Designing your dream kitchen? Make room for a second dishwasher. Here’s why.

It wasn’t long ago—the 1960s—when most homeowners washed their dishes by hand and dreamed of owning just one dishwasher. Since then, dishwashers have become more affordable, and also more technologically advanced.

Recently, more and more homeowners have opted to install a second dishwasher, a move that’s making life more convenient, and cleaner. Adding a second dishwasher can also add value to your home. Even if you’re planning to stay in your custom build for years, installing a second dishwasher can help with resale down the road.

So, what are the benefits? Imagine this. Your dishwasher’s clean, your sink is full of dirty dishes, and you have company coming over in an hour. You’re prepping hors d'oeuvres and tidying up and you’re dreading having to put away clean dishes. With a second dishwasher, it’s easy to hide the mess. You can let the clean dishes be and load the second dish washer with the dirty dishes. It makes kitchen clean up seamless.

A second dishwasher is also a great amenity for families with kids who know how dirty dishes can multiply. If your kids are young, they may not be using many dishes. However, they’ll be teenagers before you know it, and teenage get-to-togethers can produce a lot of dirty dishes. With a second dishwasher, you’ll always have room for family and friends to take care of their own dirty plates. There’s no room for excuses.

Second dishwashers come in handy as well if your dishwasher breaks—you’ll always have a backup and you won’t waste time washing dishes by hand. Many people with second dishwashers choose to put their plates, bowls and utensils in one machine, and their pots and food prep containers in the other.

People who keep kosher use one dishwasher for dishes that have touched meat and the other for ones that touch dairy. Other homeowners use both dishwashers for dishes. They use clean dishes out of one instead of taking the time to put them away, and loading dirties into the other.

Two dishwashers make an excellent addition to an open floor plan where family and friends frequently gather. Two machines keep the heavily trafficked space always looking neat and clean.

When it comes to design, you have options. You might install one full-sized dishwasher and one dish drawer. Or, you could opt for two full dishwashers. Some people choose to purchase one less expensive dishwasher and splurge on a second with more bells and whistles. You’ll also want to think about location. Many homeowners like to have their dishwashers flank the kitchen sink. Others separate them based on work zones.

At Arieli, we can easily help you fit two dishwashers into your kitchen design based on your unique needs. Contact us to learn more.

Open floor plans upend kitchen design and styling

Open floor plans first became popular in the 1990s, and they’re still going strong. With both new builds and remodels, most people still opt for an open floor plan.

At the center of it all, the kitchen has long been a place where friends and family members gather. Open floor plans have made that even more true. A contemporary kitchen offers homeowners much more than simply an area to prep and cook. As part of an open floor plan, a kitchen can include a home office space, a place for the kids to do their homework, device charging stations, a casual dining area, a coffee center, a bar, or even a second working kitchen in a scullery.

As the kitchen becomes even more of a hub, its materials and colors have spread beyond the butcher block and into a home’s broader living space. This change helps unite the look and feel of your entire living space. One example of this blending effect is with cabinetry.

A popular design trend is to unify cabinets throughout your open space with custom-made cabinetry. More and more, appliances are being built in, or integrated, into cabinets, giving the room a seamless, sleek look. For example, an undercounter beverage and wine chiller can be built in to an island. Kitchen cabinets carry into your living area, where you can use the same materials you're your entertainment units and bookshelves.

In addition to cabinetry, we’re also seeing changes in flooring choices for open floor plans. Using just one flooring material in your entire open space makes the area look even bigger than it actually is. Wide plank hardwood flooring or oversized tiles reduce seams and help make a larger room feel overall more balanced and proportionate.

Best Neighborhoods in Houston: Why buy now in Meyerland and Bellaire?

For many years, the lofty prices of older homes in Meyerland and Bellaire have been a barrier for people interested in building new homes in the area.

But that’s all changed in recent years. In 2015, 2016 and 2018, Meyerland and Bellaire were hit by three major floods, leaving many homes for sale at lot value. At the same time, the Harris County Flood District has embarked on an aggressive infrastructure project to protect the area from future flood damage. 

With the risk of future flooding low, residents have been rebuilding or raising their homes. For people looking to sell their damaged homes, it’s often at a discount. As new construction ramps up in the area, home values will inevitably rise—and drastically—with demand increasing due to the limited supply of available lots. Now is a rare opportunity to invest in one of Houston’s most desirable neighborhoods at a fraction of the cost. 

Over the next several years, the neighborhoods will continue to evolve. As more and more young families move in to take advantage of the area’s top-notch schools, you’ll see more children riding their bikes through streets and playing in cul-de-sacs. Meyerland and Bellaire will continue to thrive, as families from Houston and beyond flock to the safe, central and diverse communities.