Timeless Design
Renovating a kitchen or bath is an investment many only want to make once — by incorporating timeless design elements you can get the most mileage for your time and money. Investing in your house, whether you intend to sell or you’re working on creating your dream home, is a wise decision. Making large-scale changes like kitchen and bath renovations are major investments that most homeowners only want to — or are able to — make once.Getting the most for your money and time is always important, and is perhaps more so these days as our economy continues to fluctuate. When redesigning or building a new home, thinking about style choices that will always remain in fashion is a smart way to ensure that your money is being used in the best way possible.Trendy items that are all the rage right now might seem out of touch or just plain ugly in the years to come — you know, kind of like how avocado green, yellow or orange appliances, countertops, cabinets, floors, etc. were the big hit of the 1970s. Chances are now that you wouldn’t be caught dead living in house with a ’70s-theme kitchen.Trends always change, and unless you have the resources to change your house with them, making design choices that are likely to stay in style years down the line is a smart decision.And no one says that making the smart decision means you have to be boring, or that you have to sacrifice contemporary style and conveniences.“I think when you’re going to make a large investment, it’s nice to think of bringing in some classic elements,” says designer Susan Crupi of David R. Crupi, LLC.“Classic design is timeless — it’s something that never goes out of style. You can look at it and you’re not sure if it was designed years ago or today,” adds Crupi.A Hollis pair of homeowners recently presented a challenge to Crupi — The owners wanted a bathroom that could serve as a personal spa retreat. One wanted a look that was a little more contemporary, while the other wanted something more on the traditional side. The result is a master bathroom that manages to be both.Perhaps the best example of classic meets contemporary, and the focal point of the room, is the bathtub (pictured in the lead image above).At first glance, the tub evokes the claw-footed free-standing tubs of the past. If you were to look closer, you’d notice that this six-foot ThermoMasseur tub has all the modern bells and whistles, including 40 air jets, a heated backrest and a freestanding tub filler with a detachable hand wand. Situated in front of the window, the homeowners can feel as though they’re bathing outdoors in the privacy of their home.For all those perks, the tub retains a simplistic, timeless look.“The simplicity of it makes it quite stately and elegant,” says Crupi. “Classic design doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice modern conveniences.”Throughout the master retreat there are touches of ageless design. The blue paint, selected from a pigment in the tile, is both calming and a color that won’t fall out of style. The polished chrome faucets and accessories are simple, easy to use, and elegant. The countertops and shower bench are made out of a material that will never go out of style — granite.“If you pick something trendy,” says Crupi, “there’s the possibility that you may get tired of it.”But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid everything that’s new. Always, says Crupi, she works with clients to find what style — be it ultra modern or Shaker simplistic — fits their personalities and the rest of their homes.Matching up new renovations with the rest of your home is important — a reoccurring theme or style throughout the house is important.“We often find the best source for kitchen details is the rest of the house itself, especially if we are working with an older home,” says Susan Booth, principle designer and owner of Vintage Kitchens in Concord.A perfect example of finding inspiration in a older home is the bracket detail pictured at right. The designers at Vintage Kitchens were able to create the brackets from original architectural drawings of the home that had been passed down through the generations.If you’re not in possession of 100-year-old drawings or a early 1900s era home, never fear — traditional design is still very much a possibility.For Booth, inspiration is easily found in New Hampshire’s rich history: “Here in New Hampshire we are fortunate to have a long tradition of craftsmanship and architectural details that have evolved over generations. If we can keep our roots within the vocabulary of New England traditions, we can still branch out into a kitchen full of creative ideas, without losing the timeless qualities.”Just like with the master bathroom, classic design in a kitchen doesn’t mean doing without modern convenience — or, as Booth says, creative ideas.For instance, in the kitchen pictured at right, a very traditional painted kitchen in an 1800s Colonial home, was recently overhauled. Among the changes was the cabinetry — now the classic fluted columns on either side of the stove are pull-out cabinets.Combing the modern and creative with the timeless styles of the past, especially in New England and New Hampshire where architecture is an important part of our identity, is something that will never fall out of fashion. NHDavid R. Crupi, LLC34 Rindge Rd.Hollis(603) 465-7003Vintage Kitchens24 South St.Concord(603) 224-2854www.vintagekitchens.comDream Kitchens139 Daniel Webster Hwy.Nashua(603) 891-2916www.adreamkitchen.comCathy Kert InteriorsNashua(603) 595-6340www.cathykertinteriors.com
More places to find great kitchen and bath inspirationStandard of New England LLC100 West Rd. #1Portsmouth(603) 436-1400www.standardne.comThe Granite GroupVisit www.thegranitegroup.com or call(603) 224-1901 for New Hampshire locations.Baron’s Major Brands AppliancesVisit http://baronsmajorbrands.com or call1-800-350-2499 for New Hampshire locations.Traynor Glass43 Gigante Dr.Hampstead(603) 329-6668www.traynorglass.com3W Design Inc.7 Henniker St.Concord(603) 226-3399www.3wdesigninc.comSoca Design Studio1750 Elm St. #103Manchester(603) 626-0662www.socainteriordesign.comFixtures Etc.98 North Broadway, Unit 100, in Salem(603) 893-6777www.fixturesetc.comFrank Webb’s Bath Center25 Union Street in Manchester(603) 627-1590Artistic Tile650 Amherst Street Nashua, NH(603) 886-1920www.theperfecttile.comBarcelona TilePennichuck Square Route 101-A 707 Milford Rd.Merrimackinfo@barcelonatileandstone.com(603) 579-9600www.barcelonatileandstone.comBluefish Granite121 Lafayette Road, Unit 9North Hampton(603) 964-4120http://bluefishgranite.comTile Gallery522 Amherst Street Route 101ANashuawww.tilegalleryusa.comDovetailed KitchensThe Old City Hall,126 Daniel St.Portsmouth(603) 433-9918The Millyard in Manchester(603) 296-0401www.dovetailedkitchens.comNot Just Kitchens41 South River Rd.Bedford(603) 623-6650www.notjustkitchensnh.comLifestyles611 Breakfast Hill Crossing, Route 1Greenland(603) 964-177157 Route 101AAmherst(603) 627-9718www.lifestyleskitchens.comGranite State Cabinetry384 Route 101 in Bedford(603) 472-4080www.gscabinetry.comFred E. Varney Company4 Grove St.Wolfeboro Falls(603) 569-3565http://kitchensnh.comAnn Henderson Interiors16 West St.Keene(603) 357-7680www.ahinteriors.comGilberte Interiors Inc.10 Allen St.Hanover(603) 643-3727
