“Styles and lifestyles change,” says kitchen designer Amber Miller of Bareville Kitchens & Design. When those changes happen simultaneously, homeowners are faced with the age-old question of whether to remodel or move. That dilemma presented itself to a couple who had already undertaken two major remodeling projects over the course of nearly 30 years. Now, as empty nesters, they were questioning whether their home’s style and their lifestyle were in sync.

They built their much-loved home as newlyweds. The arrival of three children created a family, which prompted the first remodeling project that saw the basement become an entertainment center, complete with a full kitchen, theater, billiard room and more.

Ten years later, one of their fathers became ill, which motivated the couple to tackle their next project: an addition that was dedicated to an in-law’s suite. The addition also held a new garage.

The project also inspired them to solve other lifestyle issues: the small family room, which adjoined the kitchen, became an informal dining area, while the adjacent master suite was transformed into a much-larger family room. The footprint of the original garage was enlarged to accommodate a laundry and powder room on the first floor and a master suite on the second floor.

By 2015, the couple – now empty nesters – were at a crossroads and asked themselves whether they should stay put or move and downsize? Despite going through the motions of looking at potential new homes, they knew theirs could be perfect for this new phase of life that included welcoming new members to the family (through weddings) and entertaining their empty-nester friends. They agreed that remodeling, and not moving (or downsizing), was on their agenda.

For the third round of remodeling, the kitchen would be the area of focus, so they called on their original designer, Fred Miller of Bareville Kitchens & Design, for help. In 1990, their kitchen was very much on-trend, as it included pickled white cabinetry (which Fred admits didn’t stay in style for long) and Corian counters. Now, the kitchen looked tired. In fact, the entire first floor was looking dated.

Fred and co-designer Amber Miller met with the couple to not only gauge their wish list for the new kitchen, but to also learn what they didn’t like about the current kitchen. The wish list boiled down to one point: they wanted to start anew, with the word “classic” being their vision for the space. And, space was the major concern – there wasn’t enough of it. “This was going to be a major undertaking,” Fred notes. “But, because we were being given relatively free reign, I knew it was going to be a fun job.”

At the top of the must-have list was a large island – one that was big enough for 20 people or more to gather around for entertaining purposes. And, it needed to include a cooktop stove that had a view of the dining area so that the cooking-loving husband could stay connected to family and friends while he worked. The island also had to provide ample storage and pullout drawers that would keep cooking and baking essentials organized.

Light was also an issue. A lone window, three skylights and a patio door kept one end of the kitchen bathed in natural light, while the other end was in relative darkness. They hoped to achieve a better balance of both natural and provided light. “The backyard view begged for a wall of windows,” Amber remarks.

The new design called for the kitchen to expand beyond the confines of the original – a baking center composed of double ovens fit perfectly into a diagonal wall, while a furniture-look wet bar is located in the informal dining room but is convenient to the entire first floor.

In order to create more of an open floor plan for the first floor, walls were reworked and rooms were rearranged. For example, a pantry took over space that had held the powder room, which was relocated to the other side of the hall. The music and dining rooms traded places. (The new music room lost 3 feet of space in order to create the new powder room.) A window seat in the informal dining room created storage and seating for the dining table.

As with the second project, the couple utilized the opportunity to correct issues that had arisen over time. Bareville’s Phil Lehman, who served as the construction coordinator, handled that aspect of the project. “We replaced window sashes, solved some subfloor issues and took care of structural repairs that were needed because of rot that resulted from problems with the dryvit,” he says. He also oversaw the installation of a new main staircase. Specialty molding was also his area of responsibility. “As with any remodeling project, problems can and will occur,” he says. “Fortunately for us, the clients wanted them taken care of and done right.”

Style was also important to the couple. Classic was the word to design by. Keys to achieving the specified look included hardwood floors, white cabinets, gray for the island and wet bar, brushed nickel finishes, mirror accents, glass subway tile, granite counters and wood-panel-covered appliances.

Achieving a specified look is, of course, dependent upon decision-making, and to help the couple with that element of the project, Bareville suggested that an interior designer be brought aboard. Bareville recommended Janine Arnesen-Nolt, who heads Arnesen-Nolt Interiors. “They had to make a lot of decisions, which can be overwhelming,” she explains. “My role was to guide them and take the pressure off.”

In Janine’s opinion, achieving a successful outcome hinges on communication, and thanks to the constant ebb and flow among her, the designers from Bareville and the clients, she maintains that their goals were met. “Yes, they wanted clean and classic, but at this stage of their lives, they also wanted to add a sense of elegance to their home,” she explains. That was achieved with lighting upgrades, high-end finishes, unique moldings and faux finishes.

A color story was also important to the homeowners. They were more than ready to embrace color and chose to incorporate transitional grays, vivid blues and a dramatic plum into the palette. “It took a lot of finessing – everything had to look good both separately and together,” Janine explains. She elaborates by saying, “Design-wise, everything has to have a conversation.”

In Janine’s estimation, one of the responsibilities of an interior designer is to provide clients with creative suggestions that can make all the difference in a project. But, in order to bring those suggestions to life, teamwork is essential. “You have to have a team to carry out the vision, and, here, Bareville was that team,” she says.
Together, they had to plan a stepped window in the kitchen that would allow room for the cabinetry to meet the wall but maintain the view. Lighting is always a critical feature of interior design projects and here, directional mono-point lights were chosen over recessed lighting in the angled ceiling of the breakfast area. “That way, light could be pinpointed to specific areas as needed,” she explains.
“It was wonderful to work with clients who had a vision but trusted mine,” she says of the results.

Trending … Bareville Kitchens & Design

Until nine years ago, Bareville was known for its furniture selection and the model kitchens – created by sister company Quality Custom Cabinetry – that greeted visitors at the front of the store. Today, Bareville is devoid of furniture. Instead, it has transitioned into an all-encompassing design center for projects such as kitchens, bathrooms and other spaces in the home that require cabinetry, flooring, tile, molding and window treatments for both new construction and remodeling.
According to designer Fred Miller, who has been in the business for 35 years, “Trends are changing faster” and people come into projects “very educated.” He attributes both to the world of cyber space. Because of the Internet, homeowners can keep abreast of the newest trends, whether it’s in their own backyard or on the other side of the world.

What’s on trend in Lancaster? According to Fred and Amber, Lancastrians are liking:

• Traditional/Transitional Cabinetry
• White Cabinetry
• Cabinetry with Glass Accents
• White Backsplashes
• Subway Tile
• Glass Tile
• Patterned Tile
• Oversized Tile for Flooring and Shower Walls
• Brushed Metals (Gold, Nickel and Brass)

For more information, visit barevillekitchens.com.

Trending … Janine Arnesen-Nolt

Janine shares that she’s been interested in interior design since she was a child, who constantly rearranged the furnishings in her bedroom. “I always knew this is what I wanted to do,” she says. After graduating from Garden Spot High School, she earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her career took her to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Hampshire and back to Lancaster in 2006. She founded Arnesen-Nolt Interiors four years later and specializes in both residential and commercial projects.

What are Lancastrians liking? According to Janine it’s:

• Classic White Trim
• Contrasting Colors
• Bursts of Color
• Bold-patterned Fabrics
• Faux Finishes, Especially Metallics
• A “Family” of Grays

For more information, visit lancasterinteriors.com.

The front door. Yes, it’s a vital component of your home, as it gets you from point A to point B. But, it’s more than that! A front door can create instant curb appeal, make a first impression and convey your style. Most of all, it can make you glad to arrive home.

I’m obsessed with front door colors. The reason is twofold. First, I subscribe to quite a few decorating/home magazines and newsletters, plus I have favorite websites that pertain to the topic. Lately, my eye has been drawn to colorful front doors. It seems everyone is expressing themselves via their front doors.

That brings us to the second reason I’m obsessed. I live in a suburban townhouse community that is governed by a homeowner’s association. The covenants state that the colors of the doors (garages included) and courtyard fencing for each plex must be uniform. That’s fine; I realized that was a fact of life when I moved there almost 30 years ago. However, I’ve been greeted by a front door that has been the same color for nearly 30 years. It’s boring. It’s monotonous. But, I don’t know if it’s worth getting sued if I would rebel and change my door color.

The door’s color – you know, that reddish-orange color that was all the rage in the 80s – is so out of date that it’s probably primed to make a comeback. Actually, it kind of has. Benjamin Moore’s color of the year is called Caliente. It’s described as a “vibrant, charismatic shade of red” that conveys strength, radiance and energy. It almost matches my door color.

My obsession is driving me crazy. Everywhere I go, I take note of front doors. White and beige hues are certainly in the minority. But, I’ve got to say that homeowners in Old Town Lancaster and the city’s other historic districts have it down to a science. Doors are painted in a rainbow of colors – it’s exhilarating to look at them.

The vibrant doors of art-loving Lancaster began to make sense after I read a “primer” on front doors that appeared on HGTV’s website. It seems the more artsy or quirky a city is, the more daring are its homeowners – at least where front doors are concerned. An interior designer in Austin, Texas, reports, “Austin has a quirky vibe, so you see lots of front door colors such as turquoises, lime greens and gold oranges. Another hot trend is high-gloss black front doors.” A color expert from the Northwest observed, “Bright yellow is a big trend for front doors as well as kelly greens and oranges.”

Janine Arnesen-Nolt, a Lancaster-based interior designer, is a fan of colorful front doors. “It’s fun to use a color that pops,” she says, explaining that a bold, brilliant color you would never consider for interior spaces somehow works when its surrounded by nature. She loves to build on a front-door color via flowers, containers, etc. According to Janine, a front door is a way to set your house apart from neighboring properties if you live in a community in which the house styles are similar. In a circumstance such as mine, Janine thinks it would be nice if homeowners could choose from among three colors for their front doors. The result would be creative uniformity.

Speaking of artsy towns, Taos and Santa Fe’s front-door hues have always intrigued me. If you go to these New Mexico art enclaves, you’ll notice that nearly every front door is painted a shade that I’d describe as cobalt blue or maybe turquoise or maybe … in actuality, no two blues are the same. There is no bona fide Santa Fe or Taos blue paint color. That was confirmed to me and my sister when we visited a paint store in Santa Fe in hopes of identifying the color. We were told that everyone mixes colors to achieve their own personal shade of blue.

New Mexico’s blue doors do have an interesting story behind them. The color trend is said to have started with Spanish settlers who believed the color wards off evil spirits. Another theory leads to Our Lady of Guadalupe, who wore a blue robe and was said to possess powers that kept those who prayed to her safe from harm. It’s also said that Santa Fe’s blue doors pay homage to the sky. After all, artists are of the opinion that the sky over Santa Fe produces a light that is not found anywhere else in the world.

In Taos, the popularity of a blue door is attributed to the fact that blue represents one of the four sacred directions of pueblo life. Put them together and the theories have evolved into a modern-day philosophy for New Mexico’s residents: Pass through a blue door and you will feel safe and warm.

Blue doors are also popular in the South – notably along the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia – as are porch ceilings painted blue. Here, the hue is collectively called “Haint” Blue, which is thought to be a derivative of the word haunt. Haints are lost souls or restless spirits. African slaves, who feared haints, believed they could not travel across water, so they mimicked the color of water with blue paint and the blue bottles they hung in trees (which gave way to the South’s famous bottle trees) as a way to thwart evil spirits.

Southerners also believed that blue paint keeps insects at bay, which led them to paint their porch ceilings blue. There was some validity in that notion – after all, insects don’t fly skyward. In actuality, there was an ingredient in original versions of blue milk paint that repelled insects.

Again, there is no such color as Haint Blue. Homeowners mix colors to come up with their own shades. But, if you’re not creative, Palladian Blue (Benjamin Moore), Blue Ground (Farrow & Ball), Atmospheric (Sherwin-Williams) and Aqua Fiesta (Olympic) will do the job. I’m thinking of painting the bottom of my deck, which shades my patio, such a color. Hopefully, no one will notice.

Just the other day I had a “holy grail” moment when a photo of actress Hilary Duff’s double front door popped up on my computer screen. The doors are painted Millennial Pink, which is another one of those colors that cover a gamut of shades. Color-wise, it falls somewhere between Barbie pink and baby pink. Some people describe it as peachy pink, grapefruit pink and ballerina pink.

How hot is pink? Rose Quartz, Pantone’s Color of the Year in 2016, created a frenzy. Described as a “balance of strength and softness,” it set the stage for Paris Fashion Week in January 2017, where every designer sent a pink frock down the runway. In April, Starbucks added its Pink Drink to its year-round menu, and it became an Instagram star. For May’s Met Gala in New York, Zoe Kravitz’s pink dress broke the Internet. June saw Lancome unveil its Absolutely Rose makeup line. In July, Nike introduced its Chrome Blush line of active wear. It was the summer of the flamingo, and sales of rosé wine went through the roof. Homebuyers mad for mid-century put pink bathrooms at the top of their must-have lists. La Creuset introduced a line of pink cookware, calling it a “calming, happy color,” which might explain why it’s defining the color scheme of today’s weddings. Of course, Apple was ahead of the curve – it debuted its rose-gold iPhone in 2015.

Six years ago, photographer Whitney Luciano took a trip to Italy and became infatuated with the doors she saw and began snapping away. Upon returning home to Columbia, she shared her photos with her father and expressed a desire to turn them into a poster. He encouraged the project, but suggested she could instead “focus” on her hometown, as the front doors in the historic district were awash in color and detailing. Incredibly, the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce had a similar idea in mind and contacted Whitney to see if she would be interested in undertaking such a project. The resulting poster – Doors of Historic Columbia, PA – was a hit with residents and visitors alike. “So many people asked for a photo of a certain door because it’s where they grew up,” she says of the requests she has fulfilled. The posters are sold at The Mayfly (8 S. Third St.) and the SVCC (445 Linden St.), as well as through her Left of Center Photography website, lofcphoto.com.

Chad Newcomer, the general assistant manager at Grauer’s Paint & Decorating, which has stores in Lancaster, Lititz and West Lawn (Berks County), confirms that expressive front doors are not my imagination. “A front door can add a little spice to your house,” he theorizes, referring to the curb appeal that results. “And, a front door sets the stage for what you will see on the other side of it,” he adds. And, like “they” say about paint, it’s the quickest and easiest way to execute change. “For $30, your house can look completely different just by changing the color of the front door,” Chad notes. And, it doesn’t require the services of a pro. “Anyone can paint their front door,” he adds.

When I visited in mid-January, Grauer’s was undertaking a remodeling project of its own. A Benjamin Moore dealer since 1934, when its original namesake owner introduced the brand to Lancaster, the look of the store and its displays must meet the paint company’s guidelines. To do so, the majority of the walls at Grauer’s were being painted a shade of gray, while an accent wall would be awash in Caliente. The wood-toned display cases were being replaced with industrial-modern-inspired, state-of-the-art (from a lighting perspective) models that would also tap into the gray craze from a color perspective. Flooring also complements the industrial-modern theme.

“Gray is here to stay,” Chad says of the color. Indeed, many of the 23 colors that comprise Benjamin Moore’s 2018 Color Trends palette include gray hues such as Sharkskin, Dreamy Cloud, Stone, Excaliber Gray, Wolf Gray, Moonshine and Carolina Gull. Chad likes gray for several reasons: It’s a transitional color that has many moods depending upon the light, and it pairs beautifully with warm or cool colors. “It really reacts to light,” he says. “It can look totally different during various times of the day. And, it has undertones of other colors.” He notes that Grauer’s top-selling color is Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter.

Chad adds more front-door observations. He reports that a high-gloss finish is trending. “It delivers a totally different feel and look,” he says, using words such as “richer” and “deeper” to describe the effect it creates. He also likes the texture that a high-gloss paint delivers. “It’s a good choice for someone wanting a unique look for their front door,” he says.

Another tip: When choosing a color, consider the direction the door faces as the light will affect it. Also, keep in mind that the glass in a storm door will alter the color, as will the screening in a screen door. He also suggests that you paint the storm/screen door to match the color of the front door.

How does Benjamin Moore designate one color – out of more than 3,500 in its portfolio – as its Color of the Year? Seven of the company’s color and design experts conduct a year-long research project that takes them around the globe. Last year, the team visited 30 cities in 12 countries. They attended numerous design and industry shows and snapped tens of thousands of pictures that literally documented the world of fashion, architecture, pop culture, furnishings, art, etc. Collectively, the color red stood out. In the estimation of these experts, red is a color that represents change and drama. I think they nailed it.