According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, approximately 7.6 million kitchens were renovated in 2007 - that’s about 200,000 more than in 2006.  But kitchen renovation budgets are down. For year ending Aug ‘07, renovations costing more than $20K were down 40%  from the same period a year ealier… from $89B to $54B.

Remodeling Magazines’ 19th annual Cost Versus Value Survey offers some interesting stats and reasons why. Beyond the more obvious reasons - tighter budgets and difficulty securing home equity loans for many, lies another significant change. In 2005, a major remodel averaged  $43.8K and returned 91% of the amount spent at time of re-sale. In 2006, a major remodel averaged $54K and returned 80.4%. Even the less costly renovations are returning less.  In 2006, a minor kitchen remodel averaged $14.9 and returned 98.5%. In 2007, a minor kitchen remodel averaged $17.9K and returend 85.2%.

According to the The Wall Street Journal (Sept 14/07 The Kitchen Goes on a Diet), at least some Americans are losing their appetite for kitchen renovations of the most costly kind. Or at they’re becoming more aware that a high kitchen renovation budget offers no guarantees of a high re-sale return.

According to Domino magazine’s Black Book of Decorating (Aug ‘07 issue), here are a few of their “A-list” designers’ and architects’ favorite ‘mass retailer’ furniture picks:

. . . the 94″ Easton velvet sofa from Restoration Hardware . . .the Big Sur oak dining table from Crate and Barrel . . . the linen-fabric nailhead side chair from Pottery Barn . . . and the camelback upholstered headboard from Williams-Sonoma

It’s more than the sage-colored linen apartment sofa on the cover of ShopSmart magazine (Oct-Nov’07 issue) that makes a sofa green. The cover story references a double-page spread inside entitled Smart green shopping for your home.

The featured sofa (Lee Natural) is described as green- based on the water-based wood frame finish, soy-based cushions and recyled fiber pillows.  Accompanying cocktail tables are made of reclaimed wood.

In the same article, SmartShop recommends looking for the FSC (forest Stewardship Council) label, avoiding tropical or exotic hardwoods in favor of FSC-certified or reclaimed woods such as teak, mahogany, ipe and rubberwood. For upholstery, organically grown materials and formaldehyde-free glues and finishes are recommended.

Crate and Bareel’s Lockport Sofa is recommended, along with the ‘even greener’ solutions of shopping flea markets for secondhand solutions.

As conventional style categories like traditional, country and modern continue to blur, new categories are emerging that reference lifestyle or local character rather than strictly historic or city-country references like the conventional ’traditional’, ‘country’ and ‘contemporary’ categories

Cottage Living Magazine, in their monthly Get Comfortable section, suggest four categories to define consumer style today, including… Classic - featuring deep colors, turned legs, ornate, historic, shapely and stately pieces… Bold - featuring bright colors, strong materials, large and blocky statement pieces… Warm - featuring natural colors, rustic surfaces, wood and utilitarian pieces… and Simple - featuring lighter colors, utilitarian, modern and slim lined pieces. 

I can’t help seeing potential crossover between simple and warm, between classic and warm, and even between simple and bold… proving how difficult defining style is today!  Check out Cottage Livng’s approach and see what you think.

Many consumers are looking for a “soothing environment” at home to counteract their fast-paced life, and MSN’s Sept 4/07 home page featured 10 ways to get it. Here’s their advice… (1) create a view to the outdoors, (2) add flowers or natural texture indoors, (3) if you have one, play up your fireplace, (4) use white or very light tones liberally, (5) cluster bright colored items together, (6) warm the room with candles, (7) bring in more light and especially sunlight, (8) add room scents, (9) add soothing sounds, and (10) bring out family photos.

In their August 2007 issue, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine asked home owners what one major change they’d make in their home. The result? Of 6 published responses:

2 wanted a larger ‘cook’s’ kitchen to entertain more people… 1 wanted a front porch so they could turn their ’strangerhood back into a neighborhood’ … 1 wanted a laundry center and screened-in room … 1 wanted to downsize her home and add more built-in cabinets … 1 wanted to finish her basement as a hang-out for the kids and their friends.