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Designing Kitchens for a Healthy Lifestyle

As we approach the second anniversary of Covid-19 entering our lives, it feels appropriate to reflect on how we can become the best, healthiest version of ourselves. Since the start of the pandemic, the focus on our wellness has been more prevalent than ever. Most of the general healthy living advice is simple: eat mostly whole & nutritious foods, exercise regularly, sleep well, and manage stress.

 

In recent years, Americans have stopped cooking at home and it is costing us. Obesity has been labeled an epidemic in the United States since the 1990’s. It is a multifaceted issue with many contributing factors, but the most important ones include lack of activity, a shift in dietary patterns (including larger portion sizes and unprecedented food marketing), and overall busier family lives than ever before. This combination of factors has made healthy, homemade meals feel out of reach for most families. To make matters worse, only 10% of American enjoy cooking!

 

Sometimes, the most daunting part of cooking a meal includes the preparation and cleanup. Luckily, there are many products available to simplify the process. The goal is to make your kitchen work for you, instead of fighting it! Here are a few examples of how you can accomplish just that:

 

●      Ensure your countertops stay free of clutter to allow you to start preparing food right away.

●      Keep spices close by! You can keep them organized in a drawer, a cabinet, or inside of a door to easily add flavor to every meal. Balanced, healthy meals do not have to be boring or bland!

●      Designate about an hour of your time for preparing produce once a week. This allows your family to have washed, sliced, and ready-to-eat snacks.

●      Put knives, utensils, and cutting boards in the same spot with this handy organizer.

●      Take another step out of the preparation process with this cutting board drawer. There is a stopper that can be removed to allow you to dispose of the produce scraps directly into the trash bin below.

●      Keep pots and pans organized so you can always access exactly what you need without needing to rearrange your entire cabinet.

●      Finally, restore some order to your kitchen by organizing your food storage containers! Having accessible bases and lids means no more rummaging around for a place to keep your leftovers.

 

These products will all help simplify the food preparation process, from start to finish. Some other helpful tips: maximize storage space and visibility with clear plastic containers in your refrigerator and pantry, plan out your weekly meals to simplify grocery shopping, and (most importantly) be realistic. If you eat out for most meals right now, then gradually scale that number back each week. Remember, perfect inconsistency is better than inconsistent perfection when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle. The foundation of these good habits begins in the kitchen.

 

What are your favorite tips for healthy eating? Do you have any must-have products for preparing meals at home?

Design Trends for 2022

Over the years, we have witnessed some really great design trends that lasted many years, and some that couldn’t go out of style fast enough. 2022 is quickly approaching, and with that, let's look at some of the anticipated trends for kitchen design.  

 

Minimalism has been a popular trend for the last few years, and it looks like it's going to be here to stay for a while. In the kitchen, this looks like: 

 

  • Clean, clutter-free counter spaces. We are going to see more “appliance garages” to hide small appliances like the toaster and air fryer.  

  • Additionally, disguising major appliances as cabinets will continue to gain popularity.  

  • In more modern kitchens, hardware will be phased out. Push-to-open cabinets may start to replace the need for traditional cabinet pulls. 

  • Large, organized pantries are in high demand, for both new builds and home renovations.  

  • In a true pursuit of minimalism, open shelves are starting to replace traditional upper cabinets in the kitchen. They give the kitchen a more light and airy appearance, as opposed to the closed-off feeling cabinets can give in a small space. These shelves can be a way to decorate functionally, displaying dishes, cookware, or ingredients, or recipe books. 

 

Colors + Finishes for the Kitchen 

 

Everyone has their own unique taste when it comes to the finishing touches of their kitchens, but here are some of the popular trends for 2022: 

  • White cabinets will continue to be a timeless choice, but natural wood finishes and neutral colors will increase in popularity 

  • Sage green and midnight blue will be in high demand 

  • Matte finishes are preferred for their clean look 

  • Wood floors (especially low maintenance options such as luxury vinyl plank) and large tiles will continue to be consumers’ top picks  

  • Two tone cabinets! Typically white or a light neutral on upper cabinets, and a darker or bolder color on the lower ones 

  • Darker finishes for faucets + cabinet pulls 

  • Contrasting colors throughout the room to avoid the “sterile” appearance of one color 

 

Trends That Apply to the Whole House:  

 

  • Open concept floor plans have been around for a while now, but many homes are taking it a step further to create a seamless flow from room to room. Many homeowners are phasing out their L-shaped kitchen in favor of a more linear layout,  further blurring the boundaries of each “room”.  

  • Smart home technology is continuing to integrate into every room of the house, and the kitchen is no exception. Smart refrigerators, Wi-Fi-enabled coffee machines, app-controlled meat thermometers, toothbrushes that let you know how well you brush, the list goes on and on!   

  • Sustainable sourcing/eco-friendly products and materials will be more important than ever for many consumers.  

  • Biophilic design- According to Metropolis Magazine, “Biophilic design seeks to connect our inherent need to affiliate with nature in the modern built environment. An extension of the theory of biophilia, biophilic design recognizes that our species has evolved for more than 99% of its history in adaptive response to the natural world and not to human created or artificial forces. We became biologically encoded to associate with natural features and processes. Rather than being vestigial – or relevant to a world that no longer exists – this need is thought to remain instrumental to people’s physical and mental health, fitness, and wellbeing”. This can easily be achieved through houseplants, natural lighting, and good ventilation indoors.  

 

KBIS 2019 Recap

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is North America’s largest trade show dedicated to all aspects of kitchen and bath design. This annual show is truly where the heart of the industry is able to meet, collaborate and show everyone what they’re made of. Everyone here at Rev-A-Shelf and Tresco Lighting had an amazing show and are thankful for everyone who came by to experience our product line.

Couldn’t make it to the show? Well, you’re in luck! Here’s a recap of every exciting moment we were able to experience.

Overview

Show attendees explore our Transparent kitchen

Show attendees explore our Transparent kitchen

Our 2019 booth consisted of 12 unique displays to highlight the versatility and accessibility of our vast array of products, designed to seamlessly organize any room in the home.

Mixed throughout our displays were 15+ brand new and newly re-designed products. You can check out all of them at the bottom of this post!

Our two new show displays include our Grabill Cabinets kitchen and our luxurious Sollid Cabinetry master closet/coffee bar. Both of these displays are topped with beautiful Cambria countertops. What makes these newcomers so stunning are the two illuminated backsplashes using Tresco Lighting’s ETCH panel.

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Above is our Grabill Cabinets kitchen display with illuminated Decotone backsplash.

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Above is our Sollid Cabinetry master closet display with illuminated 3form backsplash.

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Also on display was this Cosma prototype light rail.

Want to see the entire booth? Check out our show recap video above!

Homes For Our Troops

On Tuesday, February 19th we held a special booth signing announcing a three-year national sponsorship deal to partner with the nonprofit organization Homes for Our Troops (HFOT).

Homes for Our Troops builds specially adapted, mortgage-free homes nationwide for severely injured veterans of post 9/11 to enable them to rebuild their lives. This agreement continues the partnership between our two organizations where we will work with HFOT’s veterans and general contractors to furnish all homes with cabinet storage and organization accessories, providing optimal accessibility for veteran home recipients.

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Living In Place

Throughout the show, our very own Shari McPeek, Advertising and PR Manager, and Mary Holz , OEM Channel Manager, gave tours of our Certified Living in Place Products including our 5PD Pulldown and blind corner units. The Living in Place Institute blends the best principles of aging in place, accessibility and universal design to make all homes accessible, comfortable and safer for everyone.

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Continuing our partnership with Living in Place, Our very own Michael Marcumwas able to sit on this year's Live Panel Presentations to speak about "Kitchen & Bathroom Trends for Living In Place" and "Ergonomics in ALL Kitchens for Living In Place.” Tresco’s Chris Tressalso sat on the live panel to discuss "Lighting & Color for Living In Place."

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#KBTribeChat

Every Wednesday at 2pm, we participate in a live Twitter chat called #KBtribechat where kitchen and bath industry professionals discuss trends and share knowledge. The KBIS chat is extra special because we all get to meet, participate together and walk through the show. Since we are a sponsor of the chat, Amber Fowler, Content Marketing Associate, was able to give a booth tour of our new products and answer questions from the 30+ participants.

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Tresco Lighting’s Top Project

Another exciting event is Tresco’s announcement of the first ever Top Project winner. Professional photography, a social media spotlight, a $500 Visa Gift Card and bragging rights were awarded to John Zembrodt of Stanton Millwork for his work on The Cincinnatian Hotel.

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New American Home

Last, but certainly not least, we were proud to inform all of our visitors of our numerous products featured in the off-site New American Home. The New American Home 2019 was presented by The National Association of Home Builders and the Leading Supplier Council members to showcase the technological advancements the housing industry has to offer. We are honored to have had some of our products showcased alongside names like Caesarstone, LG and Kohler. 

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Explore all of our new and existing products over at

Rev-A-Buzz.com