Our Top 5 Kitchen Trends for 2015
Have you been toying around with the idea of remodeling your kitchen and thinking that 2015 may be the year?
How you plan to use your kitchen will greatly influence the design. Everything from more storage to a larger prep space for both you and your spouse, should be considered. Often homeowners are looking for “something different” in kitchen design, yet not so off-the-wall that the room becomes dated in just a few years.
Here are five kitchen trends that can give your kitchen a fresh, not dated look for many years to come.
Modern-Traditional Design. This sleek, yet comfortable design style continues to be on the rise, and manufacturers are responding as there is no shortage of products on the market. This style often mixes flat-panel doors (such as Shaker), stainless steel, marble countertops, glass-tile backsplashes and white subway tiles to give a kitchen a modern style that has charm.
Touch-Me Surfaces. Kitchens are being designed with more and more interesting elements. Cool granite countertops, sleek cabinetry fixtures, warm tile backsplashes, texturized flooring and fascinating pendant lights all beg to be touched.
Dimensional Cabinetry. Cabinetry comes in all shapes and sizes now to accommodate storage needs, and varying cabinetry height along the perimeter of the room can also create depth. Instead of the kitchen looking ho-hum, this effect makes the space look stunning and furnished.
Deep dark with soft white. Kitchen designers across the country all agree that black and white is “in.” If you like this contrast, but you aren’t quite ready to commit to bold black, consider espresso-colored cabinetry. It will give you that modern-traditional look you want, without it being as harsh as black.
Lighting. Gone are the days of kitchen lighting being strictly for function. Today’s homeowner can integrate fun and personality into their kitchen lighting selections. Recessed ceiling lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes, pendant lights hung over the island become conversation pieces, and subtle cabinetry lighting can set the mood.
Want more kitchen design ideas? See them all on our Houzz page.
And if you are thinking about a kitchen renovation, contact us to set up a time to talk. No fee. No obligation. Just us sitting down together to hear about your plans and ideas.
Building Your Custom Home – After Construction
Over the last few months, we’ve provided an overview of the process of building your custom home. You can find past articles in this series here.
Once you’ve moved into your home, our relationship with you doesn’t end there. Our service department is available as needed to fix those “little things” that present themselves. Here’s what we mean:
It is important to remember that many different components were used to construct your home, and these materials take time to acclimatize to being part to of a new structure. During that first year of living in your home, you may notice some screw pops in the drywall or caulk joints that crack and separate where wood trim meets drywall. This is all part of the settle process.
Additionally, we are in a unique part of the country for weather extremes. Typically, there are a few days where we experience near 100 degrees in the summer and in the winter, it is quite common to see days where the temperature dips near 0. Most building materials are designed to expand and contract with the heat and cold. As lumber dries out and expands and contracts, it shifts ever so slightly which can create screw pops and caulking to crack.
While you understand that all of this is quite common, it can still be frustrating to see little imperfections in your newly build home.
Don’t worry. We’ll come back and fix all of these cosmetic issues; however, because we know that your home has to “live through” all four seasons, we’ll come back to your home in about a year’s time. We recommend that you keep track of any issues you see so when we schedule your follow-up appointment, we have a clear pictures of what needs addressed.
Finally, we provide a comprehensive one-year warranty with all our new homes, but we will continue to provide any service you need beyond the life of the warranty.
Thinking about building a home? Contact us to set up a time to talk. No fee. No obligation. Just us sitting down together to hear about your plans and ideas.
Get Inspired with These Outdoor Living Ideas
As spring approaches and the winter doldrums subside, many of us will think of spending some quality time outdoors. What better way to enjoy the spring, summer and fall months than to create a desirable outdoor living space.
You may know that Metzler Home Builders specializes in designing and building custom homes and stunning additions and renovations, but did you know we also can help you create that perfect outdoor living space to compliment what’s inside your home?
Decks, patios, screened porches, and pergola’s are a few of the items that could help create your backyard oasis. Take a look at some of the pictures below and get inspired!
5 Things You May – or May Not – Know About Metzler Home Builders
For more than than six decades, Metzler Home Builders has been a part of the Lancaster County community. We thought we’d have a little fun by sharing five things you may – or may not – know about us.
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Because “home building” is in our name, people often assume that Metzler Home Builders only builds homes. This simply isn’t the case. Sure, we have designed and built hundreds of new homes, but we have also completed countless addition and renovation projects.
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One aspect our customers find most enjoyable about building with us is the process. Where so many neighborhoods in Central PA have a limited number of home styles from which to choose, that is not the case when building in a Metzler community. Our customers have the ability to integrate their own ideas into the design of their home.
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If you’d prefer to remodel your home, we are a design/build company – which means you’ll work with us throughout the entire project: concept, design, construction and follow-up.
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We are an active member of the Building Industry Association of Lancaster County(BIA). You may know the BIA from their two biggest events: The Spring Home Show and the Parade of Homes every June.
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3 Generations of Metzlers – L to R: Jordan, Dan and Roy Abe Metzler worked as a carpenter for more than 20 years, and in 1953, he decided to start his own company with home and barn remodeling projects. With the help from his old son, Roy, they began to take on more work and were approached to build a few houses, too.
That was the beginning of Metzler Home Builders. Dan followed in his dad’s (Roy’s) footstep and in 2011, Dan’s son, Jordan, joined the Meltzer team.
That makes four generations involved in the family business. Read more of our history here …
Community Homes Available at a Fantastic Price
Now through April 15, we are offering great deals on four homes we built that are currently on the market. These homes are some of our most popular plans and located in highly-desirable communities, including Featherton Crossing (Elizabethtown), Willow Bend Farm (Lancaster) and Willowene Farms (Willow Street).
Below are the details for the beautiful community homes available.
15 Waterfowl Way, Elizabethtown
4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home with Large Open Kitchen / Dining Area
Located in Featherton Crossing Community
Current Price: $248,900.00
Spring Home Show Discount: $5,400.00
Price with Discount: $243,500.00 (Offer valid until April 15, 2015)
307 Weatherfield Place, Lancaster
4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home with First Floor Master Suite, Loads of Upgrades, Former Parade of Homes Winner
Located in Willow Bend Farm Community
Current Price: $357,400.00
Spring Home Show Discount: $7,500.00
Price with Discount: 349,900.00 (Offer valid until April 15, 2015)
204 Weathefield Place, Lancaster
4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home with First Floor Master Suite, Large Great Room with Gas Fireplace
Located in Willow Bend Farm Community
Current Price: $314,900.00
Spring Home Show Discount: $15,000.00
Price with Discount: $299,900.00 (Offer valid until April 15, 2015)
21 Greystone Circle, Willow Street
3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home with First Floor Master Suite, Completely Open Floor Plan w/ Cathedral Ceiling
Located in Willowene Farms Community
Current Price: $278,800.00
Spring Home Show Discount: $9,000.00
Price with Discount: $269,800.00 (Offer valid until April 15, 2015)
Home Maintenance Checklist: March 2015
Spring has sprung and for many of us, that means shaking off the cabin fever and getting outside. Now that the long, cold winter is over, walk around your home, taking notice of any issues, and make any necessary home repairs.
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Clean out debris (leaves, sticks, etc.) from your gutters and downspouts. Look for any cracks or breaks, and seal them up. Remember, you want rainwater to flow away from your home and foundation. Water near your home can do a lot of damage.
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Seal any small holes around your outside outlets to prevent bugs from crawling into your home; also replace any missing outlet covers.
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Look at your sidewalks, walkways and other concrete areas. If you see any cracks or shifting that occurred over the winter months, spring is the time to make those repairs.
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Replace any cracked boards on your wooden deck or stairs; seal your deck and patio with the appropriate weatherproofing sealant.
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Test smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and replace batteries.
Your Guide to Houzz.com
Are you in the market for a custom home or an addition/renovation project? Whether it is something you are planning for in the near future, or 5-10 years away, it’s never too early to get inspired. There are many resources available to generate ideas for your new space, but there may not be a more comprehensive source right now than Houzz.com.
What is Houzz?
Per Wikipedia, “Houzz is a web site and online community about architecture, interior design and decorating, landscape design and home improvement. The Houzz platform and mobile apps feature interior and exterior home photos, articles written by architects, interior designers and home design experts, product recommendations, and a user forum. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Palo Alto, California.”
How to use Houzz
Using Houzz is simple. You start by creating a profile, and from there, you browse and search for photos. As you find the ones that inspire you, add them to your Ideabook. The ideabook is where you can save, organize and file pictures for different rooms or areas you are planning. There are many different ways to search for photos, including by room, contractor (be sure to follow the Metzler page!) or by typing in a specific word or phrase you are looking for. Ideabooks can also be shared with others.
Houzz also provides countless articles on numerous home design topics. Reading these posts is a great way to stay on top of the latest trends and to get inspired with new ideas for your own project.
SPECIAL OFFER:
Have we completed a custom home or addition/renovation project for you in the past? Give us a positive review on Houzz.com for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Just email us and let us know you wrote a review. We will put all eligible reviews in a drawing on April 1, 2015.
Project Spotlight: Combining Households, Maintaining Privacy
Like many baby boomers, John and Cathy had a decision to make about an aging parent. In their case, it was no longer safe for John’s mother, Betty, to be living alone. But unlike most in their generation, the decision they had to make was not about nursing home care. They wanted to care for Mom, at least for the time being.
Now, their decision was which house to expand to accommodate separate living quarters for them all: their home or Betty’s? After much discussion, the scenic views of horse country and the proximity to work for John and Cathy made Betty’s home the answer.
The plan was to keep the first floor as John’s mother’s quarters and add a second floor that would function as John and Cathy’s main living space. In fact, the views of horses and bison on the surrounding hills were the primary reason why John and Cathy wanted to add a second floor rather than expanding the ranch home. However, the conversion of the natural stone and brick home to a two-story home with highly personalized and detailed finishes was not going to be without its challenges.
First-floor renovations of the existing kitchen, dining room and living room opened the flow of the spaces and provided room for the large island – a high priority for Cathy. Since John’s mother no longer cooked for herself, a separate kitchen was not needed. With the location of the staircase to the second floor, an open foyer was incorporated which also allowed natural light to flood the previously gloomy space.
The second floor was to be John and Cathy’s retreat. Having this separate private living space was a high priority for all of them, including John’s mother. The second-floor caretaker’s retreat contains an expansive great room, study with wet bar, oversized master suite and Cathy’s sewing room. Large arch top windows were incorporated into the second floor to add architectural flair, as well as a second-floor deck and screened-in porch so John and Cathy could take in the breathtaking views.
Home Maintenance Checklist: February 2015
The cold weather we’ve had this month gives you an opportunity to tackle some of those inside chores. Do them now so you can enjoy the warmer, springtime weather when it arrives (and it will come).
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Organize your closets. Go through the closets, toy chests and basement and figure out what you are going to keep, what you are going to sell in your spring yard sale and what you will donate. Even if you only do a little bit at a time, you’ll immediately begin to see the rewards of your hard work with all of the space you gain.
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Organize your crafting area and/or workshop. If your fun space is feeling a little out-of-control, take some time to organize it. Buy some bins, jars and/or peg-boards to help you stay organized. You’ll probably find some tools that were misplaced, too.
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Clean the mud room / entry way. This time of the year, the salt, sand and dirt that your family brings into the home can really play havoc on your floors. Take some time to clear the clutter out of the mudroom and give your floors a thorough cleaning.
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Clean the inside of your windows. After the cold, gray winter we’ve had, we all want to be able to enjoy as much natural light as possible.
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Clear out the “junk drawer.” Every house has at least one, so take a few minutes and clear it out. You may be surprised what you find and what you kept that you no longer need.
Home Tip: Ice Damming
Last year WGAL ran this“8 On Your Side” story about ice damming and featured our friend and 2014 BIA president, Phil Eby, of Eby Exteriors, Inc. In the online article, Phil mentioned that ice damming, in fact, is the number one problem home exteriors face during winter.
Unfortunately, homeowners typically only realize they have a problem when they see water stains on ceilings and walls.
Phil explained how ice damming occurs: “The warm air from your attic melts the snow on your roof, the water runs down to your eaves and there, the snow isn’t melted because it’s cold and it creates a backup. It gets down there and freezes, hits the gutter and creates a dam.”
The best thing homeowners can do now, when it is still extremely cold outside, is to make sure that downspouts aren’t covered with snow, ice and debris. If you suspect an issue with your gutters or downspouts, please do not attempt to handle it yourself in these slippery conditions. Call an expert who can diagnose and resolve any problems.
NOTE: Image courtesy of WGAL.