Trends for remodeling kitchens, baths highlighted at Home & Garden Show

By Jim Weiker

The Columbus Dispatch Sunday March 4, 2012 5:43 AM

Good is in, tubs are out, and steam is seeping into kitchens and baths.

As the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show wraps up today, we look at the latest in remodeling trends and products, many of them featured at the show.

Much of the remodeling industry continues to focus on baths and kitchens, especially kitchen makeovers that involve removing the wall between the kitchen and dining area. Kitchens overall are lightening up, with cleaner, brighter lines replacing the ornamented dark designs popular in the past.

Elaborate outdoor spaces are also powering the industry, with expansive patios and outdoor kitchens.

But financial caution is still the order of the day for many homeowners.

I think it will be a good year in all, but people will watch every dollar they spend, not only the size of the job but the materials they select for the job, said Bill Owens, president of Owens Construction in Powell.

Here is a closer look at some of the trends and materials catching on in central Ohio.

Granite, with a wider variety of colors and finishes, still rules kitchens, with quartz gaining steam and newcomers such as glass and copper making some headway. But, surprisingly, countertops landing in many central Ohio kitchens and baths are the old standbys of wood and marble.

See the article here:
Trends for remodeling kitchens, baths highlighted at Home & Garden Show