Talk to Us

Google Custom Search
Click Off, if you don't want to search
-
Home —

Five-Star Finishes: Products and Materials to Place your Property in the Top Ratings

by Lori Hagen-Hulitt
Interior Design
Architectural Concepts, Inc.

The typical resort guests of today are looking for accommodations that are generally nicer than the typical home, but certainly as nice as or nicer than their own homes.  Though there are many other ways to make up for less than five star finishes at your own property, such as services and amenities, there are still things to keep in mind when planning & budgeting for upcoming renovations & maintenance.

Due to recent years of easy financing, real estate investment, credit availability and the wide world of do-it-yourself business, guests are much more educated than they used to be on style & finish availability and are expecting the best of accommodations for their home away from home.  Take a look at the following items that will keep your resort in the top ratings and what your savvy guests are looking for.  From upscale kitchens, baths, furnishings & soft-touch items, here’s a brief look at some areas to add some fab!
 

Cutting Edge Countertops

 Scratching the surface with so many materials to choose from, not only can countertops with stand everyday wear & tear, but they’ve never looked better. Investing in new countertops is a real commitment for a property to invest in. If you choose well and care for them properly, your countertops should outlive you. Most important items to remember when selecting, aside from looking good, is durability, ease in maintenance as well as your budget.

With the near-endless options for materials, colors, finishes and decorative edges, it helps to narrow the selection. Regardless of what is selected though, for the highest quality products, installation and personalized attention, only work with a “certified fabricator & installer,” rather than buying from a huge home center.

In today’s market, little less than the best is expected in today’s kitchens and baths.  The products that qualify as cutting edge are numerous, but practically and financially speaking in a commercial application, solid surface and stone tend to hold up best.

The flexibility of natural stone surface and solid surface materials makes them ideal for fashioning decorative shapes or integral sinks.  Tile, wood and stainless steel countertops have their place and can certainly be aesthetically pleasing but are not preferred in a commercial environment for a few reasons. Tile doesn’t offer a smooth surface for food preparation and its grout can discolor; wood requires sealants and maintenance, if not handled properly can store bacteria; and though steel is considered an upscale finish, it does show scratches and shows fingerprints. As a horizontal surface, it does not offer the warmth that most resorts are trying to offer their guests.

Natural Stone is still the most popular and looked for countertop in the industry.  The most common natural stones used to make kitchen counters are Granite & Marble, with Granite acting as the most durable. Because stone is porous, most stones require special sealants. Since granite is the least absorbant of the natural stones, it requires resealing only about once a year. Granite allows cutting, rolling, and placement of hot pots directly on it without damage. Smooth, beautiful and cool to the touch, marble ranks up there with granite as a traditional favorite. However, keep in mind if making this selection that it lacks some of the durability of granite and requires sealants to be applied more frequently to prevent stains.

Though granite is still the most popular option one of the latest material that’s catching on is engineered quartz. The new quartz is nonporous, heat and scratch-resistant and comes in unique colors. This stronger material is a mix of natural quartz that has been ground up and mixed with resin. The color and the look can be very soft or have larger particles. Engineered quartz is even more uniform than granite, which is a mix of 93% stone and resin binders, and doesn’t require sealants. It has the look of natural stone yet has a
consistent color.  It has its own design aesthetic, and in most cases, if you can’t capture the style you are looking for with granite, this is a great option.

Solid Surface is not new to the market but continues to be a good fall back for quality and durability. Solid surface is a solid synthetic sheet formed by mixing a mineral compound with polyester and/or acrylic resins. Benefits of solid surface is that it’s solid, chips, dents, and scratches can be repaired easily, it comes in a variety of colors and finishes and can look and feel like stone and it’s flexible enough to form decorative shapes and an integral sink. 

Don’t forget about the finishing touches on the countertops and back splashes when looking for a particular style or design. For contemporary and versatile edge treatments, square edges or rounded bull noses are the most popular. In traditional style, a more elaborate edge that makes a statement would be more appropriate.

Continuing the stone or solid surface on the backsplash in search of uniformity is always a solid direction. Conversely, for style or cost savings in a renovation, a tile backsplash design can bring color and additional detail & diversity to the space while keeping the function of a solid countertop.

Regardless of your selection of stone and solid surface countertops, the Cost Factor will largely vary. Prices will most always depend on:

Getting the Most out of Your Cabinets

 Just like anything else, many things should be weighed with casework designs, whether new, re-faced and/or renovated. From cabinet material to finish and color, consider the current trends and changing tastes of the current and upcoming guests for your property.

The top preference is now solid wood for properties cabinets. Oak was once the wood of choice but has now been eclipsed by maple as the most popular wood choice for cabinets. Cherry follows close behind, followed by hickory and pine. Light stains will let the natural beauty of the wood show through.  Among your non-wood options,
polyester and plastic laminate offer shine and color. Attractive and durable interior finishes include laminate, vinyl, and natural wood veneer.

Don’t agonize over framed versus frameless construction. The decision has become much less significant than it used to be. Manufacturers often charge the same for both and can achieve many of the same looks using either method.

For properties that have existing cabinets and are looking for an upgrade, consider refinishing or painting of cabinets that solely need a finish update. Keep in mind the new countertop options and finishes when making this decision.

Door shapes range from flat to raised to curved and may be plain and simple or intricately carved. In more traditional built-ins, you’ll find inset and lipped doors, while partial overlay and full overlay provide the clean lines associated with more contemporary designs. You should look for solid wood doors made from multiple strips of lumber in a variety of sizes to minimize the effects of warping.

Like the finest furniture, the highest quality cabinets are finished in multiple steps, which might include hand sanding, rubbing with steel wool, and hand buffing. Compare it to painting: You want to apply several thin layers so that if it chips it wonall peel off. The multiple steps also help create a smoother texture and a deeper color.

Your options for how to decorate the door include: stain, wood veneer, paint, polyester, plastic laminate, stainless steel and glass.

Finally, for those finishing & more personal touches, select the appropriate pulls and knobs to accentuate your cabinetry. With literally tens of thousands of knobs and pulls to choose from, it’s easy to feel lost. Before you choose the color and style (the fun part!), consider your cabinet, suite & property theming, as well as the guest and cabinet user. A Shaker style door in cherry, for example, can go from traditional with a brass knob to contemporary with a nickel pole. Even the most beautiful, most expensive cabinets won’t be worth much if you can’t get into them. That’s where the hardware comes in. Regarded as the jewelry of the cabinets, pulls and knobs are details that can make a strong statement.


Over-emphasised appliances and electronics

 One of the joys and ways for the mind to escape when getting away is entering a space with modern sharp looking appliances & an oversized electronic package. Whether your guests actually use these items or they are just there for clout, updated appliances and electronics will draw them into the life of luxury and give your unit the finishing touch. However, don’t head into the jungle without preparing for the journey. Know your needs and style preferences before you enter.  Regardless of your needs, selected style or limited budget, even just the selection of the black appliance or flat screen TV will give the flare you are looking for.


Seamless Flooring

 There’s a reason nearly all the choices for unit flooring contain the same materials as you find in countertops. They provide durability, stain resistance, and style.   Many resorts today are going with a little more cost up front for a lesser maintenance and lesser cost later with a hard surface flooring in the entries, kitchens, dining and baths, and often also in the living room spaces. The more continuous, seamless transitions and installations of using the same flooring from room to room also opens the space and unconsciously adds square footage to the sense of the guest suite. Consider using other materials with throw rugs placed in strategic spots, such as in front of the sink or under the sofa and coffee table areas.

For the higher comfort areas such as the bedrooms however, the warmer, homey items should continue to be carpet.  Regardless of if the carpet is only in the sleeping rooms or if also in the living areas, modern selections must continue to be kept in mind.

Fortunately for today’s resort facilities crews, even the residential choices of today lean toward a commercial design. The WOW! and POW! choices are here and more handsome than ever! Select a pattern, small & moderate or large and defined, with a durable nylon and a cut/loop or full loop construction for durability and practical uses. Manufacturer’s have become sensitive to design sensitivity, functionality and limited budgets and most offer lines that will meet lifespan requirements.

Don’t be afraid to warm a place with hardwood flooring! Oak and maple are common choices for kitchen flooring; pine is often used to give a worn effect. The wood is typically installed prior to the cabinets and laid in planks, narrow strips, or patterned parquet squares.

A floor finished on-site with penetrating oil and wax gives you the classic look of hardwood floors and an even surface. However, it will need to be waxed annually. This type of treatment is more appropriate for the drawing room than a high-traffic, high-spill zone like the kitchen.

Keep in mind that often a bit more costly and has a bit more upkeep, as with residential design, wood is a desired choice of guests. Good points of natural wood flooring are the ability to keep a polyurethane-coated wood floor clean with a vacuum or broom and the variety of looks that the wood can provide. However, things to look out for are: water seepage between the boards, it may cause warping and buckling; Floors with wax finishes require maintenance and may not be practical for the kitchen. They can be slippery too; You may need to refinish the entire floor to get rid of scratches; You have to guard against fading and be careful where you place throw rugs and mats—the sun could fade the floor around them, leaving a darker area.

Regardless of your final selection, we’re seeing designs rich in natural materials. It’s a trend that will continue. Most designers select either marble or porcelain in larger 24 inch-by-24-inch tiles that they can lay close together and make the grout lines disappear. They’re choosing these materials for the Mediterranean, earthy kind of feel that you can get with soft-toned, tumbled marbles like travertine and saturnia. These come in light beige, creamy milk tones. They have a buffed rather than polished finish and offer a really clean look. The kitchens open onto the dining rooms and living rooms and the marble continues throughout the suite, creating a nice, big open room feeling.


Architectural Details

It’s worth turning your attention upward—and all around—to your ceilings, windows, doors, mouldings, and trim. Architectural details, such as the following, can put the finishing touches on your design and enhance other elements of the space:

Beyond the practical and style considerations, let your imagination go. Stuccoed walls might suggest those of a Tuscan Villa; an arch over a doorway could echo the curve in your cabinet doors; and larger more significant mouldings bringing emphasis to room scale and height. Any way you go about it, keep in mind the magnitude of what architectural details and features can bring to creating a space.


Luxury Upholsteries, Furnishings and Bedding

Last, but not least after the selection, specification and implementation of the eye catching finishes and fixtures throughout the suite is the significant importance of the “soft” touch. Finalizing and updating your property doesn’t have to be too elaborate or expensive just as long as you give attention where attention is needed. Touchable items translate into just that, items that pull people to them, make them want to sink into them to relax, let go and feel the quality of the get away that they have just worked so hard for. Select unique textures and colors that represent the contextual area, style and theming of the resort. Select furnishings and fabrics that are inviting, clean and add a touch of modernity.

If budgets allow, upgrade and include a bedding package that can’t be resisted. Add decorative Duvets with washable down comforter fills and a diversity of large to small pillows – don’t forget a mattress that allows a night of sleep that leaves someone longing for their next vacation.

Even when updating a resort and re-using some of the current pieces and fabrics, remember that hip comfort always stays in tune with the latest trends and plays off the ease of playful hues. Let your guests wrap themselves up in this comfortable home away from home that they will want to return to year after year, inviting back family and friends for quality that will last a lifetime.

Look for Economical Product Trends in the Global Market in the Next Issue!