You can read about home design or you can experience it by taking a walk through a professionally decorated model home. Our model at 1906 Royal Oak Drive in Sienna is an exceptional display of how a floor plan, design choices and décor blend to deliver a dream home with no parallel. This is the second of three blog posts that will dive into the features of this amazing model home, possibly uncovering some ideas you can embrace the next time you build, remodel or decorate a home. Let’s take a look at how design choices impact the overall feel of your home.
Captivating Cabinets
No doubt about it — cabinets are important. You need enough to store your dishes, appliances, cookware and everything else kitchen-related. Much thought — rightfully so — is given to the function of your cabinets. Spice drawers are handy and stand-up dividers are good for storing cookie sheets and cutting boards. You need deep drawers for pots and pans and soft-close drawers are popular, as well.
But our Sienna model blends form and function, resulting in a stunning, work-ready kitchen. Upper cabinets are Rift Cut Oak while the lower cabinetry and island have painted cabinets. An emerging trend has been to stain or paint kitchen island cabinetry a different color than the rest of the kitchen cabinets. Here, we extend that idea to the entire room, which also plays nicely with the wood floors. Cabinets in the master bath and utility room also are Rift Cut Oak, which keeps the design coordinated room to room.
Helping Your Kitchen Look Clean
Your kitchen is the workhorse room of the house, and it needs all the help it can get to stay looking clean. One way is have the same countertop material serve as your backsplash, creating a clean, seamless look. Adding to the cohesive look of the kitchen in our Sienna model is to have the countertop cascade over the sides of the kitchen island for a waterfall effect.
A New Railing
Stair balusters underwent a revolution about 20 years ago when the traditional wood railings started disappearing to be replaced with wrought-iron balusters. Wrought iron balusters weren’t new; rather, they were more often found in expensive custom homes. But homebuilders in most price points adopted the look and now iron balusters are commonplace.
So how do you stand out?
Try going horizontal, as shown in the Sienna model. Exact same baluster, just turned horizontal instead of vertical. It adds subtle flair to your home design without being over-the-top. Want to go even further and like an industrial look? Make your horizontal baluster out of stainless steel cable and tube.
Getting Back to Nature
Natural hues and fibers have never entirely left the world of interior design, but it’s seeing a re-emergence as people want to immerse themselves in the comfort and calm of nature.
Wood and wood-look tile flooring are replacing carpet in many homes and stained cabinets are gaining popularity over painted cabinets. Look up and you might find ceilings paneled in a glossy wood. Large windows without grids almost give the illusion of the outdoors being part of the room. This “outside-in” approach to interior design is further enhanced with complementary décor. (More on that in the next article!)
Beyond Wall Art
Go beyond wall art by making your wall the actual art piece! You can add interest to any room with some paint and a few strips of wood. Create any design you want from slants to boxes to vertical or horizontal rows. Remember that a little can go a long way with this technique, so you may just want to pattern one wall — especially if you’re doing a busy design.
You can find plenty of inspiration for this design idea at our model home in Sienna.
Have Fun With Patterned Tile
Used on the wall or on the floor, patterned tile livens up a room. Common uses are to install it as flooring in smaller bathrooms or along one wall of the shower or room. Increasingly, builders are using patterned tile in laundry rooms. If you decide to use a patterned tile, make that your design focus. In our Sienna model, we use white, wide shiplap and Rift Cut Oak cabinets to complement the black and white patterned tile in the laundry room. Large, glossy light gray tile is also along one wall, adding texture without competing with the busy flooring.
Those opting for a patterned tile in their own home can go bold or pick a natural stone for a softer look. You can use tile to create texture and mix and match shades of a specific tile to create your own pattern. Don’t want to go full-on pattern? Look for tiles with refracted surfaces, a textured finish or hexagonal shape.
