4 Reasons Why Euro Designs Are Hot in Remodeling

You may be asking what’s up with all these Euro designs in kitchen, bathroom and even closet remodeling projects today? Are we being brainwashed by all the IKEA hacks on the Internet? As someone who is knee-deep in the remodeling industry I can tell you the Euro design trend is really heating up. So why is this move to European styles so hot?

In the article below we’ll look at 4 reasons this Euro design trend is gaining steam and why you may want to jump on this bandwagon for your next remodeling project.

Reason #1 – We need to get more out of every inch

For much of the last 60 years home sizes and remodeling projects have become bigger and grander. While that can be nice in theory big spaces are not efficient and can be a pain to clean and maintain. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s when mortgages were easy to get the “McMansions” were popping up everywhere. It seemed the ballooning house trend would never end. This trend was not only financially unsustainable – but was bad for our planet!

Since homes are smaller in Europe they have been focused on space utilization for centuries. Now in the United States (due to access to financing being tighter and spaces being designed smaller) we’re beginning to latch on to designing smaller homes and living spaces. The kitchen, which has long been the focal point of family gatherings, is benefitting from this push towards more efficient design. One of the hot things at the International Builders Show this year were lines of kitchen cabinetry and storage solutions which were designed to better use space. Check out the depth of this kitchen cabinet storage from  Vauth-Sagel.

Reason #2 – We are living longer

One of the things that struck me the last time I visited my sister in law in Italy was watching the little Italians ladies in their 80’s healthy enough to push carts of vegetables up and down the hillsides in route to the market. While our American lifestyles doesn’t exactly synch up with this European image, we are living longer as a result of medical advances. Given this increased life expectancy (and desire to stay in our homes longer) the need to have bathrooms accommodate our (unfortunately) less capable bodies is a must! So, how can we make bathrooms which will allow us to stay in our homes longer? How are Euro designs impacting our improved accessibility for our American bathrooms?

More than any other room in the house what I’m seeing now is a movement in bathroom remodeling to more contemporary and safer designs without adding additional square footage. This is possible because our designs are now embracing European style wet rooms. With a wet room the bathroom is designed at one level and the entire floor is waterproofed. This space becomes infinitely safer (since you don’t have to step over shower curb or a tub rail) and uses space more efficiently.

Reason #3 – We long for a simpler more minimalist life  

Who doesn’t think their life is too complicated today? I would venture to say no one! I know my wife Rose and I lead a hectic life trying to keep our heads above water with 3 kids, 3 cats and 3 aging parents and home to take care of! So how can you and I transform our lives and reduce the clutter from our minds and lives? One way is to strive for simplicity.

One area where I am seeing the push towards less clutter and more simplicity is in the design of reach in and walk in closets. Whether someone is living in a hot urban environment (like Italian Village in Columbus or a cool loft in the Little Italy area of Cleveland) or even in the suburbs the desire to declutter and pare down has never been higher. The beginning and ends of most of our days are spent digging through our closets. Believe it or not using a closet can actually be a pleasureful experience if they are organized! Closet designs are getting more contemporary with clean Euro lines as people are pairing down their wardrobes to take after celebrities like Simon Cowell and Mark Zuckerberg. Simply put – simple is in!

Reason #4 – We are influenced by EVERYTHING now!  

When I grew up as a kid I pretty much lived in the bubble of Warrensville Heights (a suburb of Cleveland Ohio) playing wiffle ball with my buddies Tony Rizzo and Tommy Beranick. There was no computer, access to the Internet or I Phones. If I wanted to play with a friend it was perfectly fine to walk alone to their house and ask them to come out to play.

While it can be fun to be nostalgic about the “good old days” – it’s also important to recognize the value and benefits of the “good new days” of today. With the access to the Internet the world is our oyster. With an Internet connection design ideas and concepts are available to all. This “democratization of information” can let our fingers do the researching to better designs and cooler more contemporary products (no matter what our design preferences are).  As a result no matter what your design preferences is you can get cool ideas from anywhere in the world (the 2 sites I like the best for this are Houzz and Pinterest).

Conclusion

In this article you’ll see a few reasons Euro design trends are catching on whether you live in Cleveland or Columbus Ohio are anywhere around the country. The trends around us should not be the reason to jump on any design bandwagon. When you look at the benefits of many Euro designs (more efficient use of space, sustainability, contemporary design and safety) I can make a good case why it’s a smart idea to leverage this trend for your next bathroom, closet or kitchen remodeling project.

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For an Akron or Cleveland remodeling project call Cleveland Design and Remodeling at 216-658-1270. For help for a reach in or walk in closet in Columbus or Cleveland call Innovate Home Org at 614-545-6888 or 216-658-1290. For nationwide supply of European wet room systems call Innovate Building Solutions at 877-668-5888.