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HomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStyleSpring 2017Spring 2017

Local homes and gardens will bepart of Virginia’s Historic Garden

week on Tuesday, April 25. Fea-tured here, a home on Lake New-port. Seeºwww.vagardenweek.org

2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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HomeLifeStyle

Five Old Town Alexandria homesand gardens will open to the pub-lic on April 22 as part of the 84thHistoric Garden Week. The homes

will feature flower arrangements created bythe members of the Garden Club of Alex-andria and The Hunting Creek Garden Club,which are sponsoring the tour, openfrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reston homes andgardens are open April 25 (See COVER andpage 6).See www.vagardenweek.org for more.Houses with History

❖ Four of the tour houses were built over150 years ago, in 1794, 1802, 1820 and1859

❖ George Washington dined in one of thetour houses in 1797

❖ A young Robert E. Lee was tutored inmathematics in one tour house

❖ Founding Father George Mason’sgrandson owned another of the houses

❖ Thomas, the ninth Lord Fairfax, livedin one of the tour houses.Gardens with Distinctive Designand Spring Flowers

❖ A garden designed by landscape de-signer, Jane MacLeish

❖ A spacious walled garden built on two

levels❖ A garden elevated from the street and

screened from view❖ The gardens of Mount Vernon, the

American Horticultural Society, GreenSpring Gardens, Gunston Hall, CarlyleHouse, and Lee-Fendall House are all in-cluded with the tour ticket.Historic Architectural Styles

❖ What is considered to be the finest Fed-eral house in Alexandria will be open to thepublic for the tour

❖ The Georgian architecture with anItalianate facade and unusual floating mainstaircase in one tour house

❖ Original woodwork by the prominentAlexandria craftsman who built the housein 1859.Alexandria Tour Details

Tickets may be purchased in advance for$45 at www.vagardenweek.org and at theAlexandria Visitors Center (221 KingStreet). On the date of the tour, they maybe purchased for $55 at any house on thetour or at the Alexandria Visitor’s Center.Group tours of 20 people or more, $40 perperson. Single site tickets are $25 per per-son. The Alexandria tour will be held on itsscheduled day, rain or shine.

Alexandria Prepares forHistoric Garden Week

Fairfax Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

HomeLifeStyle

By John Byrd

Converting a circa 1960’s split-level into a spacious neoclassi-cal-style residence has won SunDesign Remodeling a regional

“Contractor of the Year” award from theNational Association of the Remodeling In-dustry. The Fairfax residential makeoverwas named the best whole house remodel-ing in the “$250,000 to $500,000” range ina 10-state area that extends from Marylandand Florida to as far west as Tennessee.Owners Jack and Marie Torre have been sopleased with the outcome that they’ve heldan several open houses just to show thechanges to curious neighbors. Another openhouse will be held in the annual Parade ofHome, April 22-23.

To accommodate the owner’s require-ments, Sun Design added a 300-square-footaddition, introduced a front veranda witha foyer, and elaborated the exterior in awholly new architectural language.

The Torres had purchased the 3,000-square-foot brick and siding structure in1984, and a found a perfect spot for raisingchildren. As the children moved on, how-ever, the couple recognized that the changesthey wanted to make to the house wereapparently infeasible.

“We couldn’t add on to the rear becauseof set-back restrictions,” Jack Torre said.“The bigger problem, though, was a six-footroof overhang in front, and the seven steps

required to walk from the ground level foyerto the primary living area.”

The couple were actively looking at relo-cating when a chance visit to a Sun Designremodeled split-level nearby convincedMarie Torre to make an appointment withBob Gallagher, the company’s president.

In the first meeting, a “wish list” emergedthat included a larger kitchen, a formal din-ing room with a tray ceiling, a family roomwith a view of the tree-lined back yard, anda spacious first-level powder room.

With these goals in mind, the designteam focused on how best to configure theessential components within a well-inte-

grated whole.Since new space couldn’t be added on the

rear, the east side of the house was desig-nated for the new dining room/sitting roomwing.

Still more problematic: under the exist-ing plan, one entered the house from a nar-row front foyer — ascending to a main levelhall that segued in three directions.

What was missing, Gallagher observed,was a “procession” in which rooms unfoldin an inviting orderly sequence.

“The structural challenge was finding anoptimal way to raise the front door to themain level of the house,” Gallagher said.

“This would require extending the frontfoyer eight feet to get past the existing roofoverhang. We also needed to redesign thefront elevation to better rationalize the dif-ference between the grade at ground-leveland the home’s main living area — a dis-tance of about seven feet.”

What evolved was not merely a largerfoyer, but an improved and more appropri-ate architectural context that allows for afront verandah that surrounds and presentsthe front entrance to the home.

The resulting interior meanwhile revolvesaround two comparatively modest addi-tions: a 44-square-foot foyer aligned withthe front door; 300-square- feet west wingthat houses a formal dining room and anadjacent rear-of-the house sitting area.

The new addition includes a two-sidedfireplace visible in the living room. The en-larged kitchen now accommodates a cus-tom-designed banquette, and storage pan-tries.

The gourmet kitchen, according to MarieTorre, provides spaces for all cooking uten-sils, even items formerly stored in the base-ment.

Replacing the roof over and raising theceiling from eight feet to nine feet has madethe living room feel substantially larger.

Better yet, the remade rear elevation —which includes a “bump-out” with dividedlight windows and French doors — invitesabundant natural light.

“This is a completely different house,”said Marie Torre, “One much more satisfy-ing to occupy.”

Sun Design Remodeling frequently sponsorsdesign and remodeling seminars as well as tours ofrecently remodeled homes. Headquartered inBurke, Sun Design also maintains an office inMcLean. Visit www.Sun DesignInc.com.

Conversion winsregional “Contractorthe Year” award.

From Split-Level to Neoclassical

The split-level’s former bow window was converted to a set of Frenchdoors which overlook the new veranda. Though the execution makes theaddition hard to detect, the dining room beyond the fireplace is actuallyin the home’s new wing.

AFTER: Best Whole House Makeover in 10 states,left: Sun Design Remodeling’s conversion of a circa1960s split-level into a neoclassical style residencehas been named a regional “Contractor of the Year”(COTY) winner by the National Association of theRemodeling Industry.

BEFORE: Above, owners Jack and Marie Torrewanted square footage for a larger kitchen anddining room, but “set-back” rules prohibited build-ing in the rear, and the front-facing roof overhanglimited options for re-designing the facade.


By Carole Funger

The Connection

The designation Peren

nial Plant of the Yearis awarded each yearby the Perennial Plant Associa-

tion to the perennial that outshines its com-petitors not only in appearance, but also inits noteworthy characteristics. To be con-sidered, a plant must be able to grow in awide range of climates, require little main-tenance and have multiple seasons of in

Perennial of the Year

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

It’s been 18 years since Ken Nies co-founded Two Poor Teachers, LLC, butthe kitchen and bath remodelling com-

pany isn’t resting on its laurels. “We alwayswant to earn an ‘A+’ from our customers,”said Nies. “That hasn’t changed since DayOne.”

Nies started the company in 1999 withthen-partner Tom Pennell. Both were FairfaxCounty physical education teachers at thetime, and their collaboration was originallymeant to be a sideline to their “day jobs,

but before too long, Nies retired from teach-ing in order to focus fully on the rapidlygrowing company in Chantilly.

He may have left teaching behind, but hisbackground and devotion to education stillcomes through when Nies speaks about theimportance of educating homeowners onthe ins and out of remodelling work, andthe “dangers of dealing with unlicensedcontractors.” He has produced numerous“whiteboards” and videos available onYouTube that explain the local and statelaws governing the business and the impor-tance of compliance for the homeowner.Two Poor Teachers is fully licensed, employs

master plumbers, electricians and HVACexperts, is LEED certified and the highestliability insurance license offered in thestate.

According to Nies, Two Poor Teachershandles between 200-300 bathroomprojects and 25 kitchen remodels per yearin their Northern Virginia service area, withmuch of their business coming from repeatcustomers and referrals from satisfied cli-ents, but Nies insists that the key to theircontinued success really isn’t a secret.

“Education. Making sure homeownershave all the facts they need to make gooddecisions,” is the foundation for success inNies’ opinion. “Guaranteed start andcompletion times are really attractive topotential clients,” he added. Anyone whohas ever undertaken one of these home re-modelling projects, only to see the finishdeadline move further and further awayfrom the original date promised during thebid proposal, will no doubt agree.

Another attraction for the homeownerwhen choosing a contractor is the fact thatTwo Poor Teachers only requires 10 percentdown to start the work, and generally “don’task for another penny until the job is com-pleted.” Many contractors require the downpayment, and then ask for ongoing “draw”funds periodically throughout the length ofthe project.

Nies also says that the company givestheir customers all the discounts they re-ceive at the speciality stores where theyhave established strong vendor relation-ships.

It was because of just those kinds of rela-tionships that Nies was able to recruitJeremiah Klein to take over the reins as TwoPoor Teachers’ next general manager, whenhe felt it was time to become “just a littleless hands-on.” Klein had been associatedwith the contractor for some five years,when he worked as an agent for a whole-sale plumbing supplier and kitchen and bathshowroom, after years working in the field.

“I feel great about handing the reputa-tion of our company to Jeremiah,” said Nies.

Klein feels just as good about his deci-sion to join Nies and company. Saying hehad a choice of outfits when consideringhis next career move, Klein calls the TwoPoor Teachers gang “a different bracket ofcontractor. It’s great working with all of ourown employees, professionals who havebeen with the company no less than 10years, and some even longer.”

Since the arrival of Klein, Two Poor Teach-ers has expanded the options it can offercustomers, including more flexibility onwhere to procure the project materials. Seewww.twopoorteachers.com or call Klein at703-999-2928.

New manager joining Two PoorTeachers after 18 years in business.

Educating Customers Is Key to Success

The butterfly weed

See Perennial, Next Page

HomeLifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

One of the most anticipatedsights of spring is a gardenin bloom. While the projectof tackling a yard or garden

after a dormant winter can seem daunting,horticulturalist Misty Kuceris of Burke Nurs-ery & Garden Centre says an organized planwill make the task manageable.

“First walk around your yard and look atwhat’s happened over the winter months,”she said. “Look at your trees and shrubs.Do they need pruning before things reallystart growing?”

Flower and garden beds should be sur-veyed as well, says Kuceris. “If you didn’tclean out the flower beds and vegetablebeds at the end of fall, you need to do that,”she said. “Take a look at whether you needto add more compost to make the soil bet-ter.”

Even after flowerbeds are clean, DavidWatkins, general manager of MerrifieldGarden Center says that homeownersshould wait before planting warm seasonflowers like impatiens and begonias. “Youwant to hold off until the last frost is gone,he said. “Some nurseries however have tu-lips and daffodils that are already potted.Those can be planted now. There is also a

Lenten Rose which blooms from Februaryuntil June and you can add color to youryard that way.”

Kuceris also suggests reestablishing theweathered edging of a garden bed and add-

ing new mulch when necessary. “The otherthing that is good to do every two years is asoil test,” she said. “Find out the pH is ofyour lawn and garden.” Soil pH is a mea-sure of the acidity and alkalinity in soils.

Photo by Misty Kuceris

March is a great time to plant trees, like these Dogwoods.

Sow Now, Reap this Spring Getting a garden and yard ready forwarm weather.

One source that Kuceris recommends isthe Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory.Researchers analyze soil samples submittedby the public and perform tests to evaluatethe soil’s nutrient potential. The tests alsohelp researchers determine the most ben-eficial application rates of fertilizer and limefor optimum plant growth.

After the garden is tidy and the soil isprepared, vegetables can be planted. “If youhave a vegetable garden, March is the besttime to plant potatoes, scallions, onions,asparagus, lettuce, kale, cauliflower, broc-coli, and even horseradish because thoseplants love spring,” said Kuceris. “We callthem cool season plants.”

If weeds are an issue, you can apply aweed and crabgrass preventer and fertil-izer,” says Kuceris. “For a natural alterna-tive, you can use corn gluten meal as a natu-ral weed suppressant and fertilizer for grasslawns.”

“With anything you plant now, the rootsare going to start growing and you’ll havea much better established plant by summer,”added Watkins.

Most trees or shrubs can also be plantednow, says Watkins. “Now is a great time tomulch and fertilize your trees, shrubs andlawn,” he said. “That alone makes it look alot better, even without planting.”


From Previous Page

HomeLifeStyle

terest. And, it should be relativelypest and disease free.

That’s a tall order for manyplants, but late last year, orange-flowering butterfly weed (Ascl-epias tuberosa) more than rose tothe occasion. In November it wasvoted 2017 Perennial Plant of theYear, becoming the 27th in a dis-tinguished line of perennials toreceive such an honor.

What makes butterfly weedso special?

Native to much of the continen-tal United States as well as Ontarioand Quebec, butterfly weed growswild in a variety of climatic condi-tions including dry forests, alongroadsides and in prairies and openfields. A member of the milkweedfamily, it tops out at about 1 to 2feet. Its natural preference for av-erage to dry soil makes it an ex-cellent drought-resistant plant.

Butterfly weed’s large clusters offlowers are a brilliant orange-yel-low, a beacon among other sub-tler-toned plants. Happily bloom-ing from June through August,they produce copious amounts of

nectar that attracts hordes of but-terflies, birds and a wide assort-ment of insects. The distinctiveflowers are composed of five pet-als that stand up (called hoods)and five petals that hang down.The hoods enclose a single orangehorn that when cross-pollinated,forms a follicle. Later in the sea-son, the follicle opens up alongone side to disperse silky-tailedseeds.

Not to be outdone, butterflyweed’s foliage has its own attrac-tions. Long and pointed, the 4”leaves provide food for the larvaeof native Monarch butterflies,while also lending a deep greenbackdrop to the brilliant flowers.

Plant butterfly weed in full sunin well-drained, moderately drysoil. For an eye-catching composi-tion, pair it with other strong-huedperennials like Liatris spicata,Echinacea ‘Double Scoop Rasp-berry’ and Hemerocallis ‘StellaD’Oro.’ Or, let its orange flowersshine amidst subtler toned flow-ers like lemon-yellow Hemerocal-lis ‘Happy Returns’, white Phlox‘David’ and apricot Cosmos.

Perennial of the Year


HomeLifeStyle

During the last eight days of Aprilevery year nearly 26,000 visi-tors tour homes and gardensacross Virginia.

This year, Historic Garden Week features30 tours organized and hosted by 47 Gar-den Club of Virginia member clubs. Nearly250 private homes, gardens and historicsites will be open. For nearly a century theGarden Club of Virginia has been commit-ted to preserving the beauty of Virginia forall to enjoy. Garden Club of Virginia mem-bers were early leaders in conservation andenvironmental concerns. Tour proceedsfund the restoration and preservation ofmore than 40 of Virginia’s historic publicgardens and landscapes, a research fellow-ship program and a centennial project withVirginia State Parks.

RESTON TOUR Tuesday, April 25Reston was once a summer playground

for fashionable Washingtonians during the1800s. This Fairfax County locality becamethe first modern post-war planned residen-tial community in America when it was de-veloped in the 1960s, sparking renewedinterest in planned communities. Brainchildof Robert E. Simon, Reston was imaginedas an urban landscape in a rural setting —a place to live, work, and play, both vibrantand peaceful. Neighborhoods nestledaround lakes and intertwined with lushgardens, green spaces, and walking pathsare just minutes away from the effervescenthub of Reston Town Center’s art galleries,shops, restaurants, and year-round outdoorentertainment. This walking and drivingtour features a transitional house and gar-den, three modern homes with gardens onLake Newport, and a garden-only site.

Hosted by Garden Club of Fairfax, the tourheadquarters and facilities are at The LakeHouse, 11450 Baron Cameron Ave., Reston.

Tickets, maps and restrooms are availableon tour day, April 25.

Tickets: $40 per person available ontour day, and at homes open for tours.

Advance tickets are $30. Seewww.vagardenweek.org. By mail beforeApril 10, send a self-addressed stampedenvelope and check made out to “The Gar-den Club of Fairfax” to Marty Whipple,11508 Yates Ford Road, Fairfax Station, VA22093. 703-978- [email protected].

Google Garden Club of Fairfax for detailedinformation and a list of local retailers sell-ing tickets.

Complimentary refreshments will beserved 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lake House.Reston Town Center, Lake Anne, and NorthPoint Village Center are minutes away andoffer a variety of eateries and lunch optionsfor visitors.

The hospitality center and tour headquar-ters is located in the Lake House, a newlyrenovated building. There are two roomsfor public use, the Lakeside Room that of-fers access to the deck overlooking LakeNewport (50 person capacity) and The LakeView Room (100 person capacity) that has

a natural light-filled setting with a fireplace.For more information visit www.reston.org.

The Walker Nature Center, 11450 GladeDrive, Reston, will be open to visitors fromnoon to 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Resident natu-ralist will be on hand to answer questions.Tours are self-guided. Seewww.facebook.com/walkernaturecenter. Itfeatures: LEED Gold education buildingknown as Nature House, 72 acres of wood-lands, one mile of loop trails, picnic tablesand pavilion, pond, trailside benches, in-terpretive signs, memorial sundial, demon-stration naturescaping gardens, the GladeStream Valley, and Snakeden Branchstream’s entrance to 44-acre Lake Audubon.

Reston Town Center opened in 1990 withthe opening of the block between Library

Street and Presidents Street, including thecenter’s hub which features the 20-footMercury Fountain designed by the sculptorSaint Clair Cemin. With the open air glassPavilion added in 1993, this is a commu-nity destination for shopping, dining, spe-cial events, and ice skating in winter. It hasexpanded to become a outdoor venue of-fering more than 50 retailers, more than 35restaurants, luxury residences, hotel, multi-screen cinema, as well as, host to severalfestivals throughout the year.

Lake Anne Village Center is home to in-dependently owned retail, dining, and ser-vice establishments. Dine in restaurants fea-turing both ethnic and traditional Ameri-can menus. Take a picture sitting beside thebronze statue of Robert E. Simon, take a

nature walk around the lake, select a hand-crafted chocolate, pick up a special treat ortoy for your pet, or find the perfect gift foryour favorite bibliophile. Free wi-fi is avail-able throughout the plaza. North Point Vil-lage Center is situated in the heart of thisyear’s tour, offering an appealing variety ofdining establishments and specialty stores.

HOMES AND GARDENS ON RESTONTOUR April 25

Round Pebble Lane Garden only:This 20-year-old garden completely sur-rounds the home and provides the ownerswith the space for both sun-loving andshade-loving plants, shrubs and trees. Anexperienced master gardener at a local gar-den center, Kate Buschelman inherited hermother’s love of gardening. Solely plantedand maintained by the owners, this prop-erty expresses their love of color, foliage andtheir vision of serenity among relaxed wan-dering paths. The walkway to the front ex-plodes with a myriad of color and texturefrom numerous spring annuals and bulbs,many in blues and whites, and sun-lovingflowering plants. On the corner lies a bankof showy seven-foot-tall budding “Lime-light” hydrangeas. The tranquil back gar-den beckons a meandering walk through asun-dappled, woodland setting in whichfoliage predominates. Kate and GaryBuschelmanare the owners.

Stones Throw Drive: The stone andbrick path to the house features an Englishcottage garden with colorful annuals andperennials planted to provide interest yearround. This 1998 home incorporates tradi-tional elements with an open floor plan andlofty ceilings that allow for an abundanceof natural light. The first floor includes anarray of furnishings, from 18th century En-glish antiques to 20th century AmericanImpressionist art. The landscaped backyardis a private retreat, highlighted by a water-fall and pond, multiple patios, a stone bararea, fireplace complete with pizza oven,and a hot tub surrounded by a trellis.

Lake Newport Road: This updated1989 modern home welcomes visitors witha light-filled foyer. Neutral faux-paintedwalls, vaulted ceilings, skylights, and a wallof glass across the rear of the home offer-ing a view of Lake Newport and the home’slandscaped gardens create a contemporaryand airy interior. The outdoor patio andgarden include an array of colorful annu-als and perennials, a gas fire pit, recirculat-ing waterfall, and a dock shaded by a wil-low tree. Cindy and Richard Beyer are theowners.

The Deck House, Lake NewportRoad: Built in 1988, this three-level, mid-century modern home is reminiscent of theFrank Lloyd Wright style. Construction ispost-and-beam with high ceilings of solidcedar and fir beams. The wall of windows

See Tour, Page 7

Photo by Donna Moulton/Fairfax Garden Club

Reston homes and gardens will be part of Virginia’s Historic Gardenweek on Tuesday, April 25. Featured here, a home on Lake NewportRoad. See http://www.vagardenweek.org

Garden Club of Virginia hosts84th Annual Historic Garden Week.Tour Area Gardens


Your “Nicely Done” Kitchen or Bath is Right Around the Corner!A “One-Stop Shop” That Goes Above and Beyond Your Imagination

HomeLifeStyle

From Page 6

with expansive lake views and rich, natu-ral wood floors, walls and ceilings, bringthe outdoors in. Taking advantage of thedramatic south-facing waterfront setting,natural energy sources are used for coolingand heating with a thermal reservoir in thelimestone floor of the conservatory provid-ing heated air released into the heating sys-tem. The deep roof overhang and energyefficient windows promote cooling in sum-mer. The solarium houses the owners’ bon-sai and orchid collections. The garden’s twoponds, waterfall and fountain attract manyvarieties of birds. A brick patio framed bytwo large willows leads to three lakesideflower beds providing habitat for birds andbutterflies. Lezley McIlveen and DonaldWright are the owners.

Windchimes, Lake Newport Road:Indoors and out, this multi-level contempo-rary home with views of Lake Newport fromalmost every room reflects the homeowners’love of waterfront living, art and the South-west. Built in 1986 with an open floor planand soaring ceilings, light streams in throughlarge windows and skylights; the two largeround windows are the signature feature ofthe 1980s Reston CP1 architectural style.

Tour Area GardensMature trees shade the deck, providing aperfect setting for outdoor dining, entertain-ing and enjoying sightings of bald eagles,hawks, herons, native songbirds, ducks,geese and large turtles. Colorful blown-glassspikes are found throughout the garden,along with blown-glass balls in the court-yard pond. The woodland garden has Japa-nese maples, redbud, mature oaks, grasses,hostas and rhododendrons, with native wa-ter plants along the lake. Robin and StevenGreenstreet are the owners.

Leesburg and Oatlands Sunday &Monday, April 23-24

Oatlands is one of the last of the greathouses built by the descendants of Robert(“King”) Carter. Construction began in1804.

Conveyed to the National Trust for His-toric Preservation in 1965, the Garden Clubof Virginia completed its first restorationproject there, of the north forcing wall, in1992. Two years later, English boxwood thathad fallen prey to “boxwood decline” werereplaced on the affected terraces using pro-ceeds from past Historic Garden Week tours.

Old Town Alexandria,Saturday April 22See www.vagardenweek.org

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HomeLifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Those looking for kitchen designideas have a new source of inspiration: the National Kitchen& Bath Association’s (NKBA) list

of trends for 2017. Local designers revealwhich trends are most popular in the Wash-ington, D.C. region.

NKBA predicts that contemporary-styledkitchens will overtake traditional to becomethe second most popular design after tran-sitional. Locally, Michael Winn, president ofWinn Design + Build expects to see “astrong move towards transitional and con-temporary styles, with no fussy designs.”

Homeowners are looking for “kitchenspaces that look comfortable, calming andclutter-free,” said Shannon Kadwell of An-thony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

Clean lines, built-in shelving and simpledoor styles dominate kitchen designs.Megan Padilla, senior designer for AidanDesign reports an interest in custom stor-age ideas. “We’re inspired by our work withclients who often have collections of table

décor — everything from antique trays tovintage oyster plates,” she said. “By creat-ing custom storage these cherished itemscan be readily accessible.”

When it comes to painted cabinetry, grayis the new white and the popularity of bothcolors shows no signs of slowing down, ac-

cording to the NKBA survey. However, bluepainted and high gloss kitchen cabinets areemerging, especially in the Washingtonarea, says Winn. “Blues and grays are verypopular [and] “White continues to be popu-lar.”

For overall color schemes, two-tonedkitchens are gaining popularity while blueand black are emerging as sought after col-ors. “We’re seeing a rise in product offer-

ings available in matte black — from appli-ances to plumbing fixtures to cabinet hard-ware,” said Padilla. “We love it paired withwhite in a classic black and white kitchen,but also as an accent piece. Matte black alsopairs beautifully with brass, which has beentrending for the past couple of years.”

Quartz is the most sought-after kitchencountertop material, followed bygranite. “Most of our clients aren’treally interested in a kitchen that [is]too trendy since they plan to have itin place for 15-20 years,” said Padilla.“We’ve seen an uptick in interest inincorporating color by way of alter-nate neutrals. Navy blue is probablythe top choice, but taupes and lighterblues are also on the list.”

An interest among homeowners inincorporating technology in kitchendesign is increasing as well. Aboutone third of the NKBA professionalssurveyed reported recent projectsthat included wiring and pathwaysfor future tech integration. “I wouldalso expect the technology side to bea focus in D.C.,” said SamanthaKlickna, project developer with CaseDesign/Remodeling, Inc. “The easeand comfort of controlling your homewhile at the office or on travel is veryappealing and convenient for the citydweller.”

Induction cooktops and convectionovens are trending higher, and mi-crowave drawers are surpassing free-standing or built-in microwaves inpopularity. “People have been pur-chasing appliances like steam ovensand induction ovens now more thanever before,” said Kadwell. “Peoplehave less time, but still want to cook.They want to be able to cook quickly,so they’re looking for appliances thatcan accomplish that.”

Local designer sharepopular design ideas.

Kitchen Design Trends to Expect in 2017

Photo by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg

White and gray painted cabinets like those in this kitchen by WinnDesign + Build will dominate kitchen color schemes in 2017.

Photo by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg

“I would also expect the technology side to be a focusin D.C.,” said Samantha Klickna, project developer withCase Design/Remodeling, Inc.

Photo by Angela Seckinger

Design trends for 2017 include kitchens with rustic andreclaimed woods, such as this one by Aidan Design.

Clean lines, built-ins and neutralcolors, such as those in the kitchenof this Potomac, Md. home byAnthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.,are expected to be popular in 2017.

Photo by John Cole

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