4 Housing Trends in 2021 We’re excited about… And one we’re not.

Family Rooms for Video Conferencing

While 2020 has provided us with the opportunity to become Zoom experts, gathering the family around a small tablet or phone screen can be problematic and uncomfortable.  Especially when it comes to those important occasions such as weddings, holidays, and even classes.  Large format video conferencing technology exists and has been used in corporate settings regularly.  A similar setup at home could provide a much more pleasant way to make group calls from home. One example is Crestron’s “Hometime” system.

“Crestron, which offers services to help people customize their smart homes, has teamed up with Logitech and Zoom to make an at-home video conferencing setup using technology you’d typically find in an office conference room.

The setup could, for example, let you use your living room TV and a conference room-quality video camera to take Zoom meetings while reclining on your couch instead of being hunched over a laptop”

Sink Workstations

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to dust off our kitchen stoves and opt for home-cooked over takeout, the need for clever food prep and cleanup solutions has increased.  With built-in cutting boards, colanders, drying racks and more, sink workstations such as those from Ruvati, combines functionality with design appeal.  We predict a continued increase in popularity as these features are just too convenient!

30-inch Apron-front Workstation Farmhouse Kitchen Sink 16 Gauge Stainless Steel Single Bowl – Ruvati USA

 

 

 

 

Matte White Finishes

Move over slate gray and black stainless!  Matte white finishes are starting to pop up in bathroom and kitchen

showrooms across the country.  It’s a sharp, clean look that we admire and hope to see more of.  This finish is already readily available from suppliers like GE and Whirlpool, as well as box stores and Ikea

Newport Brass 1500/50 White East Linear Double Handle Widespread Lavatory Faucet with Metal Lever Handles (build.com)

Skinny Shakers

Shaker cabinets have been the go-to choice for designers and DIY-ers alike over the last several years.  With the growth in the modern farmhouse look and the desire to incorporate designs that are stripped down and simple, the shaker provides the ideal canvas to start with.  Look for thin rails and stiles as a modern take to the classic shape.  With a less modern feel than slab-front doors, but an eye-pleasing appeal that is not quite shaker, expect this trend to make its way into more and more kitchens in 2021.

Photo Courtesy of Houzz.com

 

 

Touchless Troubles

I know there are homeowners that love their touchless faucets, and the retailers would agree.  “Kohler says it saw a 160% increase in touchless-faucet sales in its showrooms in 2020. It recently launched an update with its Kohler Konnect voice-assisted software line that allows a user to ask Google Home or Amazon Alexa to ‘tell Kohler to wash my hands.’ The voice assistant then walks a user through the handwashing guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

Come on folks….surely we don’t need a virtual assistant to tell us how to wash our hands.  If you think it’s just cool tech and you have to have one, prepare to pay a premium and have one more thing to replace batteries in.  Our experience has been that these touch and touchless components are more prone to fail as compared to a traditional faucet, and a shortened lifespan of the fixture (especially if you don’t have a water softening or conditioning system).