Trends in Home Renovation
Designs of the Times
When people come to Patti Dixon for advice it is most often to discuss a complete home renovation. In her design work, Dixon likes to take the local character of the mountains and mesh that with her client’s character and origin. In one SaddleRidge condominium, the owner of Morningstar Interior Design has created an in-vogue, mountain look. The flooring is a rich, wide-plank dark elm with European hand scraping. “It’s very sophisticated in a natural and low-maintenance way and very difficult to accomplish,” she says. “The clients have brought their contemporary art collection with its strong colors from their New York flat. Art is very integral to the design of this unit.”
A lighting designer created distinct lighting for the home’s art, for reading, and for general ambience. “It makes the space fabulous,” says Dixon.
Plumbing fixtures have honed finishes, which give off subtle nuances. Dixon is emphatic about fixtures: “Not chrome, and I’m over vessel sinks.” Instead, there will be bronze under-mount sinks that don’t vie for attention and are more integral to the countertop.
Essential to a Great Room are four principal elements that move in opposing directions: view, fireplace, television, and art. In this home, there will be no TV in the Great Room. Instead, the family’s lifestyle and entertainment needs call for “guests” to be the fourth element. The television will find a comfy spot in the family room.
Simply stated, Dixon sees a trend to monochromatic, tone-on-tone with simple, straightforward design in a neutral backdrop. “And it’s important to our Colorado clients to have a rich and soft fabric texture on their furniture, so they can get comfortable in a cold climate.”
Designing Change
According to P. Furniture & Design II’s Kathy Peplinski, “We are always ahead of middle America because owners come to this valley from all over the country and the world.” Trends she sees are hi-tech lighting on cables with colored glass pendants and cleaner furniture lines. “There are no more sofas with overstuffed arms,” she says. Peplinski notes that furniture cushions are no longer petroleum-based and paints are “green” and healthy.
“The Southwest look was short-lived here, thankfully,” says Peplinski, whose daughter Kerry Lott works with her as a designer. Peplinski says there is still call for the Mountain Elegant and Lodge looks, but Mountain Modern is the current trend.
Although granite countertops are still in demand and might be used as an accent on a center island, concrete countertops are increasingly popular. Today’s cabinetry has sleeker lines and hardware.
Color originates from the glass lighting and from tiles. Sinks and fixtures might use a neutral palette, and vessel sinks are popular with creative faucet designs, she says.
P. Furniture & Design II works with remodeling contractors, overseeing projects, including many Vail remodels. “We also deal directly with clients,” says Peplinski.
Creating New Looks
Before renovating a living space, homeowners like to check with professionals first. Listening to clients is key to effecting the changes that create lasting beauty and striking effects in home renovations, says Carol Moore, principal interior designer for Carol Moore Interior Design, Inc.
Moore sees a move toward natural products and the use of lighter colors that can be achieved with Carrara marbles, glass, and stone. In cabinetry, teak and painted woods are in fashion.
When a partial renovation is desired, kitchens and baths often take priority because the homeowner is likely to receive the most return for the dollar. The master suite is a big seller. “We have expanded master bedrooms using a smaller adjoining bedroom with great success. If the smaller room is a nursery, for example, it could become a larger master bath or dressing room,” explains Moore.
Dual-flush toilets by Toto ease the strain on the environment. These high- and low-cycle fixtures offer the option of using less water. There are also lower-volume toilets. Another in-vogue bathroom fixture is the infinity edge sink; its use in a powder room makes a chic statement.
Front-loading washing machines are popular with those who want to use less water and soap, according to Moore. They use one-fourth the amount of detergent of top loaders.
“There is a real push toward incorporating outdoor living space with interiors,” says Moore. She uses Nano’s folding door that telescopes into the frame and invites the outdoors inside.
Eco-friendly Elements
In the last five years, sustainable products and simplified design have been the two major trends in home renovation seen by Margot Hampleman of Decorative Materials International Ltd. “Green” products in the form of LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ceramic and recycled glass tiles, sustainable lumber, and 
no-waste handmade terra cotta tiles represent a “growing awareness, and people want to do their part,” says Hampleman. Concrete sinks, floor tiles, and countertops are popular; concrete doesn’t take energy. “You use molds, not ovens, for concrete,” she says. Tile and stone are popular natural design elements.
“Simplify” is the prevailing theme. Hampleman is seeing porcelain tiles in large formats such as 24x24, 24x18, and 18x18. “Stone or porcelain tile and glass mosaics are in vogue,” she says. “We are seeing all the different products together – metal, stone, glass, and ceramic – perhaps used for a border effect on shower walls and backsplashes.
Need a new floor? “Old European is a beautiful, over-the-top look for floors,” says Hampleman.
Decorative Materials has opened a new Edwards location above the post office and serves the Denver, Vail, and Aspen areas.
No More Rules
The master bedroom has become a suite. Metallic is a fashion trend. The #1 chair is made of contemporary wood with cowhide. Outdoor living fabrics by Sunbrella are off the charts – like acrylic, crushed velour, and zebra prints from high-end fabric companies. New cabinetry from Fiberstone looks like rock.
“There are no rules anymore,” says Alice Pendleton, interior designer, president and owner of Splash Home, serving Aspen and Vail and the new Nap bedding store in Glenwood Springs. Pendleton opened Nap in response to interest in higher-end mattress and bedding products.
The prevalent color palette is contemporary with earthy tones. “Today’s home represents repose,” says Pendleton. “People want cleaner lines and a less cluttered look throughout.”
She sees a mix of styles: from Mountain Transitional (an eclectic blend) to Mountain Modern, with its raw, patterned, or distressed finishes on glass, stone, wood, and steel surfaces. Upholstered furniture is sleek.
The outdoor living room features built-in stainless steel grills, with barbeque and refrigerator stations; Sundance spas offer deep seating, powerful jet pumps, and soothing waterfall terraces. Sundance’s Terra Stone line introduces a stacked-stone aesthetic on its Cameo and Optima models. “All this delivers an upscale designer look at a fraction of site-built stonework,” says Pendleton.
Trends in Products and Materials
Ruggs Benedict boasts environmentally friendly practices and products. With over 35 years supplying carpet, rugs, and tiles, they have now replaced tile products with ceramic and wood flooring. Community-oriented, the local firm works with Habitat for Humanity by delivering used carpet to the non-profit housing organization.
Sales manager Mandy Nicholls sees a trend toward a Mountain Contemporary look with a refined style and patterned carpet that is more decorative than traditional. “We’re selling fun things that reflect people’s personalities,” she says. “In renovations, we commonly do the entire house and give an in-home consultation, taking samples and area rugs so clients can see how they look in the home environment.” 
The natural wool fibers Ruggs Benedict stocks are environmentally sound. Reclaimed wood and cork floors add to the greening of the Vail Valley. Most area rugs come from supplier Carpet One and are made in the U.S. Rugs in neutral colors are used for home offices, master bedrooms, and family rooms.
Nicholls says the greatest benefit to using Ruggs Benedict for carpeting is that their installers are all employees. “They are craftsmen, and installation is important to us.”
At Alpine Ambiance, Jan Townsend suggests one treatment that creates immediate freshness and changes a room: a new paint job. In bedrooms, homeowners can update bedding and window coverings to transform the room.
Neutral colors in draperies are the trend at Townsend’s Shadey Deals. “Tans and beige have always been popular colors in a contemporary theme. Draperies in cotton, linen, and chenille are making a big resurgence,” she says. Hunter Douglas has added blinds and shades in neutral colors as well as larger widths in its Silhouette and Vignette lines. Motorization and battery-operated products are on the rise.
Updating is the trend at Blind Man, according to window covering franchise owner David Baker. “There is a trend toward ‘green’ products such as honeycomb shades, which insulate in an eco-friendly way,” he says. Solar shades have been around for years as a practical solution to sun issues. “These Mountain Contemporary shades are a renewable resource in natural colors,” says Baker. “They do a great job of insulating and conserving energy.” Baker agrees motorization is popular, “It’s such a neat feature; sometimes, it’s the only practical solution.”
Designers are creating outdoor living spaces, and Kent Keating of Fire Science, Inc. keeps his clients warm with fire pits and outdoor fireplaces. “The nice thing about our fire pits is that they afford a 360-degree seating view. There’s great ambience and a family-friendly atmosphere. Plus, the light is flattering,” Keating says.
Generally, a fire pit’s average 24-inch diameter takes up less room than a conventional fireplace. It holds the heat, can be electronic- or match-lit, uses natural or propane gas, and comes in a variety of colors and styles (ceramic log, lava rocks, crystal ice). Fire Science’s online marketing offers a do-it-yourself kit or the choice of delivery and installation.
Contact Information:
Morningstar Interior Design
www.morningstarinteriordesign.com
970-926-7060
P. Furniture & Design II
www.pfurnitureanddesign.com
970-949-0153
Carol Moore Interior Design, Inc.
www.cmid.us
970-926-4188
Decorative Materials International, Ltd.
www.decorativematerials.com
303-916-6999
Alpine Ambiance & Shadey Deals
www.alpineambiance.com
970-926-5888
Splash Home Furnishings
www.splashhome.com
970-926-8185
Ruggs Benedict
www.ruggsbenedict.com
970-949-5390
Blind Man
www.blindmanofamerica.com
970-926-8156
Fire Science Inc.
www.fire-science.com and www.customfirepits.com
