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The New Normal: Home Living Trends of The Future

What does “home” mean to you? Many of the changes brought by the past year have centered on how we use our homes — and some of those changes have been for the better. Antelope Valley homeowners are discovering the benefits and conveniences of working, entertaining, and caring for loved ones right at home. Unsurprisingly, this shift is reflected in kitchen, bathroom, and whole-home remodeling trends, like: 

High-End Home Offices

While some people are heading back to the office, many workplaces allow or even suggest their employees continue to work from home. The kitchen table may have been an acceptable temporary office space, but an elegantly appointed in-home office is a much better long-term solution. Homeowners are converting rooms to create a quiet, separate area where they can be uninterrupted and productive. For families with extra space in their backyards, building a free-standing home office creates a distinct separation between home and work. 

Multi-Generational Homes

Remodeling for accessibility helps senior homeowners stay in their home longer — and allows for multi-generational living. Additions with full suites give family members their own space while staying close. Separate entrances, bathrooms, and even kitchens balance privacy and togetherness. 

At-Home Retreats

This past year saw many of us rediscovering the great outdoors. Homeowners are turning their backyards into stunning, resort-like escapes perfect for entertaining or just relaxing. Fire pits, outdoor kitchens, and conversation areas lead the trend, but there’s no limit to your oasis — and no reservations required! 

State-Of-The-Art Kitchens

In the past year, many homeowners spent more time than usual in their kitchens. As home chefs get more familiar with what they want and need to create their perfect plat du jour, updates such as large center islands, deluxe pantries, specialty storage, and the latest high-tech appliances are in demand. 

Our lives are constantly evolving, and it makes sense that our homes also need to adapt. Does your house suit your lifestyle? Contact us today, and we’ll help you update your home to meet your current and future needs. 

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Go for Gold: Using Gold Finishes in Your Home

Gold and brass finishes are making a comeback in a big way. Not to be confused with the shiny, loud gold of the ‘80s, modern gold is understated and brings fresh elegance and sophistication to your kitchen and bathroom. Here are some great examples of how gold can warm up and refine your Palmdale home:

Lavish Looks

Want to make your bathroom or kitchen feel instantly more luxurious? Try adding a gold faucet. Gold bath fixtures are a simple way to add glam and extravagance, so you can feel like you stepped into a five-star resort without leaving home — or breaking the bank. 

Warm Up Cool Cabinets

Cool-colored cabinets in shades of gray, blue, and even deep purple are trending, and homeowners are discovering that adding brass hardware provides a delightfully warm contrast. The faucet and cabinet pulls in this beverage area feel classy and chic for the perfect spot to mix up a martini.

Green & Gold: A Perfect Match

Bold green cabinets are another hot trend that looks fantastic with gold hardware. Gold cabinet pulls balance the intricate backsplash in this beverage area and create a fun, visually stimulating look.

In this view of the same kitchen, we see how a gold faucet perfectly complements the crisp green cabinets, warm wood countertops, and white sink basin.

A Little Goes a Long Way

If you haven’t completely warmed up to the idea of bringing gold finishes to your décor, start with subtle, small touches. Here, brushed brass lighting fixtures create an elegant, sophisticated look without being showy. Like a delicate piece of jewelry, these fixtures are the perfect finishing touch to this fabulous kitchen. 

Drops of Sunshine

All-white kitchens look clean, uplifting, and welcoming, but the combination of white-on-white with stainless steel hardware can feel sterile. A small touch of brass or gold, like these lovely lighting fixtures, brings warmth to a white kitchen.

Gold finishes are a wonderful enhancement to any home. Need help deciding how to incorporate this timeless touch into your bathroom or kitchen remodeling project? Contact us for a consultation. 

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Bathroom Remodeling Trends: Bathtubs

According to Houzz, one of the top trends in bathroom design is “the resurgence of the bathtub.” 

We couldn’t agree more. We still take out more tubs than we put in, but one of our bathroom remodeling discovery questions is, “Do you want wine, candles, and leave me alone?” Many people are spending more time at home than ever before, and we all need a place to get away — even if it’s in our own bathroom. There is nothing like a hot bath to wash away the day’s worries and recharge for the next task awaiting us. Not all tubs are created equal, however. What’s the best tub for you? 

Fabulous & Freestanding 

Today’s freestanding tubs are very modern and have no resemblance to the old claw and ball foot tubs of the past. Many pictures of freestanding tubs can be found in design magazines and on social media. They can be a cost-effective addition to a space, assuming existing plumbing is nearby. Some tubs cost tens of thousands of dollars, but there are many good ones made of acrylic that are much less. The faucet can also be pricey, but our designers can find options to fit almost any budget. One caveat to consider is that as lovely and clean as they look, getting in and out of a freestanding tub can be challenging for some. Their sides are generally high, and there is not a ledge to sit on. If you have limited mobility or have a hard time lifting your leg over the edge of your current tub, a tall freestanding tub might not be for you. We can add handrails on adjacent walls that look like towel bars, but we always think safety when we design spaces, and no one is getting younger. 

Deck Mounted: Delightful or Dated?

We mostly see deck-mounted tubs around the Antelope Valley in primary bathrooms — or those hideous all-in-one fiberglass units with a separate tub & shower. Unfortunately, some deck-mounted tubs have a step in front of them. Those are usually the first things we take out. They just take up space and make it harder to get in and out of a tub. The entire all-in-one unit has to go, so the decision is what to put back: a tub and shower or just a large shower? We have done both many times.

The decking and backsplash material makes all the difference when installing a deck-mounted tub and often determines how the tub is installed. Most go on top of the decking material, but some are mounted below. 

Hallway Need — or Nuisance?  

Hall bathrooms generally have tubs. Many families, especially with younger kids, want at least one tub in the house, and the hall bath is a convenient place to put one. There are many options for these small rooms, but the decisions are usually more manageable and the space more limited. 

So — wine, candles, and leave me alone? A place to wash the kids or the dog? Take out the tub and just give me a large shower? We have designed hundreds of bathrooms with and without tubs in the Antelope Valley and surrounding areas. No two are exactly alike, and styles run the gamut from traditional to modern. There are many shapes and sizes of tubs, so our designers take the time to find the right one for you. 

It’s your choice — and your house. Let Lenton Company help you transform it into an exceptional and life-changing space!

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Floating Shelves: Open, Airy, and in Style

The Wall Street Journal recently posted its top home trends for 2021, outlining what is in and what is out in the world of home design. While most of the Journal’s trendspotting is true for our area, there is one statement we respectfully disagree:

“OUT: Chaos-Courting Open Shelving”

True, a kitchen with no upper cabinets and only open shelves could be your nightmare, but a few carefully placed shelves give many spaces an open, airy feel. It can provide a place for plants, display items, or other things that bring joy. You can also place often-used items within easy reach.

In addition, painted cabinets, especially white, are still trending. The clean look appeals to many and is timeless. We sometimes bring in stained open shelves to give a kitchen some warmth and to celebrate wood and craftsmanship.

Most of our shelves are built by local cabinet makers. They use a hidden cleat system that is strong and really has no limit to what, or how much, you can put on them. We have also used live edge lumber from Angel City Lumber for shelves and mantels. They mill fallen trees from around the Los Angeles area. This installation is trickier in that we must core a hole in the shelves and epoxy a dowel or rebar. We add blocking in the wall during rough carpentry and epoxy the rods to the blocking through the drywall.

Take a close look at the following picture. Do you see any tile cuts? Are we that good? Yes, but this job required a lot of planning and precise execution. The tile backsplash not only went up to the ceiling but was on both walls. The tile has a soft undulating edge that resembles hand-made tile, so we did not want to cut them horizontally — especially with a darker grout on a very light tile. We had our cabinet maker make the shelves exactly the same height as the tiles. They were fit into the space, but then removed. We then stained the shelves and had them ready onsite. Our tile setter ran the first section of backsplash and then took a break while we installed the first shelf. This process continued for the next two shelves. It’s a small detail that many would not see but makes all the difference.

As you can see by these pictures, we have added shelves in many rooms — not just kitchens. Even our design studio has them!

So, with respect to our friends at the Wall Street Journal, we will continue to suggest some floating shelves to meet our customers’ needs.

Wondering how the latest trends would work in your space? Contact us today to learn more about updating and upgrading your home.

The Lentons

COVID-19 Operational Update

COVID-19 Operational Update

The Lentons

We hope this message finds you healthy and in good spirits. As families across the Antelope Valley take shelter at home in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, we want to share that Lenton Company is here to care for you and your home during this challenging time. Some team members are in the office, working at a safe distance from each other, others are working remotely, and some are still on job sites moving construction projects forward. Wherever our team may be one thing is certain, we are all going above and beyond to protect the safety and well-being of everyone at every stage of engagement.

To our design clients

We are continuing full steam ahead on your projects. We are working both remotely and from our office as needed. We have perfected virtual meetings with clients who travel frequently and offer every client the same option. We have found virtual meetings to be extremely effective. If you prefer a small, in-person meeting, we will greet you at the door with a dollop of hand sanitizer, a handmade mask, and will arrange our seats with the appropriate 6’ or more of social distance.

To our construction clients

All members of our field staff have been trained and are committed to implementing proper safety and protective protocols put in place by Los Angeles County and the State. They are fully equipped with hand-sanitizers and gloves. We require our trade contractors to do likewise and have extra supplies to share just in case.

Furthermore, you can expect us to:

  • Ask you if elderly or vulnerable persons are on site so that we can take extra precautions where possible
  • Sanitize our hands thoroughly before walking through your door
  • Actively seek to limit the number of workers to reduce exposure potentials. Ex: If we would normally use three painters, we will look to limit that to one
  • Stay home when sick, with a fever, or with a known exposure, and never knowingly compromise your health in any way. This is our commitment for all in-person work, from the office to the job site

To prospective clients

While you are sheltering at home if you are inspired to think about your personal sanctuary, we are here for you. We are scheduling virtual initial visits if preferred and finding they accomplish very similar outcomes to an in-home visit. All you need is a device and an internet connection. We will walk you through the process. We encourage you to reach out and we will schedule a convenient time and manner to discuss your project.

Your part

We may be preaching to the choir and hope that we are, but we request the same courtesy from you. To protect our team members and trade partners, please contact us immediately if someone in your home has a fever, cough, shortness of breath, has tested positive, or has been exposed to someone with the virus. WE WILL PAUSE THE PROJECT.

The bottom line

Those who know us know that we believe in planning, working and monitoring the plan for results, adjusting as necessary to accomplish our mission, and above all remaining calm. This situation is fluid and rapidly evolving. We will be sure to communicate with you promptly if and when our operational status changes. Rest assured; we will get through this crisis. Lenton Company has survived recessions, earthquakes and other tragedies in our 36-year history. We will still be here after this virus subsides.

In closing, we would like to express our gratitude for each and every one of you. We are honored to have the opportunity to work on your home and appreciate the trust you have placed in our firm. Despite the adversity that we now face, we pledge that we will continue to live up to the high standard of excellence you have come to expect from Lenton Company.

Sincerely,

Robert and Evelyn Lenton