Make a Big Splash (in Your Kitchen)

(Kitchen courtesy of MCKB)Janet Ramin - When designing kitchens, plenty of planning and energy go towards choosing the most efficient appliances or the best looking countertops or the most organized cabinets - but what’s often neglected is that wall separating your cabinets and appliances. I started looking into this much more closely since my friend mentioned how bored she was with her kitchen backsplash. 

Now, mind you, her kitchen is relatively new – it's only a few years old, but since she bought a condo, she really didn’t have much choice in the design plan of her kitchen. She had a choice of two wood finishes for the cabinets and a few more with her granite countertop. But that’s it. Some condo owners don’t even get that much.

I viewed her kitchen again – see photo below – and found that the walls really didn’t have much going there. They extended the granite countertop to create a short backsplash and the rest was just painted plaster walls. Time for a makeover!

(Kitchen, courtesy of Maxwell Place)

I headed over to some of my favorite kitchen showrooms in the city to check out what they had to offer for those kitchen walls. At Manhattan Center for Kitchen and Bath (MCKB), I found some very colorful unique kitchen wall treatments. To emphasize their circular theme, MCKB designers used round ceramic tiles of varying sizes as the backsplash for their very mod peephole cabinets (see top photo). In another installation, MCKB uses glass tiles that are designed to look like bamboo. Glass is highly functional as it’s easy to wipe off any liquids or food stains - and additionally, it’s recyclable.

For a very elegant and contemporary style, take a look at this kitchen designed by Regina Bilotta of Bilotta Kitchens. She created her backsplash using copper-backed glass tiles, called Treble, in a very sexy, ogee-shaped tile pattern. The varying hues of copper, ochre, and reds project a warm, inviting glow. She also applied a cream color glass tile for those who want a more neutral color scheme – see both photos below. Both tiles are available from Artistic Tile. 

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Still Time to Find the Perfect Summer Home

Megan Gates - Even with Labor Day in sight, there is still plenty of summer left for people to enjoy a vacation getaway. Renting a summer home is a great way to get out of town, live like a local, and gather with a bunch of friends and family. Whether you own a property near the ocean, a lake, or a destination city, what sort of summer home are people looking to rent?

Summer homes are meant for people to enjoy time together. Having a house with an open concept, especially in areas like the living and dining room, are beneficial for achieving that goal. The negative aspect for having a house that is too open is that people also crave privacy, especially if they are sharing the space with a lot of other people. There lies the benefit of having more closed off rooms, privacy. The negative side of a more closed concept can make a property feel smaller than it is.

When it comes to functionality, no one wants to go to a summer home and fight over bathroom time like they do at home. Renters want something different than what they’re used to at home and usually more luxurious. Having a property with a lot of bedrooms makes a great vacation home to rent because people tend to vacation with friends and family. The housing trend for this year calls for bigger, more luxurious bathrooms. Having a lot of bathrooms or adding one may not be always be an option in a rental property. However, giving whatever bathrooms are available a face lift to give them a spa feel would be a must have for renters.

A hot trend of new homes is outdoor living space. This doesn't include your typical space of plastic patio furniture and pink flamingos in the garden. People want outdoor kitchens, living rooms and garden rooms. The outdoor space can now be created to be an extensive of your property's square footage instead of a separate area. In terms of flow, keep the outdoor kitchen close to the indoor kitchen.

When it comes to interior design, work with what you have. If you own a home on a beach, play up the beach theme by using inspiration but all the water and sand elements around you. If you have a cabin on a lake, use the natural elements and colors around you for design inspiration. Remember that renters are looking for luxury when they vacation so trying to incorporate a lavish feel into the rooms is a benefit.

With these design tips, your property will become as hot as the summer heat and rented just as quickly. Share any other summer home tips below!

Megan Gates is an active blogger and handles communications on behalf of Elliman.com. She provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to New York Luxury Real Estate, Long Island Rentals, and the latest in architecture, design and fashion. Follow her on Twitter @ MEGatesDesign.