front. PA State Law allows no more than 1/3 down payment, excluding special order items.
Ask Your Yourself:
• Is a professional someone who makes money… or pays taxes?
• Gives their employees 100% health insurance coverage?
DIY or OMG?
We spend a lot of time (and people spend a lot of money) fixing subpar remodeling work. You might be willing to do just about any home improvement project around your house... but before you tackle any major work, consider two things.
First, ask yourself if you can do the job right. Saving money is one thing, but are you knowledgeable enough about the task at hand to avoid major (and costly) mistakes?
Second—and perhaps more importantly—put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer - even if you're not likely to sell for years. You might be proud of all your home improvements, but that won't stop the homebuyer from asking questions about the work. Fair or not, there is an inherent skepticism about homegrown handymen, no matter your talents.
Professionally done work, on the other hand, tends to have a certain "seal of approval" that assures the job was done properly. Plus, most pros guarantee their work for an extended time, which gives buyers even more confidence.
Just some food for thought!
