YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Valley businesses that deal in home construction and decor see more demand for natural finishes, warmer hues and bolder styles.
“I think probably the biggest thing between now and, let’s say, maybe two years ago from a design standpoint, is the incorporation of some more natural finishes, like your natural wood species, like some white oak – creamy, as opposed to those stark whites that we saw that was popular,” says John Virostko who owns Sam Pitzulo Homes and Remodeling in Canfield, Ohio, with Mike Pasquale.
Those natural finishes are popular throughout houses but especially in the kitchen.
Regarding remodeling, opening up first floors remains a popular project, Virostko explains. It makes the space feel larger.
“And actually, a new build is kind of going the other way, a little bit,” he adds. “In the new builds, we’re still seeing a fairly open floor plan with minor separation, so maybe a stub wall or a half wall here and there. So it’s not a big, giant space. It’s still sectioned off but feels open.”
He expects that concept to settle in as a regular design for new home builds as it offers a happy medium between an open floor plan and one that’s more separated.
Trend frequency varies. “I think probably in the last 10 years I’ve seen maybe three kinds of design changes in terms of both the colors and finishes as well as the overall layout of those spaces,” Virostko says.
Those trends typically start in larger cities like New York or Los Angeles and gradually move to other cities before entering the Mahoning Valley, Virostko notes.
Mandi Fluck, marketing director and owner of Window World of Youngstown, points to social media as the source of trend fluctuations. People see a color or style in a home in California or Colorado and bring it as an example of what they want in their home, she says.
With windows, the company is seeing a lot of black on black – black on both the inside and outside of the windows.
“Simple grid patterns, like I’ve been seeing one grid down the center or just top of the window only – just to elevate it a little bit but still have the glass showing,” Fluck says.
For siding, many people opt for board and batten, a vertical instead of horizontal design-even for just the fronts of their homes, Fluck says. That can lend a farmhouse look with white siding and black windows and black accents, she adds.
“I’ve seen that that’s been a trend,” she explains
Others choose to incorporate Tando stone with the board and batten siding, she says. The mix of Tando stone and board and batten siding lends a rich look, says Gina Schumer, Window World communications manager.
Outdoor Living
Matthew Skillman, president and CEO of Ohio Flame in Columbiana, says the beginning of spring and the accompanying warmer temperatures kick off his busy season.
“That’s when people start to want to spend more time outside,” he adds.
They take to their porches, patios, decks and backyards to enjoy the outdoors. Part of that often includes a firepit and Ohio Flame manufactures firepits from steel tank heads.
American Made is the company trademark and its products include a lifetime warranty. The Liberty and Patriot firepit styles remain popular and the bases may be tailored to a particular season or event. Customers may order firepits that represent their favorite sports teams and Ohio Flame makes custom orders as well.
Virostko of Sam Pitzulo Homes and Remodeling says his company is seeing more requests for outdoor living areas.
“We have had more of a request for some outdoor areas – covered porches, covered decks – kinds of spaces that could be used, not quite as an extension of your home with a full four-season room, but to allow people to enjoy the weather outside,” he says. “That seems to be a pretty popular thing here over the last eight to 12 months.”
Deeper Hues
Jessie Popovich, owner of Biviano Carpet One Floor & Home in McKinley Heights, says the store is seeing a lot more greens and blues returning this season.
“The grays are kind of going. Beigy gray to beige is in… [and] lots of gold,” she adds.
Both tile and carpet are seeing bolder styles. “Cabinet colors are more vibrant: greens, lots of rich woods,” Popovich says.
Customers are looking for deeper, offshades. “Anywhere from a pine to a blue green – on that spectrum,” she says.
And hardwood floors are darker. “They were very, very light. Now they’re more of a warm light to medium tone, so not that beachy light, light woods, but they’re kind of more of a little bit warmer, kind of mid-tone color,” Popovich explains.
The last big color trend was gray, she reports. Major color changes occur only every several years, she says.
Another movement Biviano is seeing lately involves function as well as fashion.
“At least in our store, we take out a lot of tubs and we do more, bigger, larger walk-in type showers with large format tiles,” Popovich says. “That’s very big, the bigger the tile, the better.”
That’s likely linked to more people opting to stay in their homes longer and aging in place, she believes.
“They’re kind of setting up their homes for that,” she adds. “So, we usually convert at least one bathroom to no tub, no big Jacuzzis or anything. We take a lot of those out. We make it very simple, much larger shower…”
The larger space allows room for a walker or wheelchair should the homeowner require one as he or she ages. But others like the grandness of a suite with a large bathroom, Popovich offers.
Still another trend popular at Biviano is the standalone bathtub without a shower. A large shower is separate.
“It’s more like a statement. It’s more like it makes a room beautiful,” she says.
Construction Increase
Virostko says new home construction is increasing.
“Comparatively speaking to last year, we are seeing an uptick in new construction,” he reports. At this time last year, the company had one or two houses under construction.
“This year, we just finished one. We have four others in progress and another one that’s ready to start next month,” he says.
That could be because the election is over and people are settling in or because they’re getting used to interest rates the way they are, Virostko offers. Building material and labor costs aren’t going down. They’ll either remain steady or increase, he says, referring to potential tariffs.
More Trends
Window World’s Fluck sees people adding more color to their homes. Others though don’t know specifics of what they want. They’re just looking for an upgrade, Schumer says. Window World staff help those customers select the details.
“We invest in a company called Hover, where our design consultants will visit the home before an appointment, and take pictures of all different angles of the house, and then that gets uploaded on a website,” Schumer explains.
A design feature allows the homeowner to try different colors, types of siding and kinds of soffit so they see how each looks on their home. There’s no cost to the customer for that service.
The popularity of some other Window World offerings like seamless gutters and triple-pane windows stems from their functionality.
“We have seamless gutter systems now, and I think that that’s maybe not a trend, but something that people are wanting to go more towards, because their gutter has a seam in it and water’s getting through that seam,” Fluck says. Seamless gutters keep water and leaves out.
Triple pane windows provide more energy efficiency, and the ones at Window World meet those standards. Argon gas between the windowpanes helps retain heat in the winter and cool air during the summer, reducing energy bills.
“It’s 10 times heavier than air,” Schumer explains. “So it’s like an insulation, basically, in the glass. And the triple pane gives you double insulation because you have three panes of glass instead of two.”
Fluck says there’s not much cost difference between the double and triple pane windows and triple pane are becoming more popular.
Fluck says she also sees customers paying more attention to their warranties.
“We have a whole service department in all of our offices, and you call it and they do all of the legwork,” she says. “You just tell them what’s wrong, they order it, receive it and then come out and put it in.”
Some warranties, such as on pieces of entry doors, are for 10 years. But windows, glass breakage, seal failure, locks, tilt latches and other elements come with a lifetime warranty.
“You just give us a call and you don’t have to call an 800 number and deal with that hassle because who wants to do that,” Fluck says. “We’re local. We’re here for you. We do the legwork and we’re honest and upfront.”
Pictured at top: Mandi Fluck, marketing director and owner of Window World Youngstown, shows some of the doors and windows available at the store.