As the year winds down, I thought it would be a good time to share my views on the top remodeling trends for 2011. This year has been challenging for homeowners and remodelers alike. The good news is that although progress is slow, remodelers across the valley say that things are looking up.
Many homeowners are looking to the New Year with a renewed sense of optimism about remodeling their homes. Home prices have stabilized and the economy is moving in a more positive direction. Astute remodeling contractors have found ways to lower their overhead and pricing to be competitive during the recession. Many people think that 2011 will the best time we have seen in years to remodel a home.
Many homeowners are looking to the New Year with a renewed sense of optimism about remodeling their homes. Home prices have stabilized and the economy is moving in a more positive direction. Astute remodeling contractors have found ways to lower their overhead and pricing to be competitive during the recession. Many people think that 2011 will the best time we have seen in years to remodel a home.
The focus will be on creative use of existing space and moderate sized additions. The use of color as a way to define space and bring out architectural features will continue to gain popularity. Kitchens will be made over to be brighter, open and less formal. Granite and quartz continue to be the countertops of choice, but soapstone is emerging as a unique alternative for an earthier feel in a solid surface countertop. Many kitchen and bathroom remodels will include cost effective techniques to recycle or renovate features rather than replacing everything.
There has been great interest in renewing fireplace areas to create a family centered area. Our project featuring the stacked stone fireplace continues to be a favorite.
Creating open floor plans will be one of the leading home improvements of 2011. Formal spaces in the home will be repurposed by opening up existing walls and creating more usable family centered space. Many people will find that their home can take on a whole new feel and function by reorganizing the seldom used formal living and dining rooms.
Master suites and bathrooms will also be designed around how we live our lives, with less focus on over the top extravagance. By focusing more on function and reasonable scale over flash, home remodels will have the feel and features we want without unsustainable budgets.
Integrating home energy performance improvements with various types of remodeling projects will continue to grow in popularity due to their positive return on investment. Homeowners are discovering that advances in building science have illustrated that there are numerous cost effective adjustments that can be made to their homes during a remodel. These adjustments and repairs will improve their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable at the same time.
An excellent resource for perspective on remodeling in 2011 can be found in Sarah Susanka's book "Not So Big Remodeling. Sara is an Architect and bestselling author. She has been a proponent of designing and building living space that is more in line with how we live our lives. Her earlier book on home building "The Not So Big House" has led the trend away from building homes that are built for show instead of function.
Her longstanding focus on remodeling better instead of bigger will be the perfect homeowner perspective for 2011.
There has been great interest in renewing fireplace areas to create a family centered area. Our project featuring the stacked stone fireplace continues to be a favorite.
Creating open floor plans will be one of the leading home improvements of 2011. Formal spaces in the home will be repurposed by opening up existing walls and creating more usable family centered space. Many people will find that their home can take on a whole new feel and function by reorganizing the seldom used formal living and dining rooms.
Master suites and bathrooms will also be designed around how we live our lives, with less focus on over the top extravagance. By focusing more on function and reasonable scale over flash, home remodels will have the feel and features we want without unsustainable budgets.
Integrating home energy performance improvements with various types of remodeling projects will continue to grow in popularity due to their positive return on investment. Homeowners are discovering that advances in building science have illustrated that there are numerous cost effective adjustments that can be made to their homes during a remodel. These adjustments and repairs will improve their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable at the same time.
An excellent resource for perspective on remodeling in 2011 can be found in Sarah Susanka's book "Not So Big Remodeling. Sara is an Architect and bestselling author. She has been a proponent of designing and building living space that is more in line with how we live our lives. Her earlier book on home building "The Not So Big House" has led the trend away from building homes that are built for show instead of function.
Her longstanding focus on remodeling better instead of bigger will be the perfect homeowner perspective for 2011.
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