Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2017 - 22

Trends
provide a texture or pattern that lets you imagine beyond the walls and square footage," said
designer Wendy Yates of Frisco, Colo.- based
Abigail-Elise Interiors Inc.
Bold statement colors are trending,and designers
can take advantage of them to bring personality to a
room. A laundry room should have a crisp and cool
palette to mimic the fresh and clean character of the
space,while a mudroom can have a shot of contrasting color to introduce fun into the home. Powder
rooms especially are featuring daring colors like
aubergine or deep blue.Using pops of color and different textures will also individualize these rooms.

Featuring two washers in
one and two dryers in one,
FlexWash and FlexDry from

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS
AMERICA lets the user do mul-

tiple cycles at the same time in
a more compact space.

IS SMALLER BETTER?

The Axis series from FRANKE
brings style to smaller
spaces. The dual top-mount
and undermount maximize
space, and the sink grids
provide an extra surface for
preparing or washing food
while protecting the base of
the sink from scratches.

With +Stage, POGGENPOHL
groups together theme units
in a compact space that is 120
cm wide. Complete theme
packages include bar, office,
breakfast, wardrobe, kitchen
and tea areas.

KWC's Intro has a geometric,

compact design that gives
character to small spaces.
Thanks to the energy-saving
Coolfix Technology, cold rather than lukewarm water flows
when the lever is in its central
position, which reduces hot
water consumption.

division of Liebherr USA Co."Customers expect
luxury, sized to their needs."
A laundry room or compact kitchen in particular needs to have enough room for a working
countertop. To maximize storage on the ground
level and provide more counter space, use cabinetry below the counter and have open shelving
above.The open shelves are a simple addition that
optimizes vertical space, draws the eyes upward
and makes the space seem larger.
"My technique for designing a small space is to
keep it simple," said designer Ronda Royalty of
McLean, Va.-based Stuart Kitchens, explaining
that innovative but easy solutions like hanging
space in the laundry room help.
THE POWER OF COLORS

Even with the right amount of storage and smaller
appliances, a room can still appear cramped without the right colors. According to Carroll, selecting a color scheme is an important first step to
making a room appear larger.
"Of course soft,pale colors give the illusion of space,
while dark tones tend to make a space feel closed in,"
said Carroll. "As a designer I love color though, so
depending on how you use them, bolder colors can
actually make a small space seem larger as well."
Painting one wall a deep accent color makes
the wall appear pushed back, while a lighter paint
on the walls will make the ceiling appear higher.
Going out of the box - like using flooring material on the walls or installing reverse-painted glass
panels - can also achieve this goal.
"Wall treatments other than paint are always a
great way to make spaces feel larger because they

ABOVE "In this particular

powder room, scarlet red
paint paired with steel wall
panels and an integral counter
concrete sink showcase
natural simplicity with a hint
of bravado all packed into a
small space." - Designer Lori
Carroll of Tucson, Ariz.-based
Lori Carroll & Assoc.

BELOW "My technique for

designing a small space is
to keep it simple, simple,
simple. Be diligent in knowing
exactly what the client needs
and wants, as well as their
priorities." - Designer Ronda
Royalty of McLean, Va.-based
Stuart Kitchens, Photography
by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg

New builds today are embracing open-concept
designs, and smaller floor plans are often now the
norm. If the culture continues living minimalist
lifestyles with less square footage, compact space
design will only grow in popularity.
"I think houses will be getting smaller as the
younger generations start building their own
homes,"said Gilmer."With technology today, it's
easier to make a room multifunctional."
Some clients have even been known to entertain in their laundry or mudrooms because they
are excited to show off the newly designed spaces
to guests. Those and other small spaces in a home
can be perfect add-ons to a larger kitchen or master bath renovation - and designers can infuse a
little more creativity in them.
"For those rooms that never really change functions, I think it's just about creating a more finished, beautiful space," said Alvarez. "Nowadays,
we want to feel nice in every space, and getting the
most use and function out of it through a coherent
design becomes important."


Kitchen & Bath Business / JULY-AUGUST 2017 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2017

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