Sustainable Classics Demand Quality

Why I recommend staying with the classic design when remodeling your home. From time to time, I have been asked for my opinion when I have been hired to build an addition to a home. I tell the people that I can picture shapes and forms coming together. I can envision the flow of the home but I will not recommend or act like an interior decorator. I then explain that I do not tend to run with the latest fashion choices, which some pursue. I tend to be more practical. I like sustainable classic designs. I like the warmth and comfort of a classic home. While the latest trends fade as quickly as they appeared, a classic homes beauty remains timeless and is less demanding on the planet.

I take them, or ask them to go shopping. I instruct them to choose neutral tones, beige and warm taupe or greige, which are seen in nature. They can run into shades of greens, blues and browns and stay with these colors. I tell them how to build warmth by building tones upon tone and advise them to take their time in purchasing high quality natural materials with sustainability, instead of the synthetics being offered. I tend to lean heavily on staying with a central color to allow the textures and lines of the materials chosen to permeate the home.

I like stone flooring but precaution that it is high maintenance. That if they want tile stay with durable porcelain and run from (easily chipped and cracked) ceramic.   Still, when going for that timeless classic feel you need to have:

• Quality materials
• Quality workmanship
• Quality plan

The elegance of simplicity doesn’t just happen, it requires endless hours of research and planning. The flow of simplicity is many times the most complicated appearance to achieve. If you’re a DIY person, take the time to plan out the stages of the transformation. If your someone who will hire the work done, ask for references. Ask the stores where these craftsmen purchase their supplies to recommend a few craftsmen.

The fact remains that some 40% of the waste in our country’s landfill are discarded materials from construction or demolition debris. I do not like building something where the aim is the wow factor, I prefer the quiet ah of a quality home that fells comfortable.

• Look for products that will offer longevity. You want a home that will stand the test of time.
• Flexibility. The beauty of greige and taupe color scene is they adapt so easily to someone’s personal taste.
• Cabinetry that is stained, or painted, if need be. These take up about a third of the remodels budget. Purchase cabinetry that will last decades and save in the long run.
• There is the trend that the back splashes need to take your breath away. That a wow factor item. Avoid this and stay with the time-tested look of simple tile
• Many are incorporating marble in their design but marble can be challenging to maintain.
• Architectural Moldings and wooden floors can give that timeless appea,l but again they must be installed properly or they can be a disaster.

Lastly, we come to countertops. There are six types I’ll discuss.

• Quartz
• Wide color range
• Low-maintenance
• No sealing required
• It squared edges chip easily
• Higher grades are costly
• Granite
• Durable
• Natural beauty
• Rich array of colors
• Needs to be seal to be stain resistant
• Once a year sealing is required
• Marble
• Excellent baking station
• Deep veining and patterns
• Easily scratched and stained
• Costly
• Wood (Butcher Block)
• Good surface for chopping and meat prep
• Can last indefinitely if properly maintained
• Monthly treatment required
• Chopping blocks are still recommended
• Dents and scared easily
• Porcelain
• Hard wearing
• Low maintenance
• Can be trendy
• Chips and cracks
• Pricey
• Laminate
• Inexpensive
• Resist stains, and heat
• Looks fake
• Seams can be visible
• subject to water damage

Note: Images on this blog site are from a free source or taken by the author. No image or group of photos is intended to represent the people the author serves. The author does not care about Race (that is a politically correct term that he does not like because we are all of the same Race, the Human Race. He prefers the term ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender, marital status, disability, genetic information, national origin, source of income, Veteran or military status, ancestry, citizenship, primary language or immigration status.) He is a service provider for all people. We will all rise together when we band together and help one another. Joseph Erwin is a Real Estate Broker, DRE # O2131799, and a CA general contractor # B 696662. He’s a member of the CRMLS and The East Valley Association of Realtors located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California.