Home fashions don’t begin and end with paint, wallpaper, and home decor fabric. Every year, manufacturers of everything from appliances and carpeting to cabinet hardware come up with new designs. Design trends for home plumbing fixtures are no different. Styles, colors, and features are updated every year. If you’re preparing to choose details for your new home, McGuinn Hybrid Homes has some design ideas to consider. Plumbing picks in the kitchen Your choices for plumbing features encompass many decisions in your kitchen and bathroom: sinks, faucets, shower head, and tub. In the kitchen, homeowners are looking for deep sinks, most frequently in farmhouse and undermount styles. Although stainless steel remains a popular choice, manufacturers offer many others that enhance the look of your kitchen: composite granite, enamel-clad cast iron, copper, soapstone, fireclay, quartz, porcelain, and solid surface. For the kitchen faucet, hands-free is a desirable choice, accompanied by the pull-down feature. The black matte finish has gained popularity, as it works with a variety of kitchen styles. Still, brushed nickel, and oil-rubbed bronze maintain their position as the top choices in finishes for kitchen plumbing fixtures. A pot-filler faucet near the stove is a nice option for the busy cook. Save yourself the time of stepping over to the sink while you’re cooking with this convenient feature, which is mounted to the wall and is hinged to pull it back and forth. Best in bathroom fixtures trends The spa experience keeps getting better, thanks to so many advances in bathroom plumbing fixtures. The rain shower head remains one of the most in-demand bathroom plumbing fixtures. These oversized fixtures—picture one as wide as 20 inches in diameter—can be mounted to the shower’s wall or ceiling and provide a gentle but generous flow. You can also add electronic controls to pre-set the water temperature, spray, flow, and even music, if you’ve incorporated that feature into your luxury shower as well. Bathroom sinks have gone so far beyond basic that they can look more like artwork than plumbing. Wall-mounted sinks lit with LEDs, uniquely shaped basins, and vessel sinks made from wood, stone, glass, and metal add style and luxury to your bathroom. The bathroom faucet—sink and tub—reflect the same shift toward matte black finishes, oil-rubbed bronze, and brushed nickel, with chrome-plated brass keeping a firm grip on its long-standing choice for this room. The single lever style sink faucet is preferred over two handles, and a water-sensing feature is a good option for conserving water without compromising water pressure. The tub is no longer a luxury—and you have more choices in bathtub styles, shape, and features than ever before. The freestanding tub presents a beautiful focal point and comes in different shapes, like oval, rectangular, and round. Clawfoot bathtubs reflect the return of this vintage design, and are now available in a wide spectrum of colors. Jetted tubs provide the relaxing spa experience. Walk-in tubs are ideal for people with special needs. Corner tubs accommodate bathrooms with limited space. Our design professionals are ready to guide you through every detail in your new home. McGuinn Homes builds energy-efficient, single-family homes and townhomes around Columbia, South Carolina. Take a look at our floor plans and communities or take advantage of the option for McGuinn Homes to build on your lot. Your dream home starts here!
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011050601 Daily Real Estate News | May 6, 2011 | Share In Time for Buying Season, Rates Reach Yearly Lows The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, a popular choice among buyers, sank even lower this week, matching its yearly low of 4.71 percent from January, reports Freddie Mac in its weekly mortgage market survey. Last year at this time, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5 percent. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed-rate hit a new yearly low of 3.89 percent this week. Last week, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.97 percent. The 15-year rate averaged 4.36 percent last year at this time. It reached its lowest level on record in November when it averaged 3.57 percent. The one-year adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 3.14 percent, down from last week’s 3.15 percent. Last year at this time, it averaged 4.07 percent. "Weaker economic data reports reduced Treasury bond yields and allowed mortgage rates to drift lower for the third consecutive week,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. Source: “30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Matches Yearly Low of 4.71 Percent,” Freddie Mac (May 5, 2011)