Dan Cumbo

Buoyed by years of low interest rates and, more recently, rising home value, many homeowners are opting to extract equity from their homes rather than refinance at a lower rate. A report by CNBC shows American homeowners cashing in on home equity at pre-recession rates. Citing analysis conducted by Black Knight Financial Services, HELOC originations were again up 10 percent year over year for 2016. While low interest rates combined with rising home values might typically lead to a frothy housing market, reports suggest stocks of existing homes for sale are low in several parts of the country. As such, many homeowners are choosing to stay put and reinvest in this once again appreciating asset.

In our last blog, we noted the increase in home remodeling projects and paid particular attention to kitchen upgrades. Clearly, traditional home improvement activity is ticking up and wood surfaces are increasingly finding a place in home improvement projects. But what other creative uses are folks coming up with to make their homes more habitable?

Perusing websites aimed at design and project ideas yields many intriguing uses for ‘high end project wood’ as we’ll call it here. In that context, and with an eye on wood surfaces, this time we take a quick look at other home projects DIYers are undertaking that might not fit neatly into what we think of when we think ‘home improvement.’

Among interior design (project) ideas that turn up consistently in furniture and decor forums, two notable projects appear repeatedly: 1) wood tabletops situated on a variety of leg and pedestal options (with many prefab metal options available), and 2) barn doors.

An internet search of “wood top with metal table legs” yields over four million hits listing styles ranging from modern to traditional and rustic. Aimed at those seeking something a bit different in their design, a community of ideas has formed around the use of metal piping to support wood tops for a more industrial look. Similarly, searching “interior barn doors” returns over three million hits with seemingly endless designs integrating wood.

These two ideas capture our attention and our imagination in particular due to the relative simplicity of each project. A solid butcher block slab can be easily fabricated into either a barn door or tabletop given the myriad table leg and door hardware selections available on line or at your favorite home center. Both are room-transforming interior design projects that can be completed in a weekend with a bit of skill and a few tools. Why not try something a little different with this beautiful and versatile material? You might end up with a conversation piece.

According to HGTV.com, kitchen improvements register among the top ten home remodeling projects that can pay off at resale. And as the command center of entertaining space for today’s open floor plans, homeowners are investing heavily to update and upgrade kitchens.

A Statista.com report for 2016 noted a third of kitchen remodels cost less than $15,000, while another 21 percent tallied between $15,000 and $25,000. The remaining roughly 46 percent of respondents spent from $25,000 to $100,000 on their kitchen project. Among the top 10 new features added to existing US kitchens in 2016 were: islands, breakfast bars, peninsulas and beverage stations. Meanwhile, new countertops and backsplashes ranked 1 and 2 respectively for kitchen upgrades in 2016.

Clearly, countertops are an important design component for homeowners seeking to upgrade their kitchen or add new features. Moreover, a countertop update lists among the most impactful, simplest and cost efficient options for a “big bang for the buck” kitchen remodel, not to mention a smart return on investment at resale. But with so many choices of materials and wide ranging costs among them deciding on a countertop material can be challenging.

Granite has dominated the category for years, but more recently quartz is making significant gains in customer preference while wood is closing the gap for the number three spot. The right choice of material obviously must fit the budget, the design plan and the intended use. One way to control costs, add design interest and select the right surface for the specific use is to mix and match materials. The trend toward islands, peninsulas and other use-specific surfaces lends itself perfectly to this approach. Add in the flexibility wood offers and homeowners can really broaden their design options.

Depending on the species selected and the material it’s paired with wood can impart either a contemporary or rustic feel. Designers agree: among the many “cold” or even “clinical” options available from stone, to metal, concrete, glass or tile, wood can provide unparalleled warmth and soften an otherwise hard-edged look and feel, often while also reducing the cost of the project. The question then becomes: Why not integrate some wood into the design?