Ed. Note: The following content was provided by Surfaces USA, who is a client of KHTS AM-1220.
Jen Brown, a Santa Clarita interior designer and owner of the full-service design center Surfaces USA, named two of the latest trends in Santa Clarita Valley homes during a recent interview with KHTS AM-1220.
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Flooring: Wood Porcelain Planks
There’s been a dramatic rise in wood porcelain planks over the last few years, according to Brown, because of its innovative ability to resemble hardwood while providing the durability of porcelain.
“Wood porcelain planks are amazing,” Brown said. “We are actually ripping out real wood or laminate floors and putting in the wood porcelain planks… They’re so realistic looking, and when they’re installed properly you can’t get a better look.”
Because the planks are made with high definition printers, product manufacturers are able to mimic the look of hardwood by adding knotting, grain and even texture with a minimal grout line.
“You get the look of the real wood, but you get the upkeep of a porcelain floor,” Brown explained. “So no staining, no gouging, no denting, no worries if water spills on it. You’re not going to get buckling and have to redo all your floors.”
Related: Surfaces USA Team Handles Home Remodels From Start To Finish
Brown recommends wood porcelain planks for homeowners with an active lifestyle, kids or pets because it won’t be scratched by pet nails or kids’ toys, and water damage will be a thing of the past.
“We just recently bought a puppy,” Brown added. “We do have wood in our house right now, and I see nail marks. She also likes to swim in her water bowl, so … I’ve noticed a couple areas where her water bowl is, there’s a little bit of buckling even if I put a mat or something down below it. So my lifestyle is more conducive to having tile.”
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.Countertops: Quartz
While the majority of SCV homeowners used to choose granite over any other type of material for their countertops, the simplicity of quartz has made it a contender for the top pick during kitchen and bathroom remodels.
“We’re swaying more towards an equal balance of granite and quartz,” Brown said. “People want the solid surface, they want the look of marble, they want something more contemporary. They’re going with the quartz versus the busyness or the variations you get in granite.”
To complement the simple elegance of quartz countertops, Brown recommends something a little more vibrant for the backsplash to make the kitchen “pop.”
“If you want a wow factor in your kitchen, you don’t have to have the wow factor on your countertop and your backsplash,” she said. “Make your backsplash your accent piece. It’s easy enough, it’s cost-effective enough that if in three years things do change or in five years your taste changes … your backsplash is easy enough to pull off and redo without changing the bones of your kitchen.”
The average homeowner will redecorate every five to seven years, Brown added, so going simpler with countertops and “more exciting” with the backsplash is the best way to leave the option open to change the kitchen’s look in the future.
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