Although paints, flooring, and surfaces are often the last items on a builder’s to-do list, they’re also the final details that pull a home together. From beautiful tile to gleaming hardware, the range of finish options on the market presents builders with many ways to offer profitable upgrades. The kitchen remains the heart of the home and according to REMODELING magazine’s Cost vs. Value report, custom cabinetry, kitchen islands, creative lighting, granite counters, and tiled backsplashes are among the top 10 kitchen features that add significant resale value to a home. “Lagom,” a Scandinavian ethos that encourages moderation, is poised to be a top influencer on interiors this year, picking up where “hygge,” the Danish concept of coziness, left off last winter. Clean-lined, midcentury modern–inspired styles are here to stay, and textured, dimensional tiles are a new way to punch up interior walls. When it comes to choosing colors for paints, cabinetry, and countertops, whites and off-whites remain the top-selling shades, offering design flexibility throughout the house.
Sherwin-Williams ColorMix Palettes
Sherwin-Williams revealed its 2017 color of the year: poised taupe—a brownish-gray that’s neither cool nor warm, and one of the hues in its annual color forecast inspired by societal trends. The Colormix Forecast’s four palettes, dubbed noir, holistic, intrepid and unbounded, each consist of 10 colors. Holistic (shown) features an earthy spectrum of natural hues that draw inspiration from evolving standards for sustainable design, according to the brand.
Walker Zanger Andalucía Collection
The new ceramic and terracotta Andalucía collection features dimensional, glazed terracotta tile inspired by details in classic Middle Eastern architecture. Offered in muted, patina shades of blue, gray, and white, each pattern balances delicate details with large-scale shapes. Recommended for use on interior surfaces, exterior walls and pool lines, the tiles are offered in various sizes and shapes including rectangles, squares, hexagons, and arabesques, as well as complementary trim pieces. The collection is currently available in a white gloss, and a spectrum of soft blue and gray hues are due in late spring. Designed with repeated, layered geometric shapes, each pattern balances delicate, filagree-like details on a larger scale tile to create a traditional look in a fresh, modern shape. The tiles are named for their ancient Moorish and European influences, such as Marrakesh, a hexagon overlaid by a dodecagon creating a geometric interaction, and Fez, a northeastern Moroccan city.
Armstrong Flooring PRYZM
Capable of combating any amount of moisture, Pryzm is a waterproof, hard-surface flooring solution that offers the warmth and texture of hardwood in a durable finish. Available in a variety of hues, the product offers commercial-grade protection against spills, dents, scratches, and scuffs that often come with active households. Its dense thermoplastic core enables a smooth installation over subfloors with irregularities—no acclimation time is needed for most installations.
Mohawk SmartStrand Forever Clean
Designed to be pet-, child-, and accident- proof, the SmartStrand Forever Clean carpet offers protection against pet-related accidents in its standard warranty. Its unique construction combines built-in stain protection with a nanotechnology spill shield and permanent stain resistance. Zero moisture absorption reduces pet odors in the carpet’s fiber, and the company’s Nanoloc technology shields the carpet from spills and enables quick and easy clean-up, the firm says.
Ann Sacks Liason Collection
Inspired by geometric patterns and architectural details, the Liaison tile collection comes in nine designs and an array of colors. Four of the designs—Doheny, Elm, Rexford, Canon, and Mulholland—are in-stock selections, and the remaining three—Laurel, Palm, and Hillcrest—are offered as made-to-order items.
A versatile choice for feature walls, floors, backsplashes, and fireplace surrounds, the textured marble stones are available in varied small and large tiles that can be customized. The collection can also be selected for outdoor installations, depending upon climate and method of installation.
Silestone White Essentials
On board with the all-white kitchen trend, the company is expanding its offerings of the shade with their new White Essentials line, which aims to add more light clarity to the kitchen and bath. The natural quartz selection features White Zeus Extreme, Classic White, White North, White Storm, Blanco Maple, and Iconic White, which the company is calling its whitest shade yet. Silestone says the collection is influenced by Scandinavian kitchens, which often feature a harmonious mix of wood accents and white countertops. For those who prefer an industrial style, the manufacturer suggests combining white surfaces with steel.
Top Knobs Devon Collection
Featuring knobs, decorative pulls, and appliance pulls from five of the company’s series (Allington, Brixton, Exeter, Kingsbridge and Torbay), the Devon collection introduces two new finishes: a rich, metallic ash gray, and honey bronze, a light brass tone. The collection’s 36 new decorative pieces are also available in black, brushed satin nickel, polished chrome, sable, and umbrio. Designed with an industrial-meets-classic aesthetic, the versatile pieces blend in with both traditional and modern settings. According to the company, the line is inspired by the character of harbor towns and villages in Devon County, the collection’s southwest England namesake. Eight knobs are offered in sizes ranging from 1 inch to 1⅞ inches. Twenty-seven pulls range from 3¾ inches to 12 inches, including two 12-inch appliance pulls, and one decorative backplate from the Brixton series measures 1⅜ inches.
Mannington Hardwood
The company’s three new hardwood flooring designs combine rustic elements with softer, less saturated hues for a clean, versatile aesthetic. Offered in refined Iberian Hazelwood, European-inspired Normandy Oak, or airy Norwegian Oak, the wide, long planks are subtly textured and distressed, then stained in a choice of on-trend colors that fit a variety of interiors, from classic to contemporary and urban to farmhouse. Each style is manufactured with Mannington’s patented performance coating with aluminum oxide that is designed to resist everyday scratches. The company says the three new additions will be debut at North American retailers this spring.
Wood-Mode Integrated Lighting
in response to the growing popularity of integrating LED lights in kitchens, Wood-Mode has launched a fully integrated custom lighting program in collaboration with Häfele LED solutions. Through a three-step process, the program assists designers with planning, selecting, and configuring designs for LED lighting, such as wire management, drivers, and switches. The program focuses on seven lighting applications including interior drawers, under cabinet, and interior cabinet.
Modern Surfaces
Earlier this year, sustainable surfacing brands Durat, IceStone, and PaperStone merged to become Modern Surfaces to offer alternative materials to designers seeking surface options more sustainable than granite and quartz. Durat surfaces, forged from 100% recycled, pre-consumer plastics, can be used to create hard-wearing surfaces such as countertops, desks, tables, and integrated sinks. IceStone, which is composed of 100% recycled glass and cement, offers UV-resistance and scratch resiliency in a variety of colors that range from soft, earthtone neutrals to rich, vibrant colors ideal for kitchen surfaces, baths, bar tops, or fireplace surrounds. Crafted from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and a proprietary, petroleum-free resin, durable PaperStone offers a clean, contemporary appearance, and is recommended for kitchen and bath uses.
Wilsonart Laminate
The company debuted 24 new laminate patterns this year: 20 stone-inspired designs and four woodgrain patterns, all featuring the brand’s antimicrobial technology that protects surfaces from odor- and stain-causing mold and mildew. The material’s Aeon scratch- and scuff-resistant technology won’t wash away or wear off, the firm says, producing an ideal laminate for countertops and work surfaces. The stone designs, like marmo bianco, feature veining and fracturing for a luxurious style.
Certainteed Habito Drywall
Claimed by the company to be the strongest and hardest ½-inch wallboard material on the market, CertainTeed’s Habito drywall eliminates the need for threaded anchors, and can support fixtures that weigh up to 30 pounds on a single #10 screw. It promises better acoustics and fewer repairs, and is a flexible alternative to traditional drywall for areas homeowners often redecorate, because it makes it easy to mount shelves, decor, and other fixtures.
Häfele Hanover Collection
as part of its studio collection of decorative accents, Häfele has produced three new wood collections of corbels, cabinet and vanity posts, and furniture feet: the contemporary Prairie, the traditional LaFayette and the transitional Hannover (shown). Available in maple, cherry, and oak, each style offers a variety of pieces and allows homeowners to add carved details to the wood-based designs. The collection also offers a decorative hardware line of handles in various finishes and sizes. hafele.com
PPG Paints
Inspired by the concept of “hygge”—the Danish trend focused on creating a cozy, restful environment inside the home—PPG’s lineup of warm and subtle neutrals are apt hues for this type of inviting sanctuary. The collection includes a clean white that serves as a mellow and reflective blank canvas; a soft gray; a slightly richer gray; a subtle shade of blue; and an organic blue-green option. In addition, the company selected violet verbena as its 2017 Color of the Year.
Geoluxe Surfaces
Composed of mineral-based materials, Geoluxe is inspired by the aesthetics of natural marble, but offers durability and simplified maintenance through a patented technology that includes stain, chemical, scratch, heat, and frost resistance. Designed for both indoor and outdoor applications, the stone is available in seven styles and two sizes: 24x48 inch, ⅜-inch-thick slabs, or 55x126 inch, ¾-inch-thick tiles. Nestos Gray (shown) features bands of gray with notes of white, silver and beige.
