In this post, we move along in our educated predictions for Popular Kitchen Trends in 2020. This piece will detail the last four of the nine trends covered in a recent article at homesandgardens.com. As said in our previous post, the kitchen has seemed to gain momentum and attention to detail. Over time the kitchen has truly become one of the most important rooms in a new home. 

The following are the four remaining Popular Kitchen Trends for 2020. Once again the areas listed are taken from the experts at Homes and Gardens. 

  • Unexpected Paint Combinations
  • Black Walls, Cabinets, and Surfaces
  • Ash Backsplashes
  • The Return of Marble
Unexpected color combinations is a trend on the rise in kitchens of new home owners.

“Throw Out” the Rulebook on Color Up Until This Point

The next of our Popular Kitchen Trends for 2020 is spoken of at homesandgardens.com. In the accompanying article, Jennifer Ebert, a blogger at Homes and Gardens discusses what she called “Color Pop.”

“Throw the rulebook out of the window in favor of unexpected paint-color pairings. Kitchens are rife with color opportunities, from appliances and flooring, to window treatments and cabinets.” 

In conclusion, she does add that with an unexpected color pairing there should be at least some thinking ahead, however. “Start by deciding how much of permanent commitment you are willing to make. One of the easiest and least expensive options is to paint a wall that can be easily updated should you tire of it. Choosing color is such a personal experience.”

Back in Black: It’s No Longer Just an Accent Color!

Ash cabinets and surfaces make for a great accent and thus have gained popularity in recent times.

The next item on the Popular Kitchen Trends for 2020 list is a more prominent usage of the color black. Basically pigeon-holed for years as mainly an accent color, in recent months and heading to the new year, it’s fair to say “black is back.”

Whether walls, cabinets, or other surfaces, using black adds an inviting charm to your kitchen. Ms. Ebert agrees in her blog post, as she noted the following. “Black becomes livable, luxe and inviting, with textured woods adding rustic, homely charm.”

First There was Walnut, Now Its Ash!

“Out of fashion for a while, wood is now enjoying a bit of a revival,” Ebert begins. A bit paler than either walnut or oak.”

The usage of this paler, subtle grained wood helps to accent colors and tones around it. Ash can be used in many different spots throughout the kitchen, and the way momentum is going, the wood will be getting used even more usage.

Marble countertops and surfaces are making a big comeback and are expected to continue being a hot trend into the new year.

Luxury, Style Await in the “Stone Age”

The final of our nine trend, two-part series brings us to the elegant appeal of strongly veined marble. Countertops and most surfaces if switched to marble can appear to be a whole different room than before the switch.

Once again, homeandgardens.com spoke glowingly of the resurgence of marble. “It’s the time of strongly veined marble, the busier the better for unmissable luxury and next-level style.” The piece reads on. If there’s one thing that’s storming the style charts and shaking up interiors, it’s the return of marble.”

These trends as well as the ones we will cover moving forward are all items that could be discussed with and implemented by “America’s favorite Builder,” DR Horton at Belmont Lake Preserve. For more information on the DR Horton builder team at Belmont Lake Preserve, go to belmontlakepreserve.com. For more on the Kitchen Trends for 2020, visit homesandgardens.com.

Rocky-Mount-NC-Restaurants-Belmont-Lake-Preseve

We continue with part two of our series on the Top 10 Rocky Mount NC Restaurants in this post. Moving along with our next three delicious eateries, we have a tie at number seven on our list. We continue to “let the customer” do the talking, basing the rankings on actual scores and reviews from Trip Advisor.

The incredibly large portions at Smith’s Restaurant is shown here in this “half sandwich” plate.

It’s a Triple Play at Number Seven Among the Rocky Mount NC Restaurants

In the number seven spot on our list of the Top 10 Rocky Mount NC Restaurants, we have a three-way tie. In the spirit of not leaving any of the favorite local food stops from getting there accolades, we will touch on all three.

“What a FIND!” It’s “Good Country Cooking” at Smith’s Restaurant

Well known both locally and by travelers, Smith’s Restaurant is known for its mouth-watering breakfast and lunch. Located at 3649 North Halifax Road, a reviewer at Trip Advisor may have best summed up the Smith’s experience.

Speaking of this entry in our Top Rocky Mount NC Restaurants, the customer explained the following. “We spent the holidays in Rocky Mount, visiting from Albuquerque, NM. We decided to have breakfast together at Smith’s before leaving. What a treat! The service was excellent! It felt like family all around!” The out-of-town visitor concludes, “This welcoming setting felt like a family hug! The food was plentiful (huge servings), and every single item was absolutely delicious!”

Great variety in their menu, and delicious homemade desserts are staples of the Chew-n-Chat Cafe.

“Great Variety” for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Brunch at the Chew-n-Chat Cafe

Located at 1005 West Mount Drive, the Chew-n-Chat Cafe is next among the top Restaurants in Rocky Mount NC. This favorite stop explains their “Mission and Heritage” at their official Facebook page. “The original Chew-n-Chat was located in southern Alabama during the 1950s and was owned and operated by my grandmother’s family.” It continues, “The café was well known for its good cookin’ and as a place for locals and travelers alike to come together, enjoy a meal, and share in great conversation.”

With great sandwiches, dinners, breakfast, salads, and of course the homemade desserts, it does not appear much has changed. But don’t take our word for it. The following review from Trip Advisor can do the explaining. “This place blew all of my expectations. This menu is phenomenal with creative twists on both southern dishes and current trends in the restaurant biz.” They concluded, “The pricing was good and portion size is perfect for a take-home leftover box, which is just as good later.”

El Jimador gives Rocky Mount an always fresh and always mouth-watering taste of Mexican cuisine.

Of the Rocky Mount NC Restaurants, El Jimador is “Superior Mexican Cuisine” and Scores an A++!”

New to town in early 2017, El Jimador Mexican Restaurant made a great first impression and continues to meet and exceed customer expectations. El Jimador is located at 2181 Lawrence Circle and its freshness and unique Mexican dishes seem to be reasons that many keep coming back again and again. The Trip Advisor revies from one customer began with our headline of “Superior Mexican Cuisine” and goes on in glowing detail.

“Their menu offers all the choices you know and love, as well as a variety of unique and wonderful options to discover. The location is beautiful, well maintained, and the service exceeds any offerings locally. El Jimador is bringing quality and service back to the area.” This obvious frequenter of the restaurant continues on with his compliments. “Thank you for having such a strong commitment to excellence and ensuring your customers receive not only incredible food but great service and experiences every time. Congrats on such an outstanding achievement and a job well done. Well done indeed. A++”

Shown are two of the Chew-n-Chat Cafe daily specials, the Shrimp Platter and Oyster Platter. Both are with Slaw, Collards, and Corn Muffin.

Rocky Mount NC Restaurants: Moving Past Number Seven

To give all the fine Rocky Mount NC Restaurants on our list the accolades and recognition they deserve, we will continue on with our top six in upcoming posts. Though we have a tie for seventh, the rankings will still continue with six, five, and four in our next article.

All of these Rocky Mount NC Restaurants are a short drive from your new home at Belmont Lake Preserve. For more details and reviews of these restaurants, visit tripadvisor.com. For all the great things happening at Belmont Lake Preserve, visit belmontlakepreserve.com.

In this series of articles, we will look at projected trends for new homes being built in 2020. Each article will be based on the educated forecast of some of the most respected publications in home design and real estate. Likewise, we will dedicate each post to a different room in the house and its projected trends. In this our first piece in the series, we will look at Kitchen Design Trends for 2020. 

In addition to listing each of the most popular trends expected in each room for the upcoming year, we will give a brief description of each. Due to this room having so many wildly popular trends, our initial two posts will be a two-part look at popular new ideas for the kitchen. While the experts at homesandgardens.com listed nine total trends, we will look at five of these today. Thus, our next article will feature the remaining four Kitchen Design Trends in 2020.

Kitchen Design Trends for 2020 Featured in This Article

  • Gold Hardware and Sinks
  • Walnut Cabinets
  • Larder/Pantry Cupboards
  • Handleless Cabinets
  • Double Kitchen Islands
Gold sinks and hardware are predicated to continuing working their way back into kitchens in 2020.

Going for the Gold!

With the popularity already on the rise regarding different finishes and colors of sinks, the Homes and Gardens experts feel this will continue to see an increase in interest. These Kitchen Design Trends for 2020 visit the upswing in the importance of the sink and an increase in seeing the gold sink as opposed to the more conventional finish.

In the article detailing these trends at homesandgardens.com, they speak with the Product Development and Training Manager from Home Appliance innovator, SMEG, Joan Fraser.

“Sinks have moved up on the scale of importance in kitchen design.” Fraser added, “Models are introduced to meet customers’ demands for a sink which, in addition to being purely functional, also makes a definitive style statement.”

Walnut for More Warmth

Another of our Kitchen Trends for 2020 includes “warming up” the look of the room. While there are many ways this could be achieved, in this case, we are talking about the use of walnut around the kitchen.

Homes and Gardens columnist, Jennifer Ebert gave the following take on the “wonder of walnut.” Ebert begins, “We have recently seen a rise in walnut cabinetry.” She adds, “It’s rich, dark color, fine grain and natural warmth are prized by makers for its feeling of instant luxury. “

Lots of Love for Larders

Larders or pantry cupboards have seen an increase in popularity with new home builders.

A somewhat consistent feature is the focal point of our next entry among Kitchen Design Trends for 2020. That trend is larder or pantry cupboards.”Having a larder makes perfect sense. All the food goods are in one place and not scattered around in numerous wall cupboards.”

Ebert goes on to explain, “Meaning people can be more organized when doing their food shopping.” In addition to making ones shopping less of a task, this also makes for less of a need for wall cupboards. Consequently, with more wall space, as a result, the choice is yours as to how to cover that open space.

Handleless is Handy…If You Can Handle It!

“‘Handleless kitchen cabinets are one of the biggest trends for 2020, ” exclaims Busola Evans of Homes and Gardens. “… “For a more pared-back, streamlined look. It’s all about simplicity and a focus on cabinetry details.’ “

Doubling Up…on Islands???

The fifth and final of our Kitchen Design Trends of 2020 stays consistent with the kitchen becoming larger and more accommodating. This trend is having double kitchen islands.

Ebert echoes this in her article on Kitchen Design Trends. “With the move towards larger kitchens, in open-plan spaces, the kitchen island has become an essential kitchen feature.” She adds, “A pair of island units has become the last work in luxury, an expansive addition for when space is no object.”

Four More Kitchen Design Trends for 2020…To Go!!!

In our next article, we will cover the remaining Four Kitchen Home Design Trends for 2020. Any of these ideas can be implemented by explaining to “America’s Favorite Builders,” DR Horton at Belmont Lake Preserve (BLP) exactly which you prefer.

To view the great amenities and available homes at BLP, visit belmontlakepreserve.com. To see more on the Homes and Gardens predictions and more, visit homesandgardens.com.