Home Trends & Predictions 2025 Part 2 | HOUR2

share some posts with your friends. Also, if your home is in need of some personal house Whisper attention, you listen to the show and you're like, you know what we really need. We just need Dean and Tina to get over to our house. Guess what you can do that? You can book an in home design consult with Me and t You just go to house Whisperer dot design, house Whisper dot design for more details. All right, we are talking today part two of a two part series

on trends and predictions for twenty twenty five. It's the last show, the last weekend in twenty twenty four. I do this every year. I've got so much more for you. But right now it's top of the hour and it's time to go to the phones find out what's going on with you and your home. I want to talk to Nicole A. Nicole, Welcome home.

granites and things like quartzites. There is some concern that people have had when it comes to quartz countertops, meaning synthetic countertops with heavy amounts of bleach as well, although most quartz countertops, that is, man made synthetic countertops tend to be far more resilient to that kind of harsh chemical than the natural stones in general in general. So I get it. More important to me, though, is what you're using your countertops for. You cook a lot that

kind of thing. Give me some insight there.

a rock. Okay, it's a rock, all right. So it's you know, it's it's it's soft as a relative term, it's stone. But the thing with soapstone is that it is the most dense natural stone that we use for counter materials that is available to us on planet Earth. Soapstone is so dense. It requires no ceiling, zero ceiling whatsoever. You can do anything to it anything. And I speak not only from design experience and builder experience, but I have soapstone island in my sitting in my own kitchen

for this very reason, because I do cook a lot. Okay, and you remember when we were in school, in chemistry class, you were sitting behind those dark countertops and chemistry class soapstone and the reason they're there one hundred percent heat resistant. You can take. I can take a cast iron skillet out of a five hundred degree oven and just set it on my soapstone island directly. No trivet, no anything,

does zero things to the soapstone. I can pour acid, wine vinegar all over my soapstone countertop will not etch. It cannot be etched by acid, cannot be burnt by conventional cooking methods whatsoever, does not need to be sealed.

And to bring its vibrants back, all we do is we'll take a cloth and put a little bit of mineral food grade mineral oil like the stuff that you use to condition a cutting board, and give it one wipe across the surface and boom, all of its vibrants right back at you, and it will last that way forever, essentially, so you can clean it with just about anything you want to clean it with and have the peace of mind knowing that with zero porosity, there is no place,

no place for germs to get below the surface and high and as and as a result, as a result uh nicole, you don't have to clean it with as caustic a material as uh you know, as as you would be led to clean other countertops with, because there's literally it's like it's like having a stainless steel surface. There's literally no place for germs or bacteria to hide down in the porosity of the stone. And so there it is. It's just that easy to take care of

and it's that trouble free. So that would be a recommendation. The reason I asked, though, the qualifying question, it's not going to be for everybody because it's a dark material. It comes in absolute black. The lightest that it gets is kind of a sea foam blue or green. But but it's a darker material. But it's worth checking out. You should. You should check it out and look at it and just know that, yeah, well, Dean was right,

that's the most bomb proof material. It can be integrated beautifully into a kitchen if you're if you're down for the dark countertops, that's all I'm saying.

is that? Anyway, it's a newer unit and I haven't used it, and I just recently started hearing about not using this self cleaning device because it has such high temperatures, which I know it does, that it will destroy the heating elements.

going to destroy the heating element. It just means that the heating element is really designed on an oven to go from you know, one hundred plus degrees one hundred and fifty degrees up to five. Some go to five point fifty, but roughly that. But when you self cleaning oven, you're ramping that up by another two hundred degrees or so. That's why the door locks so that nobody can accidentally

get access to it. The door locks off because it gets above seven hundred degrees inside that oven in order to get to carbonize essentially whatever stuff is stuck to

the inside of the oven. The way that a modern oven, a lot of models that are coming out, like literally last year, this year and so on, make up for that is a lot of them will have a what they call a missed cleaning feature, in which you either it's either built in, you know, connected a water line connected to the oven that steams it, or you can actually fill up a steam reservoir, or you can just simply put a pan with water in the oven and allow it to steam out the oven. That's not as

intense as the self cleaning function. In fact, you don't have to kick it into self cleaning mode. But what it will do is if you do that more frequently, then you can avoid the major you know, what we call the nuclear option on cleaning the oven using the self cleaning feature. So yeah, there is a there's amount of truth to the fact that a self cleaning feature will put does put a lot of stress on an oven. Now have I any experience whatsoever personally with self cleaning

a newer oven messing it up zero? I have no personal experience with that whatsoever. I do know this, though, that every appliance guru I've ever talked to has said that the older the oven gets in age, probably the less you should use the self cleaning feature, because it does put a lot of stress in strain. It's like, you know, it's like you got a Okay, I've got a fifteen year old car with three hundred thousand miles

on it. Maybe not the best idea to drive it cross country at one hundred miles an hour because it puts a lot of stress and strain on the mechanisms that are aging there. So I don't see if there's

any reason to avoid self cleaning. But I would always just tell people, and I try and practice this myself, you know, just deal with the little spills gradually as you go, and use the steam cleaning function if it has one, or just get some internet advice as to how to do that yourself if it doesn't have one, and avoid the self cleaning as much as possible. I mean,

I've got a really good double oven. I've got a ge profile double even that I absolutely love, and we've never used the self cleaning feature on it because you know, I just tend to I do my best to keep up with the little spills and the issues as we go so that we don't have to throw it into nuclear mode.

clean oven. So if I've gotten to the point where if something has happened in there, like something exploded or something something that I just literally like the normal methods aren't cleaning it, then gosh, dang it, you know what, I'm going to lock it up and use the self cleaning mode. But I don't I'm not going to use it regularly, and I'm going to do everything I can to avoid using it because I know the kind of stress and strain it puts on the system itself. That's all.

It's just simply that much. It's just that everybody shouldn't run to first.

twenty three before it keeping rooms and public facing cooking. Okay, that's two different things, but let me break it up for you. Keeping room. Do you know what a keeping room is? A keeping room is a very very old concept that I am thrilled is making a big return because the time has come for because it works with

us as a culture now. A keeping room dates back all the way to a colonial America I mean a time when the hearth, the fire that basically, you know, is what is keeping us all warm and cooking our food was the center of life and activity in a home. Okay, it's literally why to this day we still use those phrases like hearth and home, right, as as as as examples or ways of expressing how important the centrality of

home is to us. Hearth, hearth and home. The hearth over the and around the fire is about this era in which you know, there's no central heating, and there's no isolated kitchens. There's a big old fire, and there's a pot of stew or meat roasting on that fire. And also everyone else in the household is nearby, now not nearby sitting at a table, but nearby, sitting near

and or around the fire, keeping warm. Right. So, as this architectural concept continues to develop prior to central heating and all of that kind of stuff, these areas developed into actual rooms, keeping rooms that are directly adjacent to the kitchen area. So what is a keeping room in the twenty first century? Some of you might equate it to I mean, a lot of people have the potential

of having a keeping room. Let me say this because you have a breakfast room or a morning room and it's a relatively smaller space that you've got a smaller table sitting in, and that is sort of the twenty first century equivalent of the keeping room. However, a breakfast room or a morning room is not a keeping room if there's a table sitting in it for you to

have your meals at. In fact, I would go so far as to say, and I've seen this again and again and again as I've walked through your home, that the breakfast room or the morning room is an overused, small, kind of cramped area, and the dining room is sitting

there completely abandoned and neglected. Part of that is because the home itself wasn't built well for the dining room to really be accessible and lovely, or we're hanging on to some over run concept of dining rooms having to be this formal, beautiful thing that we don't want to

use every day. I personally for most of the mainstream homes that we are asked to consult on and or do redesign work for, I like the idea of you using every home, every room in your home, and nothing just sitting there dead as it were, So, I like the idea of finding a way that you can eat your meals in your dining room, you know, dining in the dining room, and that includes breakfast and lunch as well.

So whenever possible, we try and create a dining room that, sure it can handle the feast and the more formal, entertaining occasion, but is also super pleasant to actually be in and have smaller, less formal, more intimate meals in. Right. So setting that aside, that turns us back to this space that has been allocated as the morning room. And I don't get me wrong, I have no issue with a morning room and a little cafe table and all

of that. But that space could be, under the skillful hands of a remodeled designer, could be transformed into a keeping room. Now the difference would be this. The difference would be, instead of cafe, another dining area set there. A chair or maybe two chairs, comfortable chairs would be sitting there, maybe a couple of a chair or two with a table a small table in between them, facing

and oriented towards the kitchen. Because we've come to the place now with our open concept plans of kitchen and family room being quite often all integrated together in this keeping room space. It's not there to keep warm in the traditional sense of staying near the hearth. But if we interpret the heart as kitchen, then a keeping room is literally a space for somebody who isn't in the

way of the cook. Okay, you're not in the kitchen proper, you're not sitting there prepping and helping out with the meal, but you are interacting with whoever is in the kitchen in the most comfortable and natural way possible. That is a keeping room, and it really is a brilliant concept if you can pull it off. And it's a super comfortable concept if you can pull it off, because we all love to spend time in, you know, interacting with people who are you know, sometimes working for us on

our behalf preparing meals in the kitchen. So what is hot for twenty twenty five That is fully legit in my opinion, the keeping room. The idea of keeping rooms is growing in popularity once again, stretching all the way back, finding its heritage in the early colonial days when literally you'd want to be in there to stay warm. Now it's an application of that connectivity and that relationship, and

they're very, very elegant. They can be elegant and beautiful, they're informal, and it's really a great way to go. And this ties in with the second idea, which is public facing cooking and what do we mean by that straight And this is not about something that you buy

versus anything else. But if you're thinking about a kitchen remodel, then this is a question that I ask every single one of my clients who are pondering an island or a peninsula, and that is it's been very popular in the past, especially they started doing this in the eighties and in the nineties that you know, we're showing off a kitchen island by putting a kitchen sink in the island, big sink in the island, and maybe that works for

you with your orientation of your kitchen. In some islands, a kitchen sink will work in this sense without getting in the way of anything else happening as far as social interaction. But if you can imagine that there are other people with you there in the kitchen area, or people in the adjoining room or maybe a keeping room, the question becomes this, do you want to spend your whole time cooking with your back to everybody else and

then face them when you're doing the dishes. Or would you rather spend all that time cooking facing the room, facing the family room, facing your guests, facing your friends, interacting with them face to face as you cook, and then spend your time with your back turn to somebody while you're doing the dishes. I have found that ninety percent of my clients prefer when given the option, they'd rather face everybody while they're cooking and have the sink

back behind them. So what is a trend that has been moving forward now consistently for a number of years, but is very very alive and well coming into twenty twenty five for a kitchen remodel, It's the idea that we build either the peninsula or the island in such a way that you can stand in the kitchen and cook and be a part of what's happening all the other conversations that are happening around you, instead of having your back to everybody and kind of being disconnected from

that experience. So hot for twenty twenty five, keeping rooms and public facing cooking. Think about keeping the sink on the outside wall, keeping the sink back behind you, or to the side of you, and if it's all possible, maybe put that cook top, not the oven so much, but the cook top in such a place that you can stand and fa your friends and your family as you prepare their food. It just enhances that experience so much more. All Right, when we come back after the break,

let's talk about lamps and lighting fixtures. What's the story with them? For twenty twenty five.

to reach me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the number two Ask Dean eight three three two. Ask Dean. It's just that simple. Anything you want to talk about regarding your home, anything that's got you scratch in your head, design, decor, construction, DIY you name it, landscape, inside, outside, whatever the case may be. We'll put our heads together. I'll help you out, I promise. All right, that's coming up right after the next break, So producer Richie's standing

by ready to take your calls. All right, let's get back to our list of things that are hot and not for twenty twenty five, coming into time to spend transforming your home. This is true. This is on a lot of lists, and it's true. It's true and legit statement lamps and statement lighting fixtures, absolutely true. Now is it a trend for this year only in the sense that it's been neglected in years past. But you know

this is not new, it's not anything new. It's actually something much much older that needs to be brought back in its strength. Because here's the thing, here's the thing that's not hot this year. Finally, finally, recess can lighting. Excessive use of recess can lighting everywhere in the house. I know you've heard me talk about this before. You know, no, I do not hate recess can lights. I just want to use them where they should go, and not use

them where they don't belong. And so the world's obsession with recessed can lighting in modern homes has completely neglected and caused us to lose touch with our sense of what a great lamp and a great lighting fixture does. And you know, we live in a world where there are recessed can lights, and I say, thank goodness for that. I'm super happy about that. Okay, I'm not happy though. That has caused us to neglect the other side of

the coin. There are two kinds of lights in the world. Okay, this is This is house whisper one oh one lighting made simple. It doesn't get any simpler than this. There are only two kinds of lighting fixtures in the world. Are you ready? Here we go. There are lighting fixtures whose job it is to throw light out and not draw attention to themselves. And then there are lighting fixtures that not only throw light out but also draw attention

to themselves. There's two kinds, okay, perfect example of each would be a recessed can light. A recessed can light is recessed or supposed to be recessed, by the way, more on that. In a moment, A recess can light is rest because it's not supposed to be drawing attention to itself in any way, shape or form. It's just stuck there up in the ceiling doing its job throwing light down onto the thing that we want lit. And that's its job, not to draw attention to itself, but

to draw attention to the thing that is lit. The other form would be, you know, like a chandelier over a dining table. This is a light fixture whose job it is to light the area around it adequately, sufficiently, romantically, whatever the case may be, but also say hey, hey, hey, look at me. Aren't I cute? Aren't I elegant? Aren't I gorgeous? These are the two kinds of things that we have at our disposal. That's it. I've simplified your

entire lighting design world in that sense. But it is so critical that you understand the difference between the two because us these days, where what I find in most homes that I go into is that an electrician has gone crazy or a contractor has gone crazy and thrown recess can lights all over the place and kind of just pushed aside the idea of decorative lighting fixtures, floor lamps,

ceiling fixtures hanging down those kinds of things. Pendants, you know, and we live in a time in which so many lighting fixtures are just absolute artwork and affordable at the same time that it's a shame that we're neglecting them. Also, overhead recess can lighting the worst way to light a room in general. Okay, number one, it breaks the number one rule of lighting design in home architecture, which is

we don't light rooms. We light things, okay, not rooms things. Second, the recess can light just just straight down light over you know, that kind of lights up a room like a warehouse. Not attractive lighting. It removes shadows. And you're like, that's a good thing. I want light because I want light. Yeah, but shadow is what creates texture, and texture creates romance and beauty in a space. And so we don't want

to purge a room of its shadows. We want to be bright and useful, but we don't want to get rid of the shadows because that makes everything flat and muddy and boring. And so recess can lights get over used in that sense. Also, and this is the thing. Sorry, I get very upset about this, and I'm about to I'm about to make a lot of you feel bad about what you've got on your ceiling. And I apologize for this, but I'm just I'm just being an honest friend. Builders.

It's not your fault. Builders are using these hucks, these led puck lights, okay, because they are cheap. Bottom line, they're cheap. And are they what are they? They're sold as super convenient and super inexpensive and all you know, and super awesome. And what they are is, despite the housing that goes up inside the ceiling, the puck light is the light itself. It has a lens, and that lens is the light and it's right there even with the surface of the ceiling, which means when those lights

go on glare you see them, you're staring. It's as if you had a room full of lamps and you took off all the lamp shades and now you're just staring right at the light bulbs. And that's glare. And there's nothing nice about glare. And it also breaks the rule that a recess candlight's job is to go away and not draw attention to itself. Well, you can't not

see this glary thing sitting up on the ceiling. So what are you suggesting thee Well, I am suggesting a return to the classic and still very very much the right way to do recessed can lighting. The key here is recessed. The light source in that recessed can light should be up up up above the ceiling line, up inside the housing, so that when it is on, you are not looking directly at it. You're getting the light coming out, but you are not staring directly at the fixture.

And then, of course there are other things we should be directing it here, there and everywhere, wall washing and so on that you know I've talked about and we'll talk about again in the new year in our lighting design shows. But the point is this a trend, thank goodness, for twenty twenty five, this is catching on more and more among designers who are insisting on this. Clients use

far less recess can lighting number one. Number two, the recessed can lighting that they use is recessed up above the ceiling line, so that we don't have to stare at those glowing pucks of glare. And three a return to lamp shopping. Beautiful floor lamps, table lamps, reading lamps, and hanging fixtures from the ceiling of every imaginable shape and size. And you know, it is the golden age of lamps and lighting fixture design. Go to any excellent lamp shop, be it Lamps Plus or a place you

know where a higher end lighting design happens. Go and see what's there, see what's available, and start dreaming about the kind of light that can be created in a room. Very very hot trend. And it is a trend because we're moving out of this over use time. But it's a trend that I'm hoping fingers crossed is not just simply going to rise and fall again, but that is here to stay. Why Because it's proper architectural lighting of a space period period has nothing to do with its popularity.

It's in, it's out. There is a right way to light a space and a wrong way to light a space. We've been doing it the wrong way for a long time. It's time to get back to doing it the right way. So give yourself some freedom and do yourself a huge favor and spend some time shopping lamps and lighting fixtures at a really good lighting store and forego the recess can lights except for their absolute necessity where they are needed most. There you go, all right, Well, you get back.

Let's talk about flooring. Flooring trends. There is a strong one that I absolutely love. We will talk about that when we return to the subject, but right after the break, we're going back to the phones. Your home Dean Sharp, the House Whisper on KFI. This has been Home with

Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Tune into the live broadcast on KFI AM six forty every Saturday morning from six to eight Pacific time and every Sunday morning from nine to noon Pacific time, or anytime on demand on the iHeart Radio app.