= Raising The Bar And WineCellar To New Heights (NAPSA)—Whenyou're looking for a great place to unwindwith friends, as more and more Americans are discover- ing, few spots can beat your own home baror winecellar. What’s CoolIn Wine Cellars A recentsurvey of home decorators, designers and fabricators found four facts and trends to consider when you wantto install your own bar. 1. Whatare the new technologiesfor el j The best bar around could be the bars and wine cellars? The majority of onein your own home. designers broughtup LEDlighting,flexible lighting, appliance lighting and the wine cellar to have a unique look that addition of more lightingdisplays. “Bars stands out from therest of the home? andwinecellars will trend toward back“The products wefeel are currently lighting in the future with the increasing trendingare wine barrel and winepress prevalence of LEDlighting” according furniture,” states Brad Burns, partner/ to Paul Menninger, owner of Capitol Granite. “The options for LED come with reducedcosts, longerlife and lower heat generation.” 2. What materials or appliances are trending? The hottest materials today include ultracompact surfacing—more commonly known as “thin”tile. These surfaces have the advantage of stain resistance and durability—you can have a marble look, for instance, without having to worry about stains. Mixed textures were also a common answer. ‘These are spaces designed to “stand out” 3. What trends do you anticipate for the future? Designers and fabrica- tors anticipate the use of moreglass, unique surface materials such as por- celain countertops, or looks such as a mitered drop edge. Cheryl Clende- non, owner ofInDetail Design,states, “T would say unique wine storage in unusual places—we have proposed onein large foyer. Sounds odd but it will be part ofa built-in area with a bench andthe winewill becomedrinkable art! Also, moreclients want wine refrigeration” “Clients tend to want a bar or wine cellar thatis a conversationpiece,” states Krista Lake, ownerofSignature Interior Expressions. “They like for their bar/ owner of Cutting Edge Countertops. That may help explain the appeal of Blanco’s new Empressa faucet collec tion, which coordinates bar and kitchen sink faucet styles with a vintage wine- press-inspired handle shape. 4, Whatcolors are in for bars and wine cellars? Mostly whites and grays, automotive and industrial finishes. “Whites and grays with dark-colored woodscontrasting in the wine cellars, like walnut and cherry? are popular, adds Menninger. What's working, he said, is contrasting light and dark colors for entertaining spaces. For example, the Empressa faucet ranges from con- temporary polished chromeorstainless, to moretraditionalpolished nickel and evenoil-rubbed bronze. ‘The award-winning design team at Blancoforesaw the fusion of old-world influences and contemporary style in today’s kitchens and bars. Traditional finishes such asoil-rubbed bronze are making a comeback, even as modern design is surpassing traditional. The result is a transitional look with one foot in the familiar past and another in the functional present.It can be the best of both worlds. Learn More Forfurther facts aboutfaucets, go to www.blancoamerica.com.
