2021 Top Kitchen Design Trends

This year the trends in kitchen design have had a massive shakeup up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With most of us being trapped indoors, what we’ve needed out of our kitchens has changed.

If you’re thinking of renovating or redesigning your kitchen, check out some of the top kitchen design trends we’ve spotted in 2021. Get inspired and help your kitchen goals come true!

Sage green – letting nature in

A nice color palette can go a long way in creating a greater sense of style and space in a kitchen. One of the top color trends of the year is ‘Sage Green’, which brings a wonderfully natural, almost garden-inspired look, which makes sense given the number of people feeling ‘trapped’ inside. 

Here’s a photo of a kitchen refurbishment we done at North East House Buyers using sage green.

Going handleless for more control

Lots of people have been aiming for a sleek look in their kitchen, making use of handless doors for drawers, cupboards and pantries. This can help create a sense of modernity and simplicity, resulting in beautiful spaces that feel calm and serene.

Cottagecore – the new countryside style

‘Cottagecore’ is one of the most popular new aesthetic styles making the rounds across the internet. It’s a romanticised style reminiscent of rural life and countryside living

You don’t have to live in the countryside in order to feel like you do. This style can be recreated in a number of ways, from full-blown redecorating, painting the walls in specific colors, or even creating a truly rustic feel by exposing brickwork. Even finding the perfect sink to match your vibe can go a long way towards creating the ultimate cottagecore kitchen.

More storage goes a long way

With a lot of people forced to stay in and work from home, it’s no surprise that our storage needs for ingredients and utensils have grown substantially. One of the biggest kitchen trends in 2021 has been extra storage. Everything from bigger cupboards, drawers, and even creating entire pantries can go a long way when trying to accommodate all of the extra things we have in our kitchens. 

Getting the shape right

The layout of a kitchen is often massively overlooked, but it’s crucial to creating the perfect space. From L and U-shaped kitchens, to Galley kitchens this is something that should always be considered.

The atmosphere of any kitchen can be changed entirely simply by moving the pieces around, maybe for more space, more seating, more light; whatever you want to achieve probably can be.

Smart-kitchens – kitchens of the future?

With the advances in technology only increasing in pace, our kitchens aren’t being left behind in the smart tech revolution. Apps for smartphones such as NEFF home connect and compatible devices allow users to control all kitchen appliances from just one screen!

Marble the element of luxury

If you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury, with a hint of zen, Marble is 100% the way to go. You can use this to add a wonderful finishing touch to any kitchen, and its versatility means it can be used on almost any kitchen surface.

Working kitchens – making room for life

With the amount of people that have been required to work from home, it’s no surprise that many kitchens have became temporary shared work spaces. A kitchen redesign can help avoid clutter and fire hazards, by having separated areas for cooking and working. With a little bit of design, your kitchen can become the heart of your home. 

Woodgrain – nature and luxury in harmony

Woodgrain finishes create a sense of warmth and earthliness that doesn’t sacrifice on luxury, they can be applied to just about anything in your kitchen too. From work-surfaces to the furniture that dots the room.

Pendant lighting – accenting your kitchen

Pendant lights can help creating a more eclectic and vibrant style for your kitchen space, by drawing peoples’ eyes and tying together in any kitchen.

Dark colour palettes – not so gothic

A darker color palette to your kitchen surfaces and appliances will create a palpable sense of mood to your kitchen, that screams luxury, and can still breathe life into the room. 

Statement taps – drawing the eye

They may serve a simple function, but the tap is an essential part of your kitchen every day. So why not give it a makeover? From large taps to small taps, brass to copper, using taps as a statement piece is quickly becoming one of the biggest kitchen trends in 2021. 

Front Door Colors that Add the Most Value to Your House

Color is important as it is often associated with many different connotations, for example, red often conveys danger or power; green is a symbol of nature, and blue represents peace and calmness. This is the same for the color of your front door, it has a big impact on the overall look and feel of your property. Read on to find out more about the best color door to have to increase the value of your house, and its overall curb appeal.  

Curb Appeal 

Curb appeal relates to the attractiveness of a property and its surroundings when viewed from the street, often when your house is on the market your curb appeal is the most important thing to consider. There are many aspects of the exterior of your house that can improve curb appeal, from a well-kept garden to beautiful looking windows. First impressions matter, and people are more likely to base their opinions on the exterior rather than the interior of a house, after all, it is the first thing seen, a poor exterior could put someone off even visiting the interior of the house, it is the main invitation factor. Therefore, investing and increasing curb appeal is a great idea that will pay off in the long run. 

According to the recent research by Sell House Fast, it takes guests just 38 seconds to judge your home by the way it looks from the exterior. 76% of property purchasers agree that first impressions are everything when they visit a property, and the color of your front door could make a significant difference to its value. 

The survey also revealed that blue is the best color for your front door if you’re putting your home on the market and could add an average of $5,000 to its value. At the opposite end of the spectrum are brown front doors, which can in fact decrease the value of your property.  

Exterior decoration and landscaping are not everyone’s strongest points nor are they always affordable, but there are many ways to increase your property value, without having to spend a great deal of money, one of which would be, painting your front door to increase curb appeal. 

Exterior Doors & Color  

While the research discovered that blue is the most valuable front door color to have, a white front door could also add around $4800 to the value of a house and a brown front door is the is one color to avoid, as it can decrease the value of a home by an average of $1000. 

According to another study from Zillow, homes with charcoal gray, smoky black or rich jet black doors were sold for $6,271 more than expected.

Color is a powerful force when it comes to influencing a buyers choice, it can affect the mood and ambience a house might give off. It can even influence physiological reactions,' said Lee Chambers, Environmental Psychologist and Wellbeing Consultant. 

'’While in office design, we use green in regenerative environments, and blue in productive environments, the color of your front door can influence a buyers initial perception. Our eyes are drawn to entrance points, so a front door is often one of the first things we notice.'’ 

The Psychology Behind Color 

The study also looked at the psychology of color to discover what certain door colors can reveal about the homeowner’s personality: 

• A red front door is seen as very traditional, like a post box, which conveys a vibrant and passionate personality. 

• A green front door conveys a trusting, grounded personality and represents growth. 

• A white front door is seen as more modern, clean, organized and peaceful. 

• A brown front door, usually wooden, promotes a more natural sense, strong and stable. 

• A black door can be mysterious but also stylish and sophisticated. 

• A blue front door can promote a feeling of serenity and an appealing sense of freedom.  

If you're thinking about selling your home choosing the front door color wisely is definitely something worth bearing in mind.

Console Table Placement and Designing Tips to Amp Up the Entire Space

Interior designing, of any room or corner in the home, can be the most exciting and fun-filled task. On the contrary, the same can turn out to be one of the most daunting tasks also. It all depends on your knowledge, experience and the resources you count on. As lack of options can be frustrating, the abundance of them can be intimidating too. The more options, the more overwhelmed and confused you would feel. 

Take, for example, the table choices to make for your living room, drawing room or entryway. You have multiple choices, from purchasing a trendy coffee table and vintage center table to buying a console table online. You got to have a taste for all these tables and then only you can end up making an ideal choice. This article is all about console tables and how you can enhance the overall appeal of the room with them. 

Perfect for narrow spaces, these tables can be placed and styled anywhere you feel like. Here are some tips that would help you make console tables stand out and become the highlight of the room or entryway.

Accessorize

The best console table would be a simple piece with a basic color and minimal design. The purpose here is to use warm accessories to make the simple console table an accent piece of the room decor. A brown console table here can be decorated by placing a golden colored lamp, bright yellow or orange colored flower sticks or mixed colored potpourri in a tray.

Paint it Red

If you have an old console table lying in the store for long and you wish to incorporate it into your new room decor, then this tip is for you. Take that table out, polish it and paint it red. You can opt for some other bright color also, which you think would best suit the overall interior decor and elements. The best part here is that you don’t even require additional accessories to make the console table stand out if you have painted it bright.

Contemporary Art

If by any chance you have an antique living room console table, you can enhance its charm by surrounding it with some contemporary art. You can hang a modern painting on the wall behind the table, place a very trendy vase on the table and even place an elegant and modern ottoman or an upholstered bench in front of the console table. 

Chandelier

Suiting the overall aesthetic appeal and theme of the interior decoration and the way your console table looks, you can choose a chandelier. It doesn’t necessarily have to be big and luxurious but a small/trendy piece can do the trick. Rather, you should go in for some gold-toned chandelier that is small yet classy to create a special console corner.

Luxe Material

These days you have plenty of choices, as you can buy a console table online right from the confines of your home. You can go for simple/conventional ones, contemporary ones and the ones that come with luxe materials. You can also buy a console table that comes covered with luxurious faux leather and like. 

Pattern on the Wall

So you have picked a vintage charm console table for a room that is minimal in design and color. To make the table stand out, you can place it against a wall on which you can apply patterned wallpaper. You can opt for striking pattern wallpaper or a simple pattern in an eye-catching color.

With a Mirror

Another simple yet attractive way to style your console table is to pair it with a mirror. You can buy mirrors in different shapes, sizes and styles. You can go with frames that are plain wood or decorative frames like golden metal frames. You can pick different shapes and sizes of mirrors, which you feel go best with the rest of the interior décor. 

Put Up Some Chairs

For the living room console table, you can add some chairs to it. Nicely upholstered and plush chairs placed on both sides of the table make a stand out seating. You can match the upholstery with the rest of the seating in the room. 

Don’t Forget to Balance

As compared to side tables and end tables, console tables are longer. This is why you must keep the element of balance in mind while designing or placing them. You don’t have to put everything in the middle or more stuff on either side. Rather, strive to create a balance.

Collage

Finding a perfect spot to put up a family collage is pretty tricky. It has to be somewhere where everybody visiting your home can have a glance over. One such place is the wall behind a console table in the entryway or the living room. 

People love console tables for their unobtrusive presence, as well as the wide range they are available in the market. You can style them in multiple ways to make them the highlights of the space.

Guest Post - 5 Essential Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe at Playgrounds

Things are opening up, and isn’t it grand? People are out and about, warm weather is here, and outdoor activities in public places are filling up. One of those most popular places is playgrounds – play places that offer fresh air and a place for energy-driven kids to go a bit “wild” in a good way.

But how safe are playgrounds? As a parent, you take all sorts of precautions to keep your child safe at home and in the neighborhood, and you expect schools to keep them safe in that environment. And you have a responsibility to keep them safe in all public places, too.

Here are five tips for child safety on a playground.

1. Check the Grounds and the Equipment

It’s been a long time since playgrounds have been openly available to kids. Hopefully, they have been inspected, refurbished as necessary, and are safe. But don’t count on it. It is up to you as a parent to inspect the equipment your child will use, as well as the grounds surrounding that equipment.

• Are ground surfaces soft enough to cushion a fall? If a surface is a concrete or rock, then a helmet is a must, if not knee and elbow pads.

• Are there dangerous and/or sharp objects on the grounds? Remove them.

• Are there tripping hazards (tree roots, large rocks, etc.)?

In terms of equipment, each piece should be checked. 

• Are there moving parts that could snag a jacket or pinch a finger?

• Are there metal surfaces, such as those of slides, that are too hot to the touch?

• Are ground surfaces under climbing pieces that are soft for falls

• Are swings in good repair with working safety bars for toddlers?

• Sandboxes are notoriously unsanitary.

2. Supervise, Supervise, Supervise

There is a huge temptation to sit back on a bench and read a book while our children play – after all, this should be a relaxing time for us too. No, it should not be. 

Your eye should be on your child at all times. Many young moms in school try to find a shady spot to get some coursework done while a child is at play – after all, they are behind, stressed, and have a movie review due. So, they break out the tablet to watch the film. No, No, No. If you are that pressed, order movie review writing and get your eye on your child.

The younger the child, the more supervision will be necessary. They can get themselves into dangerous situations, and you will need to intervene quickly.

3. Age-Appropriateness is Key

Most modern playgrounds are divided into sections for general age groups. But these are not separated by fencing. It’s easy for a little who is not under strict supervision to run over to an “older” area and get injured. Consider how devastating a blow it could be to get kicked in the head by an older child on a swing. Parents have to ensure that their children stay only in those areas that are built just for their age group.

4. Sanitation/Health

COVID is not fully eradicated, and you do not know the status of other adults or children on the playground. Obviously, you cannot wipe down every piece of equipment before your child uses it. But you can “wipe down” your child, and you should do it often. Always take a supply of wipes and hand cleanser, and use it often.

Sunburn danger should not even be a topic for discussion here. Children need an SPF between 35 and 50 to be adequately protected. And hats are always appropriate for those wee ones who still do not have much hair.

Hydration is important. Water is the best option, but other drinks like Pedialyte are good too. Snacks should be healthy and also provide hydration – apples, oranges, and grapes are great.

5. Indoor Playgrounds

For really hot and humid days, indoor playgrounds are a great choice. Parents should remember, though, that much greater supervision will be necessary. They must move about with small children and stand directly in their view. 

Adult travel is a great respite from the demands of parenting. But there are also times when family travel is planned. Indoor playgrounds can be commonly found at resorts geared toward families. Many combine pools and other playground activities (crawl tubes, slides, bounce houses, etc.) in one large space. And risk-taking toddlers may be a challenge. The safest bet is to insist that small ones wear floaties or a simple life jacket at all times. Again, supervision and frequent sanitation practices should be the norm.

Final Note: Playground Etiquette Never Goes Out of Style

Children must be taught many things from a very early age. They don’t put small foreign objects in their mouths; they don’t hit, bit or kick other children; they don’t throw things; they don’t harass the dog. Playground etiquette must be taught as well. Taking turns, no pushing or shoving, and no roughhousing are cardinal rules for the safety of self and others, and parents must quickly intervene when they observe this behavior.

Author’s bio. Jessica Fender is a professional writer and educational blogger. Jessica enjoys sharing her ideas to make writing and learning fun.