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Today's bathrooms are a fusion of The Jetsons, Feng Shui and Environmentalism.  Features like low-flow toilets and faucets are being combined with hands-free faucets.

Active Clean Air and Antibacterial Ceramic Tiles were introduced to Canada last year by Savoia Canada, a subsidiary of the Italian GranitiFiandre Group. The company says the tiles use titanium dioxide to "clean the air of polluting organic substances when either sunlight or artificial UVA rays shine on the tiles. This process transforms harmful organic and inorganic substances into compounds that are harmless to humans." They are available in about 40 different colours and various sizes.

A set of faucets and showers from American Standard has no levers or faucets, just four electronic control icons on the top surface of the tub filler or the bottom of the shower column. They are operated by regular C type batteries.

Kohler Canada offers waterless residential urinals and toilets with built-in bidet functions including a control for water temperature and flow, a deodorizer function, a heated seat and warm air drying at three speeds.

If you can never remember to turn on the bathroom fan during or after a shower, Broan-Nutone offers Humidity Sensing Fans, which automatically turn on when a rapid rise in humidity is detected in the room.

Waterfall faucets and shower towers that include everything from steam options to waterproof built-in speakers are other popular bathroom features. From an esthetic point of view, Japanese influences are being seen in the clean lines and open spaces in new bathrooms. Hotel-like "floating" vanities and wall-mounted toilets make small rooms look larger.

An American Standard survey in 2008 showed that 88 per cent of people were "doing a lot of things inside their bathrooms besides the obvious." More than one-third read their mail there, while 43 per cent used it to get dressed, 19 per cent listened to music on their radio or I-Pod, 15 per cent talked on the phone and three per cent watched TV.

Most people spent about 30 minutes in the bathroom a day, but 25 per cent of people reported spending at least an hour. Women spent more time there than men, and women with children spent more time in the shower than women without kids.

The biggest bathroom trends are in the "green" categories - conserving water and energy. In Ontario, the provincial government recently announced plans to mandate water-saving toilets. It says Ontarians currently use about 260 litres of water a day, nearly twice as much as people in Germany, the U.K. and the Netherlands. American Standard says Canadians use the second highest amount of water in the world, with 35 per cent of the water used for the shower and the tub, and 30 per cent used by flushing the toilet.

Many municipalities offer incentives to residents to switch from 13-litre toilets to energy efficient six-litre models. For example, Toronto residents can get $60 or $75 for making the move. Kohler Canada offers an interactive map that shows where you can get rebates in municipalities across the country.

In addition to dual-flush and low-flow toilets, water is being conserved in the bathroom with low-flow faucets and showerheads. Changing all three in a bathroom costs as little as $600, but provides long-term financial benefits.

Some other "green" trends include using cleaning materials that are ammonia-free (such as water and vinegar), and installing energy-efficient lighting. Kohler is using recycled and reclaimed materials in some of its cast-iron products.

RISMEDIA, June 21, 2010--After getting the keys to their new homes, many first-time home buyers are excited about finally having the opportunity to personalize and furnish their new house. From coffee tables to lamps to lawnmowers, many previous renters leap into homeownership quickly realizing they need to do a lot of shopping to truly make their house a home.

"Whether you've been living in an apartment with roommates or at your parents' house, many first-time home buyers do not think about all the items they need - and want - when moving into a house," said Janice Jones, national vice president of merchandising for Centex. "With a little advance planning and budgeting, you won't break the bank to make your new home a reflection of your personal style and showcase your pride of homeownership."

A typical home buyer spends $7,400 on average on their home, with more than half of that spent in the first year after purchase, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

While many first-time home buyers may not have accounted for this level of spending, Jones offers advice on what types of items to purchase to not only properly maintain and live in the home, but also more importantly, items that help new homeowners feel like their house is a place to call home.

Furnishings
Many first-time home buyers no longer want their parents' hand-me downs or their childhood bedroom set. From sofas to dining room sets to mattresses, many first-time home buyers take the opportunity to upgrade their furniture when moving into their new home. According to an NAHB study, furnishings take the biggest chunk of the budget, with home buyers spending about $5,300 on furnishings during the first year after buying a home. The biggest ticket item for all households is bedroom furnishings, including mattresses, followed by sofas.

Window coverings and linens
The median square footage of homes bought by first-time buyers is 1,500. So, you can only imagine the number of windows that need to be covered to ensure privacy and security in a home. According to Jones, many home buyers don't account for this in their budget. Additionally, with the ability to now paint and decorate each room, new homeowners find that they want to purchase new bedroom and bathroom linens.

Garden tools
Since a first-time home buyer is likely to move into their home from an apartment, unless you plan on hiring a gardener, you'll need to purchase a few basic gardening tools, including a lawnmower, garden hose, sprinkler and a shovel (for winter weather).

Flat screen TV
Let's face it: many home buyers shop for their new home while taking into a consideration how a new, large, flat-screen television set will be situated in their new living space. So, it's not a surprise that a hot item on the list is purchasing an entertainment system.

However, you'll also need the basic appliances in your new home: a refrigerator, stove, and a washer/dryer. While many existing homes usually come with appliances, a home buyer needs to take inventory as to whether or not they will need to purchase these big ticket items before they purchase their new bedroom set.

Basic tool kit
Every home needs a well-stocked tool box. Many home improvement stores have sets you can purchase, but make sure it includes a hammer, screw drivers, pliers, wrenches, a tape measure and a staple gun.

"My biggest piece of advice for new home buyers is to be creative and tackle this room by room," said Jones. "For example, after outfitting your home with the necessary items--like appliances and window coverings--move on to the kitchen and family room spaces. This area is the heart of your home where everyone gathers.

"Look for great values on the items you need that will be utilized most. Take your time and get the feel of how you want to use each space for both function and enjoyment. This strategy allows homeowners to stage their purchases and add new furnishings as the budget allows. Decorating your new home should be fun and a reflection of your personal

The American house of 2020 will likely be smaller, smarter, more urban and efficient.

It might not look like a space-age Jetsons set, but just as iPhones and Google have revolutionized personal computing, technology will boost home IQ.

More houses will have energy meters that track power usage and program appliances to run when electric rates are lowest.

Houses also will waste less energy because they'll have better insulation and windows.

The house of the future will be built significantly "tighter," says Nate Kredich of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Builders already are including basic features such as programmable thermostats, found a January survey by the National Association of Home Builders. "It's not rocket science, but it helps control energy costs," says NAHB's Stephen Mellmen. "Affordability is driving these decisions."

Perhaps the most obvious change will be home size. Of builders surveyed, 96% plan to build smaller. The trend began with upscale buyers before the recession and has intensified, says Kermit Baker of Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

A new single-family U.S. house averaged 2,373 square feet last year, down from 2,507 in 2007, according to Census Bureau data.

Production builders such as Pulte are reducing the average size of their new models and offering more eco-features such as solar panels. KB Homes is now offering pre-wiring for electric vehicle charging stations.

A decade ago, Kredich says, low VOC (volatile organic compound) house paints were pricey, but costs have come down.

"We can expect to see the same phenomenon in categories such as photovoltaic (solar) technology where costs to date have been largely prohibitive," he says.

Alex Wilson, executive editor of BuildingGreen, a Vermont-based company that publishes books and an online newsletter, expects lower prices and improved performance to make solar water heaters and rooftop panels "very common" by 2020, used in at least 30% of new houses. Other changes he sees:

•Smart growth. More houses and apartments will be built in areas close to public transit, walkways and bike paths.

The Environmental Protection Agency says house-building permits more than doubled since 2000 in the downtowns and close-in suburbs of 26 of the nation's largest metro areas.

•LED lighting. This will gain market share but is still costlier than compact fluorescent.

•Ductless heating. Geothermal heat pumps will be replaced by lower-cost, ductless "mini-split" air-source heat pumps, predicts Wilson. He says ductless technology is improving, and while most manufacturers are now Japanese, more U.S. firms will move into the market.

•Efficient windows. Triple-glazed, low-emissive windows will become common, accounting for up to a third of sales in colder climates. It also will become common to "tune" windows, Wilson says, by using different glass on a home's south side than on its east or west.

Many salespeople and stagers say neutral beige or off-white walls are what sells listings--but a touch of color may be just what you need to revive buyers' interest in a languishing listing. And although beige may offend no one, the right color on a home's walls or spotlighted in the accessories can trigger positive physiological and psychological responses among potential buyers.

 

"Color can change how you feel; it has an instantaneous effect," says design psychologist Constance Forrest, principal of Forrest Painter Design in Venice, Calif., who incorporates psychological techniques in the design of interior spaces. "If people walk into a space and sense a warm color, they immediately get a sense of a cozy home and will probably reactive positively."

 

White, on the other hand, "makes the room invisible," Forrest says. "White is a missed opportunity to create a feeling in the space. It doesn't help buyers imagine themselves in the home." (Not to mention, in Asian cultures, white is associated with death and can add a certain doom to listings.) Forrest says that pastel colors--which have a mostly white base--can have a similar, invisible effect.

 

Responsive Hues

 

Research on color responses has shown that warm colors, such as orange and red, can increase excitement and energy, whereas cooler hues, such as blue, can be calming and relaxing. Indeed, research shows color can influence a person's senses--even body temperature--and make scenes more memorable. Knowing the responses colors evoke offers insight into where and when you should use color in a home to appeal to buyers.

 

Go Green, Cautiously

 

"Many studies have been done on the impact of color in packaging on purchasing decisions," says Debbie Zimmer, spokeswoman for The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute, a research and education group on decorating and color techniques. "You can take that concept of color and paint and apply it to a space to create a mood in a home."

 

So what color can lift a buyer's spirits? The most potent color is green, Forrest says. In light-spectrum research that focused on treatments for season affective disorder, she notes, subjects exposed to green colors were in better moods than any of the other subjects tested.

 

But before you start splashing green on all your listings, take caution. Not all shades of green are a safe bet. For example, lime greens--or any yellows with green undertones--"look sickly to most buyers," says interior designer Jeanette Fisher, an author of 22 books on design psychology. Fisher has used color techniques to redo and sell homes for more than 20 years. Medium shades of green such as sage--and bedrooms painted in creamy tones of green--can be a good choice, she says. Fisher also favors buttery yellows inside and out, complemented with white trim accents.

4 Steps to Selecting a Color

 

To select the right color for each room of your listing, design experts recommend applying the following strategies.

 

1. Coordinate with the room's use. Certain colors lend themselves to certain activities. For example, studies show that kitchen and dining areas painted in "food colors"--such as celery green or red--increase appetite, whereas blue acts as an appetite suppressant. On the other hand, the tranquility evoked by blue makes it ideal for bedrooms, Fisher says.

 

2. Paint for the season. Color directly impacts your senses, making a room's temperature feel cooler or warmer. For example, bring in warm colors--such as reds, oranges, and yellows--in the fall and winter months, and cooler colors--greens, blues, and purples--during the spring and summer. To save yourself some hassle, paint just one accent wall in a room, or bring out the season-appropriate colors using accessories such as throw pillows or a vase of flowers.

 

3. Use a directional approach. The effect of color on perceived temperature also means that the direction a room faces should influence color choices. North-facing rooms may not feel as warm and inviting to buyers because they don't get as much sunlight, an impression that can be lessened by painting them a warm color. "If you have a very warm room that is facing south, and you want to cool it or calm it down, use cooler hues of blue or green," Zimmer suggests.

 

4. Harmonize. You can also use color to provide a sense of order and balance in a home. Using variations of the same color throughout a house, rather than painting every room a different, contrasting color, provides a sense of flow from one room to another and doesn't distract buyers' eyes.

 

"Color is always a very personal choice," Zimmer adds. "So color choices can be subtle. A color doesn't have to be McDonald's yellow or Red Roof Inn red to be noticed. It can be a derivative or a subtle tint or tone of those particular colors to create the warming effect buyers want in a home."

Use the Color Wheel to Mix & Match

 

Remember learning about the color wheel in grade school? This 12-step circular rainbow graphic shows the relationship among colors and can serve as a helpful guide in choosing what colors to mix and match in a home to get pleasing results. Here's a refresher. 

 

The color wheel is broken down into three main categories: primary (foundation colors used to create all other colors), secondary (created by combining two of the primary colors), and tertiary (formed by combining a primary and an adjacent secondary color). 

 

To mix and match colors easily, you can use the color wheel in one of two ways:

 

1. Complementary Two colors that fall directly opposite one another on the color wheel (e.g. red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple). They create a maximum contrast and can be visually intense.

 

2. Analogous Color schemes that consist of any three colors located side by side on the color wheel (e.g. yellow, yellow-orange, and orange). One of the three colors usually dominates. This color scheme can add depth and energy to a room.

 

Source: Color Matters, www.colormatters.com

Granite countertops may still impress some buyers, but true trendsetters will be on the lookout for kitchens that incorporate some of the hottest new materials. A countertop, backsplash, or floor in a dazzling material may be just what's needed to give a room a stylish kick and spur a sale.

 

Help educate home owners about the growing list of new possibilities, including the pros and cons of various materials. A trendy look carries a lot of weight, but durability, affordability, and sustainability also count.  

 

We asked design experts about the hottest and freshest materials, and some old favorites, that can make a big impact in the kitchen. While some experts agreed, we found some differing opinions on each material's pros and cons. Because every buyer's style is different, urge clients to study materials up close and find the answers to these key questions:

 

• How durable is it?
• Will it stain or crack?
• Does it need to be sealed and resealed? How often?
• Is it eco-friendly?
• Does it come in slabs, tiles, or both?
• What surface is most suitable for this material?
• How much does it cost to buy, install, and maintain?

 

Another piece of advice from the experts: For the best overall look in a kitchen, never use a material as the only surface in a room. "Too much of any single material loses freshness," says designer Mick de Giulio of DeGiulio Kitchens & Bath in Chicago and Wilmette, Ill.

 

 

Materials to Consider

 

Concrete. Simple, clean, and durable, this material can be left rough or honed, stained a color, edged with another material, and sealed, although some scratches and cracking may be inevitable, says designer Mariette Barsoum of Divine Kitchens in Westboro, Ma. It can also be sculpted into curved countertops. Installation is critical, and the best installers charge top dollar, often $275 a square foot, says Arthur Tanturri, owner of Chelsea Fine Custom Kitchens in New York. Do-it-yourselfers can cut costs by following advice from Fu-Tung Cheng's book, Concrete Countertops Made Simple (The Taunton Press, 2008).

 

Quartz. Engineered or manmade quartz, plus epoxy resins, creates the material that's generically referred to as quartz. However, manufacturers also call it by other names: Cambria, Zodiaq, CaesarStone, and Silestone. Colors vary, but all are durable and heat resistant. "It provides the look of granite but doesn't have that material's porosity," says Naperville, Ill., designer Joan M. Kaufman. It can also be heated and molded into curved shapes, says Doug Durbin, owner of NuHaus, a design firm in Highland Park, Ill. Some designers like the consistency of its colors and patterns; others think such sameness looks unnatural and prefer the one-of-a-kind slabs of granite and marble. Price varies by the slab selected, but it can be more costly than a natural stone.

 

Bamboo. Eco-friendly, warm, and available in different hues, bamboo is a durable wood-like grass that can be used on any surface. It requires sealing. When it comes to price, top-notch bamboos rival high-quality granites. Jeff Taub, owner of Kittle's Flooring Co. in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., favors the strength of strand bamboo, which is mixed with resin and compressed.

 

Mosaic glass tiles. A hot contender for today's favorite material, these tiles are sustainable and available in a rainbow of colors, textures, and sizes. They can be mixed with metal, stone, and ceramic tiles for a rich textural display. The downside is price, which is comparable with or even greater than nice granite. Chicago designer David Kaufman likes to use glass tiles in different sizes and shapes on a backsplash.

 

IceStone. Recycled glass is mixed with cement to create IceStone, a speckled surface that's chip- and burn-proof, although four times costlier than good granites.   

 

Hardwood. Wood will always be a classic, but the specific species, colors, and widths come and go in popularity. Frank Fontana, host of HGTV's "Design on a Dime" currently prefers darker woods such as Brazilian cherry, walnut, mahogany, and oak-stained ebony. He also likes wide planks that mimic barn floorboards. New York designer Jeani Ziering thinks reclaimed teak flooring is an elegant must-have.

 

Cork. Though it may look soft, this flooring material wears like wood and can be dyed with vibrant reds, greens, blues. It's also affordable, at $15 to $18 a square foot.

 

PaperStone. Durable and sustainable, PaperStone is made from layers of recycled paper in thicknesses of ¾-inch to 11/4-inch, making it suitable for countertops. Edges can be varied. Price is comparable to lower-end granites but a seasoned installer is essential, says Durbin.

 

Marble. Another natural material, marble's elegance comes from its classic simplicity, quiet color range, and subtle veining. Though durable, it's more porous than granite and requires periodic sealings, says David Kaufman. Some consider it a bad choice for kitchen counters, but Fontana thinks it's fine as long as home owners understand how to care for it. Honing helps it withstand wear, says Jacksonville, Fla., designer Judith Sisler Johnson. Prices can be steep, $10 to $12 per square foot compared with $8 to $10 per square foot for granite that's the same size and comparable quality, and $6 to $10 for porcelain, says Tanturri. A middle-grade granite slab might run $80 to $110 installed; the same size and quality marble slab would be 15 percent more.  

 

Granite. Like a black cocktail dress, granite will never go out of style, even if it is something that everybody owns. This natural material looks freshest when selected in a classic color or one of the newer but low-key variations such as sky pearl or black with gold or tan veining. Available in tiny mosaics, larger tiles, and slabs, its price depends on the thickness, edging, color, and finish. Prices have dropped due to competition, though newer granites like rainforest green may still run as high as $250 per square foot, says Durbin.

 

Other Options to Consider. Though less popular, and on the pricey side, here are some other materials our experts mentioned:  

 

• Alkemi. This recycled metal with a jewel-like look shimmers and is resistant to chipping.
• Copper. It offers an elegant sheen, but it can ding, so you may be safer using this material on walls rather than counters or floors.
• Leather tiles. Another green material, these tiles offer a rich dramatic look in a variety of skins such as ostrich and vibrant colors like orange.
• Pyrolave. A French-made glazed Volvic lava stone that's hard, heat resistant, and comes in vibrant tones can cost $250 a square foot and require a seam because of its lengths.
• Seeta. Environmentally-friendly and made by Torzo Surfaces from sunflower seed hulls, this material is durable, green, 100-percent formaldehyde free, and available in multiple colors and patterns. It costs about the same as an average-priced granite does, says Los Angeles designer Sarah Barnard. 
  

Article from Realtor Magazine

LAS VEGAS - Some home features don't stay popular forever. More homes are inching away from incorporating the following home features, according to recent consumer preference surveys.

1. Fireplaces: The fireplace skyrocketed in importance in homes in 1991 with 62 percent of new homes having one or more. But the number has steadily been decreasing ever since. In 2007, the number dropped to 51 percent.

2. Carpet: While 54 percent of homes still have carpet floors, the number is decreasing and hardwood floors are taking their place. Vinyl and ceramic tile flooring also are being bypassed more by buyers. Seventeen percent of new homes contain hardwood floors throughout the entire house.

3. Living room: These once-decorative centerpieces of homes are slowly vanishing from newer homes. Thirty-four percent of consumers say they're willing to buy a home without a living room.

4. Desks in the kitchen: These desks were once looked at as great storage areas but they're often too small and quickly become clutter spaces in a home, said Gayle Butler, editor in chief of Better Homes and Gardens. Instead, more consumers say they prefer larger desks in or near the family room--equipped with a messaging center--where they can keep an eye on their kids as they work on the computer.

5. Skylights: The little windows that allow natural light to seep into a home from above are falling out of style. Only 10 percent of new homes will include them this year, a continuing downward spiral for skylights.

6. Upscale kitchen finishes: Granite countertops are slowly becoming less desirable among buyers who are now moving toward affordable, low-maintenance laminate countertops--which tend to last longer and now come in various styles.

Have a home to sell that has one of the following features?  You're in luck because you've just added value to your home if you Realtor knows these are the in-demand features for potential buyers!

Top 5 Kitchen Features
1. Walk in pantry: 86 percent
2. Island work area: 80 percent
3. Special use storage (custom made for appliances): 66 percent
4. Built-in microwave: 72 percent
5. Drinking water filtration: 69 percent

Top 5 Bathroom Features
1. Linen closet: 89 percent
2. Exhaust fan: 88 percent
3. Separate shower enclosure: 79 percent
4. Water temperature control: 79 percent
5. Whirlpool tub: 66 percent

Top 5 Specialty Areas
1. Laundry room: 92 percent
2. Dining room: 81 percent
3. Home office: 71 percent
4. Den/library: 63 percent
5. Sun room: 53 percent

Top 5 Decorative Features
1. Ceiling fan: 83 percent
2. Built-in shelving: 70 percent
3. Window seats: 51 percent
4. Woodburning fireplace: 48 percent
5. Gas fireplace: 48 percent

Top 5 Community Features Preferred
1. Walking/jogging trails: 49 percent
2. Park area: 46 percent
3. Outdoor swimming pool: 39 percent
4. Lake: 34 percent
5. Playgrounds: 32 percent