OPEN HOUSE
Location, Location, Kitchen WHAT’S COOKING IN CURRENT REAL ESTATE TRENDS
ARTICLE WILLIAM HARWOOD
EVERYONE KNOWS THE THREE THINGS THAT MATTER IN BUYING THE RIGHT
But any countertop is only as good as the island it goes on.
HOUSE ARE LOCATION, LOCATION,
“Kitchen islands are no longer an after-
LOCATION. But what are the three things
thought or something small to squeeze into
that matter once that house becomes your
the space,” Paula says. “They have become
home? The answer is easy: it’s kitchen,
the hub of the kitchen. The kitchen island is
kitchen, kitchen!
meant to create an impact, and its design
Gone are the days in which the kitchen
must make a statement. The larger kitchen
was merely a cramped compartment for
islands will have storage solution cabinets
cooking. Today the kitchen has become
and be fitted with various undercounter
the focal point for informal entertaining, for
appliances like the Gaggeneau built-in cof-
making gourmet meals with foodie friends
fee bar and Dacor’s new wine station while
around an aesthetic island all your own.
also serving as a casual dining counter
We asked Paula Hinegardner of Keller Williams to share with us what buyers are looking for in the latest home kitchen
and/or drinking bar.” But how to get these larger kitchen islands into the kitchen? The answer is, you don’t.
trends. She knows her stuff. An 8-year vet-
“We are seeing the kitchen island extend
eran of Nashville real estate, Paula has been
into living room spaces in homes with open
the top Keller Williams agent in Brentwood-
plan designs,” Paula says. “This ensures the
Franklin for five years running.
kitchen island can be multi-functional with-
“Open
concept continues
to
reign
out cluttering up space in the kitchen.”
supreme,” she points out. “The kitchen has
As for materials and colors, Paula says
become the single most important design
that chrome and satin are still very popu-
element in a home. They are getting larger,
lar, but one material in particular is back in
more elegant, and, without question, have
a big way: brass.
become the centerpiece of today’s homes.”
“Sometimes called “Champagne gold”
As for the dramatic and high-end luxury
or “satin gold,” today’s brass is subtle and
finishes, Paula has some thoughts on those.
refined and is seen in everything from
“Granite is gone,” she says. “Marble is still
faucets and cabinets to drawer pulls and
a popular choice, but more and more buyers
spectacular lighting fixtures,” Paula says.
are moving to quartz, the No. 1 countertop
“White and gray continue to be the two big
product on the market now. It’s durable,
cabinet colors for 2018, but there is another
fresh and has incredible finish options.”
color palette slowly making its way into CONTINUED >
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Brentwood Lifestyle | October 2018
