Last year, most of us spent more time within the confines of our homes than we ever have before. The more time we spent in our humble abodes, the more we realized what we had to do to create the space we needed and desired. Homeowners want a custom home that feels more welcoming, functional and peaceful. Here, we cover the five most popular design trends you can expect to see this year.

Let in Some Light

Homeowners now recognize how important light is to their well-being. French doors, windows and skylights let an abundance of natural light indoors. Windows and doors made from glass and steel enhance the effect. In addition to adding natural light, you should improve your overhead lighting and incorporate accent lights as well. If you want to get ahead of current trends, try installing light bulbs that mimic the natural rhythms of the daylight cycle.

Focus on Natural Elements

More than ever before, people understand the healing powers of nature. We were encouraged to engage in outdoor activities, but many realized that bringing nature into their home environments did much to improve their moods. Current home design trends emphasize creating outdoor living spaces as well as bringing the outdoors inside. Exterior elements include fire pits, pergolas and water features. Indoor design styles include floral, botanical and animal-themed prints on everything from wallpaper and wall art to upholstery fabric and rugs.

Add a Splash

There’s nothing like a bit of color to liven up the living space, but you won’t see homes filled with bright, bold colors. Different colors have different effects; some are energizing, while others are calming. These days, people combine both elements in their interior spaces. Neutral colors often dominate a room, as these are the hues that help us relax in our currently chaotic and uncertain world. Splashes of bold tones are added throughout to help lift our spirits.

Combine the Past and the Present

This past year marked the end of an era. With all of the upheaval, people are reflecting on more carefree times and incorporating elements that harken back to the good old days in their design choices. However, the clean, contemporary look is not lost. Instead, the two get combined. People appreciate the value of art and look for unique, handcrafted furniture, artwork, textiles and décor to furnish their homes. The combination of the old and the new creates a warmer environment that still has the clean feel of the modern style.

Create a Dedicated Workspace

The trend to include a dedicated workspace in the home has been on the rise for quite some time, but it exploded this past year. As a lot of people found themselves suddenly working from home, they realized how important a dedicated space is to get their jobs done. Creating a home office requires a thoughtful approach. Make sure you include design features that promote a comfortable work environment.

Renovate Your Space

Whether you seek to remodel your current home or build a new one, River Birch Builders is here to help you create a space you love to live in. We are dedicated to high-quality craftsmanship and utilize environmentally friendly practices to lessen our impact on the planet. To learn more about what we can do for you, get in touch today.

Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home, and if you’re considering a kitchen remodel it’s important to plan it carefully. The choices you make now will likely stick with you for years to come and could become a daily annoyance just as easily as a source of pleasure.

Whether you’re starting out on a full remodel or just sprucing your kitchen up a little, one of the biggest choices to make is which color of cabinets to install. Here’s what to consider.

White Cabinets

White is a classic color that stays firmly outside fashion, providing a timeless appeal. When it’s freshly painted, it gives your kitchen a bright, clean look which increases the sense of space. The downside is that a white finish can be difficult to keep clean, and any staining will quickly make your kitchen look shabby. What’s more, an all-white kitchen gives a clinical appearance that can make the room seem cold and unwelcoming.

Cream

Cream provides many of the benefits of white, but with fewer discouraging drawbacks. It creates a sense of space and brightness, while at the same time being more forgiving of minor stains, discolorations, and fingerprints. However, a cream finish will soon start to darken, even turning yellowish, and within a few years can start to look grubby and poorly maintained.

Black

Black cabinets give a strong impression of luxury and are sure to make a dramatic impact. However, they’ll quickly feel oppressive unless the kitchen is spacious and well lit. Black cabinets can also be difficult to clean effectively, as any smears of soap or grease left behind will be highly visible.

Gray

Gray offers an understated style while being relatively easy to keep clean. It pairs up well with stainless steel appliances and utensils, giving a sleek and modern look. But as with black, think carefully whether your kitchen is large and airy enough to carry off gray cabinets without feeling oppressive.

Natural Wood or Wood Effect

Natural wood or wood-effect laminate gives a classic look that’s an ideal basis for a rustic kitchen style. Both materials are good at hiding scuffs and scratches, and the wide range of stains and finishes available means it’s easy to balance character with brightness. However, natural wood can be expensive, and the less costly laminate option can often look artificial unless you buy at the higher end.

Bolder Colors

Lastly, you may be tempted to make your kitchen more impressive and individual by using a bolder color such as red or blue. There’s nothing wrong with this, but try and temper strong colors with areas of more neutral white or gray, or the effect can become overpowering and uncomfortable.

It’s worth bearing in mind that unusual colors in a kitchen will put a lot of potential buyers off, and could make it harder to sell your home in the future.

Whichever color you choose, remember that the effect will be more pleasing and last longer if you invest in high-quality cabinets. Don’t be tempted to treat your cabinets as less important than your appliances and work surfaces, using them as a way to save on remodeling costs. Your cabinets are vital to your kitchen’s look and feel, so it’s vital not to skimp when choosing them.

Homeowner Benefits

Green-build homeowners receive a multitude of benefits. A key asset to green building is energy efficiency. Green-built homes use materials such as energy-efficient windows, which are designed to keep out excess heat in summer and bring in heat in the winter, reducing seasonal heating and cooling bills. Similarly, green homes are equipped with efficient appliances and plumbing as well, requiring less power and water usage. Better indoor air quality is another positive side effect — low VOC paints, elimination of mold potential, and installation of radon-mitigation systems allow for cleaner air throughout the home and its neighboring environment.

Environmental Benefits

When a green building is constructed, it is designed to minimize any changes to the ecosystem, while protecting the environment’s biodiversity. Green homes feature a number of filtration systems that clean both the air and water coming into and out of the home. These homes are constructed using recycled materials and are also designed to minimize waste from the home, including using recycled water from the home to irrigate the surrounding landscape. The efficiency of green homes allows them to make better use of less natural resources, helping to conserve existing resources. Over time, these resources are able to be restored to higher levels.

Economic Benefits

Green homes are designed to run supplemented by alternative energy sources, which puts less demand on the general power grid and other utility providers. The overhead to run a green home is much reduced compared to a non-green home because utility bills are lower and water bills are reduced. An aspect of a green home’s design is to improve the productivity of its occupants, and more productive individuals ar that much more of a benefit to the economy. Green building aids job growth as demand for green homes increases, and green homes themselves become valuable assets as they become increasingly more desirable to home buyers.

Builder Benefits

Green homes sell at a higher price with sustainable components. Because green homes are known to outperform traditional homes based on their lower utility and maintenance costs, they are increasingly more appealing in the home market and demand only continues to grow. Some studies show that investing in green buildings is 10 times more profitable than standard homes. For example, $50,000 invested in green building design can return $500,000 over 20 years. In the building economy,  demand for green homes is growing, and there will be a continued desire for these homes into the future.

Social Benefits

Green building offers countless social benefits. Green-build homes are designed to enhance the health, comfort, and overall quality of life of those living within by using natural and recycled materials, as well as reducing the amount of harmful chemicals within. For example, low VOC paints are used in green homes as an alternative to standard paints, which can emit low-level toxins for years after application. These, along with air filtration and radon-mitigation systems improve indoor air quality as well. The energy-efficient materials and supplies used in the home minimize the strain on local utility providers.