Welcome to “At Home With Tom & Sandy.” Here we are, Tom, in a new year. As they say, “How time flies.” Speaking of time flying, fleeting and anything but coasting – we have been sharing our column on a monthly basis with the community and what fun it is. I would say pretty cool. It is indeed an honor to be your partner, Tom, and share boundless significant information with our readers such as our column this month, featuring kitchen trends.
Sandy: Tom, since it is the start of a New Year, new thoughts, new goals, like rebooting your laptop!
Tom: Yes, it is, Sandy. Good analogy there with the reboot; the main stuff is still there, just clearing out the stuff you don’t need.
Sandy: We have some new goals at YCCA. We are really into strengthening the workforce in Yavapai County. We have high hopes for our boot camp young adults. We just completed the first bootcamp and the new name designated and voted on by the first group of attendees is the YCCA Young Builders Bootcamp. What a treat and joy to have been able to create our first of many YCCA Young Builders Bootcamps for our local young adults. Tom, you are a part of that team to help these young adults find a career in the trades and you skill with math and blueprint reading was greatly appreciated.
Tom: I loved it and thanks for asking me to take part. Plan reading is my thing and I also love teaching construction math. Some math teachers I have had are wondering what the world is coming to, though.
Sandy: LOL. Tom, I could gush for hours on the bootcamp, but let’s talk construction. That is what we do best! What is new in the world of remodeling? Any new products? New trends?
Tom: Gosh, there are always new products, and as for trends, well, heck yeah. The trend pundits love setting the bar this time of year. Let’s look at the 2019 kitchen trends.
Sandy: It can be so hard to figure out where to start. There must be hundreds if not thousands of websites, magazines and books each saying, “Look at me – I am a new trend and you need to incorporate me into your home!”
Tom: Well, you are right about that. Some of the trends we are seeing locally as well as nationally are starting with color. Color of the walls, cabinets and countertops.
Sandy: Color always plays a big part of any project. What’s different?
Tom: You are correct, Sandy. The color trend we are seeing and reading about refers to cabinetry. For the most part, stained wood has dominated the industry locally and nationally as well. We are seeing that change to painted wood cabinets.
Sandy: Are you talking about new cabinets or existing?
Tom: Both, really.
Sandy: Is there a particular color that is more popular than others? I would think, Tom, that selecting a paint color for kitchen cabinetry can be one of the toughest color decisions to make. Color trends have never been as varied as they are today. One sees that in all of the magazine and websites. There are so many color possibilities and I am sure it would be pretty agonizing to settle on a final color choice. After all, your choice of cabinet color has to stand the test of time and be a shade that you’ll love for years to come.
Tom: Totally agree, Sandy. Traditionally, kitchen cabinet color has been some variation of white. Usually, white mixed with a slightly warm color tint. This year, gray is becoming the new neutral color and blue is even slipping in in some places.
Sandy: What else is trending? There are more than cabinets in a kitchen.
Tom: Countertops would be high on the new trend list. There are two trends here that are kind of interesting. Granite has dominated the market for a while, and will probably do so for the foreseeable future; however, solid surfaces such as quartz and concrete, where color can be more consistent, are becoming more popular. I predict we will do as much of those two as we do granite this year.
Sandy: That is interesting. People who are redoing their kitchens have a lot of solid (pun intended) choices to make. Concrete counters sound most interesting. Concrete can have a lot of diversity to it with color. I have seen integral colors, stained colors, acid washes and all manner of embedded items to give the product a lot of pizazz. Is that possible with counters as well?
Tom: By and large, yes. Acid washes get a little tricky on cabinetry, though. What I find interesting and kind of exciting really is using different materials for tops in the same kitchen. The main counters are a solid quartz and usually a fairly uniform color that can be paired well with painted cabinets. The island top however is a natural granite with lots of movement and color variations. The island bases are painted a different color as well.
Sandy: I imagine the style of cabinet is also given to variations. With the color being added, what’s happening to the doors and drawer fronts?
Tom: Two things, really. The Shaker-style doors are a common solution and full overlay doors and drawers are the two popular choices. Both are indicating a trend toward simplicity.
Sandy: I like simple. Easy to clean, easy to look at. Where does this information come from? I mean does somebody sit around and make this stuff up?
Tom: I don’t know. I get it from sources like Houzz, Pinterest and some of my remodeling industry periodicals. That doesn’t mean that somebody is sitting behind a keyboard somewhere initiating the whole deal.
Sandy: Does the remodeling industry as a whole buy into this or is there some diversity of opinion?
Tom: Glad you asked. The answer is, no, not everyone feels the same way. By way of example, Sherwin Williams Color of the Year is Cavern Clay, sort of an adobe color. Not the gray or blues spoken about by others.
Sandy: Tom, kitchen trends for 2019 – let’s dream – you’re dreaming about the wall color (gray), the countertops, probably quartz, a really super cool backsplash that will add pizazz and, of course, we cannot forget about appliance trends. Black and stainless steel appliances are the 2019 trend.
Tom: And then there are the sink accessories and dishwashers. I heard there is a range with a new trend that vacuum seals your food via a vacuuming drawer. The future of the kitchen is always exciting.
Sandy: I think I am just going to call Alexa and Google and ask what new design trend I should consider that will take the stress out of having to decide.
Tom: Whether you’re planning to remodel your kitchen or get inspired for a simple refresh, there’s a whole new crop of design trends to consider. In 2019, kitchens will be a mix of classic and modern. To our readers, remember that the kitchen is the heart of the home and homeowners will want their kitchens to feel warm, welcoming and attractive.
Thanks for stopping in and reading “At Home with Tom and Sandy.” You’re in good company and we love sharing educational, fun and important information with you. So, remember: New Year, new trends. QCBN
Tom Reilly, architect, contractor, Renovations 928-445-8506 renovationsaz.com
Sandy Griffis, executive director, Yavapai County Contractors Association. 928-778-0040. ycca@cableone.net
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