1. Instagram Worthy Spice and Pantry Organization

An organized kitchen is like a well-curated wardrobe: it automatically boosts your confidence in and enjoyment of mundane tasks like cooking. Aside from the general layout of cabinets, countertops, and appliances, two of the biggest elements of a well-organized kitchen are the spice rack and the pantry, simply because these are two of the most utilized kitchen zones. Below you’ll find five creative ideas for how to store spices and four of the most practical pantry configuration trends in home renovations today:

Spice Storage Ideas

• Add a slim rolling rack pull-out to your upper, lower, or pantry cabinetry.
• Designate one kitchen drawer in which to arrange spices horizontally.
• Invest in a wine-rack style diamond spice storage unit that can be mounted on the wall or placed on a countertop.
• Install a magnetized spice rack wall mount with magnetically labeled spice containers.
• Ask your contractor to add custom shelving for spices – tiered or shallow – in your kitchen or pantry.

Next Level Pantry Trends

• Build a walk-in pantry with ample open shelving to facilitate quick access to all food items.
• Install frosted glass doors or a sliding barn door to tastefully conceal food items.
• Create a full vertical cabinet to house brooms, mops, trash bags, and other cleaning items you’ll want handy while also out of sight.
• Make space for a baking station with lower than standard countertops where you can knead dough and prep dishes before serving them to guests.

2. The Cheeky Clean Bathroom Renovation Feature

In our experience remodeling high-end homes in Boston, there’s one feature homeowners repeatedly request for their bathroom remodel: an integrated bidet toilet seat. What is a bidet toilet seat? Essentially, a bidet toilet seat comes with a water feature that aids sanitation; this may be used either with or instead of toilet paper. Some bidets also come with features like water heaters, warm air dryers, heated seats, and memory settings.

While bidets are less common in the United States, they are used widely throughout other countries, especially in Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Venezuela, and Japan. Bidets offer multiple advantages, so their growing popularity in the U.S. is easy to understand. Bidets provide more thorough cleaning and better personal hygiene, especially for women, and they are also more comfortable for your skin. 

Additionally, bidets offer several monetary and environmental benefits by reducing toilet paper waste, reducing the likelihood of clogged plumbing, and reducing environmentally damaging toilet paper manufacturing processes. According to bidet.org, 3 million tons of toilet paper are consumed every year by Americans, which requires felling 54 million trees. Using bidets is an easy and effective way to reduce this consumption. You can learn more about bidet advantages here and peruse bidet toilet combinations here.

3. Everybody Loves a Clean Pup!

If you have an adventurous dog (or just a well-groomed pooch), chances are you’ll need a quick and easy way to rinse and shampoo them after their outdoor explorations. To make puppy hygiene easy, many Boston homeowners are now incorporating dog baths into their laundry rooms or mudrooms. 

Installing a dog bath in the laundry room is usually easy since there’s already plumbing in place for the washing machine and/or an adjacent sink. The installation may take a little more planning in the mudroom, but the location is highly convenient since it’s an easy way to clean your dog at a backdoor entryway. Dog baths may be independent, freestanding units or built-in mini baths with a showerhead, so be sure to view your options to find the best solution for you and your pup.

This nuanced balance of classic and contemporary was also achieved at a detailed level in areas like kitchen cabinet hardware and master bathroom lighting. The result is a pleasingly balanced home with a modern feel and striking architectural features that unite the best of classic and modern home design.

Are you ready to modernize your home? Don’t hesitate to reach out to tell us about your project goals.