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Holiday Traditions: 2 Recipes You Need to Know About!

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Today we are continuing to share recipes and traditions from the ICC Family. If you missed the previous post on German Chocolate Pie, please check it out here!

“This dessert recipe was handed down from my Grandma to my Mom, and it makes an appearance at every holiday gathering.  I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I never pass this one up.” – Nate

Pineapple Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

2 cups crushed pretzels

1 cup butter, melted

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup white sugar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple

½ (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2:  Place crushed pretzels in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour melted butter carefully over top. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes.

Step 3:  Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. Combine pineapple and pudding mix. Spread over whipped topping layer. Chill until serving.

Baked Potato Casserole

“At every holiday gathering, my mom makes my favorite baked potato casserole.”

Main Ingredients

8 cooked and diced potatoes

1 pound American cheese

1 cup may

½ cup onion

Salt & Pepper to taste

Toppings:

1 lb cooked bacon

½ cup stuffed olives

Directions

Toss main ingredients together and turn into buttered 8×10 baking dish

Top with 1lb cooked bacon and ½ cup stuffed olives

Bake at 325 for one hour (uncovered)

We hope you enjoy the recipes from our family to yours!

Home Design Trends for the Coming Year

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What does the new year hold for design trends? Houzz.com recently predicted ten trends that it expects for 2021. Many of the trends are popular because homeowners in Indianapolis and across the United States are working from home, schooling from home, and continuing to spend most of their days at home.

Multifunctional Kitchen

One trend that we expect not only to continue but also to grow is the multifunctional kitchen. The kitchen is no longer just an area for preparing and eating meals or a central gathering hub. The kitchen now serves as a home office, classroom, study, catering center, and refuge. We expect an increasing number of homeowners in Indianapolis to be attracted to new kitchens that offer defined areas for baking, meal preparation, and snacking or doing homework.

Lighting

As homeowners in Indianapolis are spending more time in their kitchens, they have discovered the need for both functional and aesthetic lighting. Sconces fit both bills. Not only can sconces make a distinctive fashion statement in your kitchen, but they are also an excellent source of task lighting to illuminate a range, the sink area, or an island.

A Space to Unwind

Similar to kitchens, bathrooms no longer serve utilitarian purposes. COVID-19 has emphasized health and well-being, and homeowners in Indianapolis are discovering they can convert their master baths into wellness centers and personal refuges for rest, relaxation, and a place to wash away the stresses of the day.

Remote Living

Remote work and school are not expected to end anytime in the near future and should continue through most of 2021. Homeowners in Indianapolis are expected to look to talented designers to create nooks and dedicated spaces for home offices, work nooks and back yard space that can double as a work area or classroom.

Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans that were declining before the outbreak of COVID-19 are expected to continue to wane into 2021. Family members in Indianapolis who found themselves having concurrent video conferences quickly discovered the downside of not having walls. Open space is not going away entirely; however, an increasing number of homeowners in Indianapolis are drawn to sliding doors, interior windows, and partitions that can create private spaces.

Extended Living

Backyards are being viewed in an entirely new and exciting light. Homeowners in Indianapolis understand the benefit of extending living and working space to outdoor areas. We are seeing designs that include enclosed decks, backyard cottages, and even accessory dwelling units that serve as home offices, fitness centers, yoga studios, classrooms, and wellness centers.

Color Schemes

Color schemes expected to trend in 2021 are shades of brown that include warm taupes, beiges, sand and other earth tones. White continues to be the dominant color for kitchens and baths. Adding a splash of brown as an accent color helps to warm a space.

Tiles

Homeowners in Indianapolis that want to expand their space’s functionality should consider large-format rectangular tiles. Larger format tiles make a smaller space look larger, and they have fewer grout lines, which means less cleaning and cleaner lines. Tile styles that are expected to trends in 2021 include herringbone, stacked and brick, predicts Houzz.

If you want to make your home more functional and more beautiful, please give us a call or make an appointment to visit our showroom either virtually or in-person.

Family Traditions and German Chocolate Pie

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At ICC Floors Plus, family is so important. As are family traditions! We asked our staff to share some of their family traditions and are excited to share this tradition and recipe from Matt, our Director of Customer Experience.

“This is something my Gramma Fee would always make for Thanksgiving & Christmas. After she passed my mom picked it up and the last 10 or so years I’ve taken to make this for the holidays. I always freeze mine but it’s pretty darn good any way you slice it. It’s really easy to make too. I started taking this to friends and family kind of like you might bring a bottle of wine and now if I don’t for some reason, I never hear the end of it. It’s very popular. Give it a try!” – Matt Settimi, Director of Customer Experience

Keep in touch for more traditions from the ICC family. We would love to hear about any family traditions or family recipes that your family uses to celebrate the holidays!

Giving Thanks!

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We’ve been thinking a lot about all that we have to be thankful for. That led to the idea of sharing some of our traditions where we share what we are thankful for.

Find a smooth pumpkin or gourd accompanied by a gold or silver marker. Pass the pumpkin or gourd around the table and have each family member write what they are thankful for on the pumpkin. This makes for a wonderful reminder of your Thanksgiving celebration for as long as the pumpkin lasts! Don’t forget that pumpkins come in white and other beautiful colors that can compliment your decor.

Choose a beautiful vase or jar and depending on your level of craftiness, write the word “thankful” or “gratitude” on the container. If you aren’t too crafty, print your word out and cut to make a band to wrap around the container. Finish off with some ribbon. Then give everyone a card or slip of paper to write what they are thankful for. Do this before your Thanksgiving meal. Then after dinner, have the host read through all of the answers. This is a gift that keeps on giving because the host can revisit and read the responses anytime they need a reminder!

If you like these ideas yet you can feel your family rolling their eyes when you ask for everyone to write down what they are thankful for, you can still get the same feel with our next idea. Purchase faux leaves or pinecones from a craft store or online. Write one word per leaf and scatter the leaves around the kitchen island or use as part of your dinner table decorations. Small details like this will set the mood and the tone for your Thanksgiving celebration!

We would love to hear about any of your Thanksgiving traditions!

The Effect of COVID-19 on Design

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COVID-19 has transformed the traditional residence into a multifunctional space that serves as an office, gym, bar, restaurant, school, hospital and home. Working and schooling from home have had the most dramatic impact on the notion of home and will undoubtedly impact future new home design.

It is safe to say that most parents and children would prefer traditional in-person learning instead of virtual schooling at home.  Similarly, many people who are working from home would rather be at an office. They miss the face-to-face interaction with their coworkers and the quiet space for focused thinking, and most homes do not have the same access to support and technology available in offices.

Larger Kitchens

The immediate impact of COVID-19 on home design is a desire for a larger kitchen for several reasons. Most families cook more at home because they either can’t or don’t want to dine out. A recent National Kitchen & Bath Association Design Trends 2021 study found L-shaped designs with large islands that can function as dining tables, desks, and other services are likely to dominate near-term trends. Nearly two-thirds of respondents stated that the most popular layout was the open floor plan involving removing walls to open the kitchen space to other rooms.

Contemporary Design

The most popular design style was contemporary, cited by 58% of respondents, followed by transitional at 53% and organic/natural at almost 50%. The latter was the 9th most popular style in last year’s survey, reflecting that an increasing number of homeowners want to connect with nature and expand living space to the outdoors.

White on White

Nearly 70% of kitchen renovation projects in 2020 have involved medium-sized spaces between 150 and 300 square feet. White and off white remains the popular kitchen color scheme cited by 47% of survey respondents. Other popular color schemes include beige/bone and blue reported by at least 35% of respondents. Lighter colors were also the top choices for countertops and backsplashes, and quartz remains the most popular countertop material, cited by 78% of respondents, followed by quartzite at 29%.

Painted Wood Cabinets

Painted wood cabinets were the most popular door material, followed by full wood grain. Flat-panel slab is the number one door style for cabinets, followed by recessed panels. Floor to ceiling cabinetry and walk-in pantries tied for the top spot for most popular storage solutions. Deeper and lower cabinets were also popular storage solutions.

Technology

Technology use in the kitchen continues to grow. Dedicated spaces (such as in cabinet or drawer) for charging phones, laptops and mobile devices were the number one desired technology feature cited by 63% of respondents. Seamless video communication was the second most popular technology option, followed by emergency refrigerator power and detection devices that alert homeowners to water and gas leaks and power failures. Also popular were voice-activated lighting controls.

As COVID-19 will continue to impact how and why we use our homes, a professional designer can help you and your family design beautiful, healthy, and functional spaces. If you would like to explore how you can improve the living experience for your family, give us a call or make an appointment to visit us either virtually or in-person at our showroom.

Keys to a Healthier and Environmentally Efficient Kitchen

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Health and wellness are top of mind among homeowners in Indianapolis, and many of our clients have expressed interest in creating healthier spaces in their homes. Key components of kitchens, baths that contribute to a healthier and more environmentally efficient home include:

  • Material quality
  • Airflow
  • Effective lighting
  • Thermal comfort
  • Comfortable movement throughout the space
  • Acoustical comfort

Material Quality

Cabinets, paints, hardware, countertops, floor and wall coverings and other materials you select for your new kitchen can contribute to a healthier space and lifestyle. We specify paints, glues, cabinets, and other materials with low to no volatile organic compounds for clients who want a more environmentally friendly and sustainable space. VOCs are chemicals found in many products used to build and maintain homes. Once the chemicals are in the home, they are released into the indoor air we breathe. Natural wood cabinets, stone countertops and glass backsplashes are all environmentally favorable.

Airflow

A healthy kitchen needs adequate airflow and ventilation. The ability to provide fresh air and create cross-breezes from open windows or doors contributes to a healthier kitchen as does a properly sized vent hood or fan that meets your range and cooking style needs. Clients that want to be on the cutting edge may be intrigued by an interior garden that grows vertically, also known as a living wall. Another healthy kitchen option is to create indoor herb gardens or strategically locate herb planters. Living walls and interior plants help reduce stress, improve air quality, enhance creativity and absorb sound, among other benefits.

Healthy kitchen design also accounts for the way you and your family cook and eat. A healthier kitchen should contribute to a healthier lifestyle that includes the use and consumption of fresh ingredients from an outdoor garden, living wall, indoor plants and herbs. Refrigerated drawers near the stove can help to keep foodstuffs fresher for longer periods. Open shelving, glass containers, glass-front refrigerators and glass-front cabinets showcase foodstuffs and can encourage you and your family to consume more wholesome foods than processed packaged goods.

Effective Lighting

Lighting can make or break how your kitchen looks, feels and functions. Natural light from windows, doors, skylights and other sources contributes to health and well-being. The use of lighting controls, dimmers, switches and motion sensors can help boost your productivity and energy and enhance your sleep quality.

Thermal Comfort

Thermal comfort is another crucial component of designing a healthy and environmentally friendly space. The use of smart thermostats, heated countertops and floors and a tight building envelope around a new kitchen keep the area toasty in winter and cool in the summer in an environmentally responsible way.

Comfortable Movement Throughout the Space

A new kitchen should allow all users to effectively and safely navigate the space. The three main areas of a kitchen referred to as the golden triangle comprises storage areas, including the refrigerator; the cleanup area, including the sink; and the cooking area, including the stove.  The sink should ideally be located between the refrigerator and the stove to ensure a comfortable and unencumbered traffic flow and efficient use of the space. Each leg of the triangle should be between four and nine feet, and the total distance of the triangle should be between 13 and 26 feet to promote safe and easy navigation throughout the space.

Comfort also is derived from clean lines and a sense of calm that results from uncluttered countertops and islands.

Acoustical Comfort

Acoustics are the final element of a well-designed healthy kitchen. Noisy dishwashers, appliance motors, clangy sink bottoms, and surfaces that enhance sound disturb what otherwise is a peaceful kitchen. Eliminating unnecessary noises is part of a healthy design that homeowners in Indianapolis welcome and deserve.

If you want to learn more about additional design elements and strategies to promote a healthier and more environmentally efficient space in your home, give us a call or make an appointment to visit one of our beautiful showrooms.