What's Hot for 2010?

Going green is the biggest trend for 2010. Homeowners planning a kitchen and bath renovation or even a minor remodel will consider the environment when building their dream. One green trend is adding outdoor rooms with great garden equipment and furniture, to enlarge living space without increasing the size of the home.

A welcoming kitchen

Kitchens are where quick meals are tossed together after work, and also where the family entertains a crowd. Children do their homework here, and their socializing too. The control center for parents, the kitchen is where the whole family gathers.

To accommodate all these functions, trendy kitchens open into a family room on one side, and a butler’s pantry or breakfast room on the other. The hottest kitchens also have connections to outdoor rooms.

Kitchen renovations include small sinks and refrigerators in updated breakfast rooms designed for fast meal prep. Climate-controlled wine storage and a wet bar near the family room aid entertaining.

Top new appliances are energy stars, while light flows in through clerestories, saving more energy. Modern materials make upkeep easy when going green.

Earth-friendly family rooms

Family rooms hold flat screen TVs and also a way to hide them. Some screens sink into consoles and others hide in furniture with an antique look.

Furniture is comfortable and livable, with neutral colors and overstuffed upholstery. The adjacent kitchen is an extension of the room. Two-tone color schemes are a popular way to unify the area, with floor coverings and hard furniture in one medium-to-dark color, and walls and soft furnishings a paler shade.

Family rooms are wireless equipped, so the family can work or play online together.

A tranquil bath

The bath is where busy homeowners slow down and relax, or efficiently prepare for their day. Soft colors, subtle patterns, and sufficient storage to banish clutter create serenity, while classic fixtures add elegance.

Bathrooms now separate the shower and bath areas. A dedicated place for plants softens hard edges. Mixed materials add interest to the space, like stainless basins set in a bamboo counter hung under mirrors framed in frosted glass

Whirlpool tubs are a relaxing addition. Radiant floors are surprisingly affordable (and how pleasant to step out of the shower onto a warm floor). Steam-free mirrors and heated towel racks are also easy to incorporate into a bath renovation.

Recycled materials in composite counters are among the hottest concepts of 2010. Energy-saving designs incorporate durability and easy care.

Landscaping trends

Outdoor areas have become rooms. Decks and patios are usable in all but the worst weather, and some homes will boast loggias with retractable walls that create rooms in foul weather and lanais in fair. Outdoor kitchens will be everywhere, or at least upscale barbecues.

The organic trend continues. Homeowners want a vegetable garden, or landscaping that thrives without chemicals. Four-season gardening, choosing plants for their beauty when winter-bare, will be a hot trend.

Native plants and hardy perennials shine, whether clipped into formal beds or sprawled in charming disarray. Low maintenance is key.

Night gardens are trendy. Solar-powered lighting allows homeowners to enjoy their gardens into the evening. Dramatic lighting plays up the forms of tropical-looking plants, as the scent of night-blooming flowers drifts through the air of a gazebo. Infra-red heaters extend the outdoor season.

Homeowners will save energy by going green, but with comfort and style. The most requested home and garden upgrades for 2010 will add to the comfort and beauty of the home, while still respecting the earth.

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