Design

Creating Multifunctional Spaces

February 26, 2021 by iccfloors Leave a Comment

Almost 12 months have passed since homeowners in Indianapolis have spent most of the time in their homes. This new normal has shined a bright spotlight on the functionality of homes in Indianapolisand demands for improved performance. Homeownersin Indianapolis want and need spaces that are multifunctional, flexible and that offer increased privacy. We’ve know that guests rooms have been converted into home offices. Basements double as fitness facilities and there are needs for spaces where kids to kick back and be kids.

Organization

Kitchens and bathrooms remain the most important rooms in the home and spaces that offer the potential to serve multiple functions. A regret of more than 50% of homeowners nationwide last year who renovated their kitchens was not spending enough on the renovation to truly make the space not only beautiful but multifunctional. We firmly believe that a well-designed kitchen is an organized kitchen. Professional kitchen designers have a broad range of tools at their disposal to design a place for everything and to ensure everything a homeowner in Indianapolis wants in their new dream kitchen has a place. Not investing insufficient storage solutions and incorporating multifunctional capabilities into the design, we suspect, are primary reasons for buyers’ remorse among those who recently renovated their kitchens.

Storage Solutions

The need for effective storage solutions is not confined to kitchens. They also are welcomed for home offices, laundry rooms, mudrooms, bathrooms, closets, and kids’ spaces, among other rooms in a home. Professional kitchen and bath showrooms have unique expertise in cabinetry and how it can be used to create storage solutions for kitchens and baths that easily translate to other rooms in the home. We know how to create space where none currently exists; how to make small spaces appear larger and how to make a home more functional, organized, and beautiful. We hear from many homeowners in Indianapolis that they are tired of looking at stuff scattered throughout almost every room in their home and want spaces that are not messy. That’s where cabinetry can be a perfect solution.

Oasis

A place is escape is another desire resulting from homeowners in Indianapolis spending most of their time in their homes. That’s one reason we have seen demand for bathroom renovations skyrocket in the last year. Many of our clients relish the opportunity to create an in-home spa where they can spend a few minutes of the day just to themselves and have the opportunity to wash away the stresses that result from the blurred lines between work and home.

Outdoor Living

The desire for increased functionality has extended outdoors that enable homeowners to create news spaces that connect to nature and also serve as classrooms, recreational areas and places to relax. Outdoor kitchens in particular have become increasingly popular.

How can you make your existing space more functional and beautiful? How can you create an in-home spa that will promote the health and wellbeing of family members? Let us show you how you can have a multifunctional space that meets the new requirements of working and schooling from home by giving us a call or make an appointment to visit our showroom either in person or virtually.

A Trip to the Islands

January 22, 2021 by iccfloors Leave a Comment

Almost two out of every three kitchens renovated in the U.S. include an island, and that percentage holds true in Indianapolis. And for good reasons. Islands are multifunctional. Islands provide extra storage areas, serve as classrooms for children who are schooling remotely and provide additional seating for dining and entertaining. Islands improve the kitchens’ functionality by often including prep sinks, cooking spaces, refrigerated drawers, indoor grills, microwave or steam ovens, dishwashers, and cooktops. Islands increase countertop space that can be used for preparing meals and many other purposes. Plus, islands often serve as a focal point for a kitchen enabling homeowners in Indianapolis to make distinct and personal design statements.

Storage

Storage is the number one consideration for homeowners in Indianapolis opting for an island in their new kitchens. Most homeowners include cabinets and/or drawers for storage; however, we also have seen an increase in open shelving as a storage option for islands.

Shapes

The most common island shape in Indianapolis is square or rectangular, usually between six or seven feet long. Depending on the kitchen’s size and shape, islands can be L-shaped or U-shaped. For smaller kitchens, we often recommend a peninsula. Peninsulas are three-sided. The fourth side is attached to a wall.

Colors

Approximately 40% of homeowners in Indianapolis choose a color scheme to complement main cabinets. According to a recent Houzz.com survey, the most popular colors are blue, gray, and white. Another technique to create a stunning visual is the choice of countertop materials and colors. Houzz found that the most popular colors for island countertops are white, medium wood tone, gray, or light or dark wood. Some homeowners in Indianapolis select different materials for their island countertop than tops placed on cabinets. Popular choices include butcher block, granite, quartz, and marble.

Lighting

Lighting can make or break the look, feel, and functionality of a countertop. Pendants, recessed lights, chandeliers, and natural light can provide general illumination, task lighting for meal preparation and cooking, or highlight a particular focal point on the island.

What island size, shape, color, and functionality is perfect for your new kitchen? Give us a call or visit one of our showrooms either in person or virtually, and let us show you how your kitchen and island dreams can become a reality.

What’s Trending in 2021

January 19, 2021 by iccfloors Leave a Comment

With many homeowners in Indianapolis continuing to spend most of their time in their homes, they have realized that they want them, especially their kitchens, to be better. Working and schooling from home have shined a bright spotlight on kitchen storage capabilities, due in part to the fact that more homeowners in Indianapolis are cooking more often and using their kitchen for multiple purposes.

Increased Storage

Increasing the number of cabinets and enhancing their storage capabilities addresses homeowners’ needs in Indianapolis without necessarily having to increase the kitchen’s size. That’s one reason we start the product selection process with cabinets and evaluate homeowners’ performance requirements for their new dream kitchen.

Homeowners in Indianapolis have gravitated to walk-in pantries as another tool to increase storage space. If there is no room for a walk-in pantry, pantry cabinets can often meet storage needs.

Open Concept

One trend we expect to continue is the movement away from open concept kitchen spaces that flow automatically into other rooms. For families where two adults are working from home and children are attending school virtually, the need for private spaces has become evident. Another trend that will continue in 2021 is to connect the kitchen to outdoor living spaces.

White & Beige

White remains the number one color choice for cabinets, specified by 41% of homeowners renovating their kitchen, according to a recent Houzz.com survey. Medium tones and gray were the next most popular cabinet colors. The palate for new kitchens is trending toward neutral paint colors with gray, white and beige leading the way.

Pops of Color

Our showroom clients in Indianapolis are using pops of color in their backsplashes, appliances and walls. The Houzz.com survey found that black stainless appliances are specified in 10% of kitchen remodels, and an additional 6% of homeowners are selecting black appliances in other materials.

Colorful Islands

Color is also increasingly popular for islands. 41% of homeowners in the Houzz.com survey choose an island color to contrast with their new cabinets. The most popular colors are blue and gray. Only 13% of renovations featured islands with the same color as cabinets.

What trends will work best for your new dream kitchen? Give us a call or make an appointment to visit one of our showrooms either in person or virtually. Thanks for reading!

Using the Four Seasons to Inspire Your Decorating: Winter

December 13, 2020 by iccfloors Leave a Comment

The Four Seasons of Decorating: Winter

Winter images range from hot chocolate and warm fires to that cold-wet feeling when you’ve had to dig your car out of its parking space again. Winter rooms need to bring warmth inside, along with a nice dose of coziness.

Carpet is the flooring for winter. Find a ‘”dig your toes in” kind that makes your feet happy when the boots come off. Or maybe you’ve fallen in love with an area rug. Whatever the type, the softness perfectly complements the harsh weather outside.

If you long for a dark accent wall, or even a dark-walled space, your winter room gives you that opportunity. Pull in a rich brown or wine red, or how about a dark sage green? Introduce ivories and creams to lighten the space through furniture and pillows. For windows, velvet curtains that go to the floor keep the warmth in and the chill out – visually and in terms of temperature.

Lighting is particularly important when the sun sets so early. Table lamps in the corners and candles for special occasions create a sense of invitation and comfort in your winter room. Accessories should include a couple of throws to wrap around your legs on chilly evenings.

Texture is an easy design element that can bring on the feelings of warmth and coziness. Using faux fur pillows, throws or area rugs can bring an instant feeling of warmth to a room.

When it’s cold outside, curl up in your winter room and enjoy the best of the season.

The Effect of COVID-19 on Design

November 13, 2020 by iccfloors Leave a Comment

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 9^th 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.

Withstanding the Test of Time

October 30, 2020 by iccfloors Leave a Comment

Fads and trends come and go. Many homeowners in Indianapolis can remember when avocado-colored kitchens were all the rage or when pastel paint dominated design thinking. While it is tempting to look at what’s trending when renovating your kitchen or bath, our showroom advises selecting products, styles, and color schemes that can withstand the test of time.

White Cabinetry

There’s a good reason why more than 50% of kitchen renovations feature white cabinets. White cabinets offer a blank canvas for the remainder of the kitchen. They provide a classic, clean look and match any design motif from European modern to traditional and everything in between. White kitchens are timeless; their reflective qualities can make a smaller space appear larger, and, due to their popular appeal, they help increase the value of your home at sale time.

Contemporary Design

Clean lines are another feature that can withstand the test of time. A contemporary kitchen offers a clean, stylish, and uncluttered look and feel. Contemporary motifs pay homage to practicality because they focus on maximizing the use of available space and light, and that also can make a smaller space appear larger. When we design a contemporary kitchen, almost all appliances, even smaller ones such as coffee makers, are built into cabinetry. Countertops are left uncluttered, and many homeowners in Indianapolis appreciate the fact that contemporary kitchens are easy to clean.

Storage

A well-designed kitchen is an organized kitchen. Lack of customized storage solutions is one of the most common regrets of homeowners in Indianapolis after renovating their kitchen. We cannot emphasize enough the need to develop a storage plan for your new kitchen that addresses how often you cook, entertain, hold gatherings, and use the space. A great kitchen must not only look out of this world, but it also must incorporate the best functionality that meets your needs.

An almost endless array of options is available to store cookware, food, utensils, countertop appliances, recycling containers and so on. A professional kitchen designer can custom design trays to exacting specifications that account for your kitchen equipment’s actual dimensions. Specifying trays for drawers to hold cutlery and kitchen gadgets to match the drawer helps avoid movement and keeps what you want in its place.

Customized storage solutions are not confined to a kitchen to make a home look, feel and function superbly. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, mudrooms and entryways all can make a home much more enjoyable if they are outfitted with storage solutions that meet your family’s needs and lifestyle.

Colors

Homeowners in Indianapolis often ask us about colors. While splashes of purple, turquoise, yellow, or green can become a focal point in kitchens and baths, we tend to favor palettes that can withstand the test of time. In addition to white, these include blue, grey, and cream tones.

If you are interested in creating a dream kitchen that will continue to be dreamy years after the renovation is complete, give us a call or make an appointment to visit one of our showrooms.