Learn How To Design a Kitchen That Is Perfect for Entertaining

 

The kitchen is said to be the heart of the home and a place where family and friends gather. Delicious food is also a big part of most gatherings. A kitchen with a practical layout and up-to-date appliances is the recipe for a good working kitchen. If you want to make sure your kitchen is in working order, follow these tips to create both a beautiful and functional space.

1. Create Space for Gathering

The layout of your kitchen can make all the difference. You will want your kitchen to function as an entertaining-friendly kitchen. This can be done by selecting a floor plan that allows more than one person to be working in the kitchen. To do this, you will want tons of counter space to prep meals and allow everyone to have a place to gather.

A perfect way to create this extra counter space is by adding an island or peninsula to your kitchen space. An island can hold your kitchen sink, breakfast bar, and appliances. Remember to include good lighting for your space.

“I want people to help themselves to coffee or a glass of wine and to sit down and talk while I prep,” says Kate Arends, blogger and founder of Wit & Delight.

2. Choose Hardworking Appliances

Investing in hard-working, good-quality kitchen appliances is a must if you love to entertain. “It’s about efficiency. When entertaining, I want to do just that — entertain. I don’t want to be thinking about whether or not the oven is working or if there’s enough room in the fridge,” states Arends.

A big French door refrigerator can hold large platters. One appliance that you do not think about when entertaining is a dishwasher. Choose a dishwasher with adjustable racks so you can accommodate different sizes. A beverage fridge is another great idea so guests can have access to cold drinks.

3. Select a High-Performance Oven

An appliance that does come to mind when entertaining is the oven. You want to choose a high-performance oven that has a large cooking space. A built-in double oven is a good choice if you do not have a big kitchen. A double oven allows you to cook several dishes at the same time.

“Home appliances can be an investment and it’s important to get the right tools for the job,” she says. “I love to cook, so my focus was finding a range that could do all the things and an oven that I could set remotely. Some people won’t need these features — it’s a very personal decision,” offers Arends.

4. Use Materials to Tie Spaces Together

This applies especially to an open floor plan. Choose appliances, flooring, counters, cabinets and colors that flow with the living and dining areas.

“Look at the color of the walls in the living room and pull that into fabric in the kitchen, or use hand-painted tiles that pull a color from the dining room. Your cookware could be the color of the sofa,” she says. “It’s about being creative and seeing the opportunity to create a harmonious color palette,” says Arends.

5. Take Some Risks

Put your own stamp on your kitchen. Doing this makes your kitchen feel like your own warm welcoming space. Add some floating or open shelves where you can store personal collectibles. Color and texture can also anchor your kitchen. This can be created by adding tiled backsplashes, a brightly colored range and rich color countertops.

"Sometimes we forget that the spaces in our homes are for us, not for others,” she says. “We all deserve to live in spaces that delight us, no matter the size or if we own or rent. I hesitated on decisions because I was worried about resale value. I have such pride and ownership in this house, more than I felt in the last one, because I’ve leaned into what I wanted from a space."

“I wanted my kitchen to feel cozy and relaxed,” Arends says. “To achieve this, I moved in lamps and art — things that you often find in living spaces. That’s how I made the space feel more like me.”

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New Housing Construction Is on the Rise Despite the Shortage of Materials

 The U.S. Census December 2021 Monthly New Residential Construction report revealed an increase in the number of housing starts in November. The rate was 12% over what October's report showed. This trend stems from the strong demand for housing.

“And there’s a lack of existing homes for sale. So where is the buyer to go but to the new-construction market? So that’s the good news,” Susan Wachter, professor of real estate at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania said.

The Survey of Construction (SOC) is a report created by the U.S. Census Bureau and is released on a monthly rotation. The report shows the statistics on starts and completions of both new single-family and multifamily houses. The source of the data comes from survey questionnaires and is broken into two parts, the Survey Use of Permits (SUP and the Non-Permit Survey (NP).

Even with the shortage of building materials, new home contractors are still busy. According to builder Jerry Konter from Savannah, Georgia windows have had a 28-week delay. Housing contractors are finding a workaround for t
he shortage of workers and materials.

“Construction employment has been increasing in spite of all those help wanted signs, and materials are eventually getting delivered,” said economist Ken Simonson with the Associated General Contractors of America.

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2022 Abita Springs Town Budget Is Down From 2021's Budget

 

Last year's approved budget for the town of Abita Springs came in at $10.7 million but this year it has decreased to $6.6 million. The decrease in the budget is due to the outlook there will be less spending in 2022. This is reflected in the budget that was approved in December 2021 and created by Mayor Dan Curtis.

The biggest change is in the utility fund. Last year the town budgeted $7.9 million for utilities work but this year the budget only allows $3.2 million. The reason for the high budget amount last year was due to the &&&ongoing rehab of the town’s sewer lines, lift stations and sewage treatment plant, the mayor said.****

The Mayor also anticipates help from the American Rescue Act for COVID-19 relief and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency  (FEMA) for damages due to Hurricane Ida. This will help with the expenses for any town maintenance such as a new secondary water well and streetscaping the area that is around Abita Springs Town Hall. The budget does include plans to use the money on certain proposed projects already. These include $192,300 for parks and recreation: $45,000 for the cemetery fund and $34,900 for the lighting fund.

“We were very open about everything in the process,” Curtis said. “When you have a council that works with you the way ours does, it makes it easy to get things done.”

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Upscale Kitchens and Bathrooms Need Extraordinary Materials

 House of Rohl, specializes in exquisite handcrafted plumbing fixtures and materials for the bathroom and kitchen. Based out of California, the company is family-owned and operated and is the perfect company to refer to when creating a one-of-a-kind bathroom or kitchen. Here are some products to consider when designing a kitchen or bathroom.

Victoria + Albert Volcanic Limestone Baths and Sinks

Volcanic limestone is a beautiful material to use in a luxurious bathroom. The white rock is formed when immense heat and pressure from liquid magma transforms surrounding limestone.  This volcanic limestone is the primary material for Victoria + Albert bathtubs.

Each of these bathtubs is hand-finished and cast from one piece of stone. The bathtubs are chip and crack-resistant. The bathtub is naturally white but can be customized in any color in a gloss or matte finish.

Shaws Fireclay Sinks

A great option for a chef's kitchen is the Shaw fireclay sinks. Each sink is handcrafted by the Shaw family in England. The process of creating the piece has been passed down for over 100 years.

The sinks are created by pouring liquid clay into porous molds and then drying for 40 hours. Once dried they are then smoothed by hand and glazed. A specialty kiln is used to fire the sink for two days. The method is called slip casting and creates a sink with clean lines and natural shapes.

Perrin & Rowe Brass Taps and Fixtures

Another company that is located in England is Perrin & Rowe which specializes in water fixtures. There is no mass production each piece is handcrafted. They hand-forge brassware taps and sanitaryware from the best quality brass. Each piece is hand-molded and hand-polished and plated with a protective coating.

‘Brassware is also assembled by hand and each piece is individually water-tested,’ say the company founders. ‘Our casting plant in Wolverhampton is one of the last of its kind, carrying on a tradition that’s over a hundred years old. But what distinguishes us most is our high standard for performance and beauty. Because precision isn’t our method. It’s our mission.’

What you choose to use in your kitchen and bathrooms can make or break the design. An upscale bathroom and/or kitchen is a great selling factor when it comes to listing your home.

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Ways To Create a Healthy Home

 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic is now a part of our lives, more homeowners now than ever focus on living in healthier homes. The link between a homeowner's home and their health is very important nowadays. The wellness and health of a homeowner are not based on the price point of their home, as the necessity for a healthy home spans across all price points.

Hayward Healthy Home five principles give great tips to design and construct a healthy home. These principles are continuous fresh air, proper sealing and insulation, cleanable surfaces and healthy home habits. A healthy home has a quieter inside environment and has an even temperature year-round.

Other ways to create a healthy home include using non-toxic materials and products, keeping good installation practices and design strategies. Examples of these include using wide-plank floor with a fresh water-based finish, no/low volatile organic chemical paints and finishes, appliances that were unboxed and left outside for 24 hours to allow them to off gas before installation, an induction stovetop, a steam oven, and a separate ventilation system in the garage.

“..when you make a home healthy, you also make it tight and energy-efficient, so you get that value, too. So health is really the powerhouse that’s going to make this change happen on a much faster scale than the drive to energy efficiency,” says Bill Hayward, CEO and chief sustainability officer of Hayward Lumber and founder of Hayward Healthy Home Score.

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St. Tammany Parish School District's Tax Renewed

 St. Tammany Parish voters approved the St. Tammany Parish school district tax to be renewed. The tax renewal will bring $102 million to the school district. Voters were in favor of the four property taxes that total 42.72 mills.

The school district's current budget is close to $453 million. The renewal of the property taxes will cover a big part of the district's budget. The money will be spread between general school operations, employee salaries and student educational programs.

According to St. Tammany schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia, the taxes will go into effect starting in 2023 and will be collected for 10 years. The communities votes were as follows. For the first property tax, 54% of the residents voted yes for the 4.42 mills that would bring in around $10.52 million per year. The second property tax vote was yes for 55% of the residents. This tax is for 32.41 mills and would collect around $77.1 million annually. The third property tax would be at 3.14 mills and would collected around $7.4 million a year which 54% voted yes. The fourth property tax got 53% of the voters approved and will bring in around $6.5 million per year at 2.75 mills.

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2021 Third Quarter Sees A Strong Boost In the Vacation Home Market

 

The NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) released in December 2021 shows an increase in permits for second homes. The counties in the country with a high ratio of vacation homes have seen a big spike.

“Over the last year, second-home markets have increased their market shares, due to increases in hybrid work arrangements, early retirements and wealth gains in housing and stocks,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

New construction growth has taken off in the second home market. The growth rate for single-family homes in the second home market was 36.1%, this is a rise compared to the non-second home market average of 23.2%.

In the past year, the housing market for single-family homes has been booming in suburban areas. The report shows that the higher density markets are coming back. This is not the case in the multifamily construction sector. Permits for multifamily projects were higher in smaller cities and rural areas than in larger metropolitan areas.

“As more workers transitioned back to the workplace, there was a rebound for housing production in urban core markets, as well as ongoing growth in exurban areas,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke. “And while builders are still grappling with affordability headwinds in both small and large markets, this rebound in housing production in some higher density markets where building is more costly highlights the need for policymakers to reduce housing supply barriers that are driving up home prices.”

“Although all geographies are showing construction growth, the suburban shift is less pronounced than we’ve seen in prior quarters as some higher-density markets see a rebound even as exurbs continue to expand,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

Single-family permit growth data for the third quarter of 2019 and 2020 was 5.6% in large metro communities while it was 12.3% in the suburbs. The current report for the fourth quarter of 2020 and 2021 shows an increase of 21.1% in large metro markets and a 30.8% increase in the suburbs.

For multifamily permits, the 2020 and 2021 data show they fell from 40.5% to 37.9% in higher density markets while they rose from 24.9% to 37.2% in the smaller communities. This is a large shift in this market. Historically, year-to-year changes in multifamily market share are usually slow to develop and rarely move more than one percentage point higher or lower. This makes these latest year-over-year numbers noteworthy.

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