Easy Transition to the Outdoors

Our clients came to us with the desire of replacing their existing deck with a screened porch. The deck, built on the back of their home, was original to the house. The wood was in bad shape and the stairs leading down to the backyard pool and pool house bounced precariously as people descended. The deck was also so small that it lacked room for lounge furniture.

The new screened porch is considerably larger than the original deck, which makes it much better for entertaining. Its 12 ft. x 16 ft. foot print comfortably fits a sofa and a coffee table, and the vaulted ceiling makes it feel even larger. The high ceiling provides space for a ceiling fan that helps keep the screen porch cooler on hot summer days.

See More of this project on our blog.

ScreenEze is a fixed screen system that allows Vision Design Build Remodel to open up your screen porch with floor-to-ceiling panels that provide beautiful, unobstructed views of your backyard.

The system requires no staples and no splines, rather it features an aluminum base and a vinyl cap that are snapped together and attached to your porch. These materials are available in bronze, white, sand and clay colors to coordinate with your home’s exterior. The system automatically holds and uniformly stretches the screen material. Screens may be installed on the inside, outside or center of your porch post and rail design. Innovative shapes are possible, such as arched or peaked openings. The span of one panel can be as large as 150 square feet. ScreenEze works well for remodeling projects, providing a professional appearance.

We have had great success with the product. One of our screened porches has been in continual use for over nine years, and the screens are still as smooth and tight as the day we put them on! If you would like to consider ScreenEze for your outdoor project, contact us today. We look forward to discussing this option with you.
Photo: Courtesy of ScreenEze (www.screeneze.com)

Top 10 Kitchen Trends

One of the overarching design directions for kitchens this year is toward “personalized luxury.” This conclusion is based on responses from 450 designers to the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s 2016 Design Trends Survey. Personalized luxury is defined as homeowners wanting unique designs. They no longer want a “trophy” kitchen, but rather they want to make it their own. Their emphasis is on good functional design, quality materials, and finishes that provide lasting value. At the same time, homeowners are more comfortable with bolder choices in colors as well as mixing and matching colors, textures, and finishing.

Top 10 Kitchen Trends for 2016

In addition to the four most common kitchen styles—Transitional, Traditional, Contemporary, and Shaker—designers also pointed to the emerging styles of Industrial and Mid-Century Modern that are expected to be more prevalent in 2016.

Gray, white/off-white, and beiges/bones are the most common kitchen color schemes, but blues are predicted to increase in 2016. Painted cabinets, along with natural wood finishes in dark to medium tones, are the top cabinet finishes. Wood cabinets dominate, with maple and cherry still the preferred choices. Glass doors and furniture-look pieces are very popular. Quartz is the primary material used for countertops, while granite is showing signs of decline. Mixing different surfacing materials, such as a wood top combined with a stone top, is the third most popular treatment.

Sleek appearance and increased functionality are in-demand, as built-ins and under counter appliances have widespread appeal. Items such as microwave drawers, induction cooktops, convection ovens, and gas cooktops are on the upswing, as are separate built-in cabinet depth refrigerators and freezers. When the refrigerator and freezer are together in one unit, the most popular configuration is with the freezer on the bottom. Having two dishwashers in the kitchen is currently in favor, with a smaller 18-inch wide dishwasher used for the secondary dishwasher. Drawer-type dishwashers are less in demand.

Stainless steel is the most popular type of kitchen sink, with the single-bowl configuration most widely used and expected to increase. Farmhouse sinks are particularly favored. Pulldown faucets are emerging as the kitchen faucet of choice, over the pull-out type. Touch-activation is increasingly important. Electric radiant floor heating for the kitchen was specified by almost half of designers in 2015, with the expectation of an increase in 2016.