Product Focus: Something Old, Something New

There’s a place for both classic and modern design, as interiors seek to soothe

BY TED McINTYRE

AMONG THE many lessons the pandemic has taught consumers is to appreciate their homes. That includes the details of their interior finishes, from the floors they walk upon to the technology that lights the way.

While home builders are responding in some regards, they’re not in others—particularly when it comes to the old standby of trim, suggests Wyecroft Trim & Doors Group marketing specialist Tara Macedo. “For the past couple decades, builders have been using the same Colonial-style mouldings and doors (in production homes),” Macedo observes. “This worked because builder houses have largely been traditional in design. Over the past few years, however, we’ve seen a big shift in the market. Many consumers are gravitating away from traditional design, and toward modern and contemporary design, so builders have adapted their designs accordingly with more modern elevations.

Metrie's Sylish but durable Complete Series

“Given that shift, it would be natural to assume that builders have expanded or altered their trim packages accordingly, but we’re not finding that to be the case,” Macedo continues. “We consistently hear from people who have recently purchased their dream home, with its beautiful modern exterior, only to find out that they have Colonial-style mouldings included in their trim package, with limited options to change or upgrade.

“For that reason, we want to bring to light the more modern, simple mouldings and doors that builders can offer to complement those popular modern elevations—options that don’t require them to break the bank.”

Metrie's standard primed MDF profiles help streamline fit process for builders

Wyecroft says it’s time for a ‘new builder standard.’ “Instead of the everpopular Carrara 2 panel door, why not opt for a flush MDF hardboard door? Instead of Colonial baseboards and casings, why not opt for flat stock baseboards and casings?” Macedo offers. “These products fall within a similar price point to their traditional counterparts, making it an easy substitution for the builder. We’ve found these simple options to be substantially more popular with today’s consumers because their simplicity makes them easy to incorporate into any design.”

For upgraded moulding options, Macedo suggests grooved baseboards. For doors, the company recommends a model with a complementary groove design, such as its Berkley or Melrose by Masonite.”

EFFICIENCY EXPERTS

For interior moulding and door For interior moulding and door specialist Metrie, convenience is a prime attraction.

“Our Polar White finish in our Complete line really streamlines the process and saves builders time since they don’t have to bring in trades to paint,” explains Denise Tripamer,Metrie’s Director of Marketing Communications, of the company’s pre-painted MDF product. "And on a smaller scale, it makes reno work quick and easy for contractors.”

Pre-painted with unique finishing layers— all of which feature UV inhibitors to prevent colour variation inhibitors to prevent colour variation and low-VOC, water-based paints— make the Complete line exceedingly durable, reducing marking during handling, installation or transport. Further, its package solution with accessory products allows for on-site colour-matched touch-ups, if required.

“We have multiple moulding profiles, including pre-painted shiplap, profiles, which has been a big seller lately with all the home renos happening, for those wanting to add extra texture to their walls,” Tripamer notes.

In the attempt to add more texture and dimension to their spaces, there has also been a movement toward wall treatments, from shiplap to wainscot, treatments, including panel mould boxes on walls, etc.,” Tripamer adds. “It just brings more warmth and comfort into a space.”

Noise dampening has also become popular, Tripamer says. “People are looking at replacing hollow-core with solid-core doors, particularly in a home office environment to keep that sound interference down. It can also reflect on the quality craftsmanship of the builder when someone walks through and feels a solid, heavy door open and shut behind a them. We also have a product line, Option M, that leans more toward the design solution, where we pair moulding profiles with door styles in combinations profiles that reflect popular decor trends. So it makes the selection easy if the builder is looking for upgrade options.”

WARMING UP WARMING UP

While white remains the standby for trim, interior colours are departing from the stark greys and blues and moving into warmer hues, suggests Yasmine Goodwin, principal at My Design Studio in Woodbridge.

“We’re seeing softer, warmer colour combinations, more taupe, with people seeking more serenity in their homes,” Goodwin says. “I’m in their homes,” Goodwin says. “I’m hearing similar things from flooring and trim companies.

"People are also gravitating toward easy-care products, solid surfaces that will hold up,” Goodwin adds.

Vintage Hardwood's Blade Oak Barista offers the look of reclaimed wood.

Etobicoke-based Vintage Flooring echoes those thoughts. We’re seeing a trend toward biophilic design— bringing nature inside,” notes Product and Marketing Manager, Penny Hodges. “Natural tones are popular, and pastels are warming up ever so slightly—not orange or yellow, but softer, like the White Oak Canvas hardwood we’ve launched.”

The desire for comfy surroundings have also spurred a movement— — particularly among millennials— toward what Hodges terms ‘grand millennial.’ “They want memories of grandparents, with florals and rich tones and more traditional looks,” Hodges says.

Vintage Flooring's Sculpted White Oak Nautilus showcases the popular herringbone style.

Although Hodges also cites the increasing popularity of patterns, including chevron and herringbone motifs, Vintage Flooring’s has creatively identified two design trends in one product with its new Blade collection.

“We have always been very strong with textured floors,” Hodges notes. “We started off with hand-scraped and added wire-brushed. But we are often ask for a reclaimed-look floor—an Old World look with dings in the woods and saw blade marks. So that’s where the idea came from to create the Blade collection, an alloak line that features a weathered look (without being too rustic) with modern high-quality wood. It’s sort of a refined reclaimed look.”

While the product, available in five colours, is easily installed—be it a nail-down, glued or floating assembly—there’s an added bonus in the Blade design,” Hodges explains. “That texture helps hide a lot of wear and tear,” she says. Which is also good news for contractors. “Since it hides damage, you don’t have to replace a floorboard before the homeowner moves in due to a single ding mark.”

There’s also a sustainability aspect, with it being 99% VOC free. “And all our lumber is locally, ethically sourced,” Hodges says. “And everything is made in our Quebec plant and pre-finished in Toronto. There are a lot of benefits because of that, mainly because if you need to make a repair or another box, we are right here. You can come pick it up at 7 a.m. and be installing two hours later.”

BRIGHT IDEA

Adding comfort to one’s environment means lighting it properly, and that’s an area Goodwin says remains among the top three in home upgrades. “Particularly circadian rhythm,” says Goodwin of the popular lighting designed to have a biological impact on the human circadian system—essentially, brighter days and darker and softer nights.

When it comes to colouring our world, Acuity Podz Canless Downlight Series has added an innovative twist to pot lights. From below the ceiling, the Juno Podz take the form of a traditional 4”, 5” or 6” downlight. Above the ceiling, however, these fixtures boast a minimalist form factor and technologically advanced light engine.

Flexible and simple to use, the Podz offer direct control of the lighting in a space. The cutting-edge colour mixing technology delivers white light engineered to stay directly on the cylinder’s black body curve, while maintaining a high CRI (colour rendering index) regardless of the LED setting.

The electrical attachment allows for a simple electrical connection of the trim module to the remodel junction box or new-construction mounting frame. This canless design is IC-rated for direct installation into the ceiling plenum. The fixture measures less than 3” tall and can install into virtually anywhere for a variety of applications.

WATER WORKS

Manufacturers have also turned on the tap in kitchen and bathroom design, including the striking art deco-inspired Locarno collection from Hansgrohe.

“The intention was to create a sleek and anti-traditional elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication,” the company notes. “Even with today’s emphasis on technology and smart devices, there is a sense of comfort and warmth in harking back to a simpler time.”

Collaborating with one of the world’s leading design firms, Phoenix Design, Locarno embraces geometric shapes, bold finishes and style, with an octagonal design flowing through the entire collection of faucets.

Hansgrohe's Lacarno.

Brizo, for its part, has expanded its Kintsu line, a bath collection that combines the elegant minimalism of Scandinavian design with natural materials and a motif of broken geometries that channel the principles of Japanese wabi-sabi. Drawn from kintsukuroi, a Japanese method of joining pieces of cracked pottery with gold, the result is a blend of two aesthetics that join to create a unique yet exquisite balance.

“From the handle inlays to the refined, sculptural lines of each spout, this collection showcases a commitment to quality and the finest materials,” Brizo notes.

Brilliant Lack from Brizo's Kintsu line.

The Kintsu Bath Collection offers lavatory and tub filler configurations, custom shower trims and components, along with elegantly coordinated accessories. Lever, cross and knob handles are available on select models.

Delta, meanwhile, has announced a Matte Black addition to its Kitano Bath Collection, as well as a three-hole Roman tub to provide more versatility in larger bathrooms that have a separate tub and shower stall.

Delta's Matte Black Kitano

Kitano’s clean lines deliver fresh style to the contemporary bath. Available in both single- and twohandle faucets, their rectangular cache aerator outlets provide a wider, visually interesting flow.

Which all goes to show that there’s room for both a splash of something old and something new, as homeowners look to enhance their interior surroundings.

The Kintsu shower collection.