Home Design Chat with Nancy

Welcome to Home Design Chat with Nancy, where we help homeowners make smarter design decisions—before they spend a dime. 

My subject today is about t one of the hardest-working features in every home, yet one that's often overlooked until it's too late: you has at least one in your home. Actually you have more than one…it’s a sink.

Whether you're remodeling your kitchen, updating a bathroom, creating a dream laundry room, or adding a wet bar, choosing the right sink is about much more than looks.

The wrong sink can frustrate you every single day. The right sink can make everyday tasks easier, cleaner, and more enjoyable.

I'll walk you through the pros and cons of today's most popular sink styles and materials, what's trending in 2026, what's fading away, and the costly mistakes homeowners make when choosing a sink.

By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly what to look for—and what to avoid for your kitchen, prep sink, bathrooms, laundry room, wet bar and powder room.

Listen to find out what mistakes people make when choosing a sink and what's hot and what's not for 2026.

Whether you're cooking dinner, bathing your dog, washing paint brushes, or getting ready for work, your sink should make those everyday tasks easier. That's what great design is all about—choosing products that work as beautifully as they look.

Check out my website, NancyHugo.com to learn more about me and see some of my projects.  I have added a tab for Designers Circle where I update the blogs about Design trends, design news and things to know frequently. 

 Email me at [email protected] if you have an questions or comments and don't forget to subscribe to my podcast on the platform you use to listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Home Design Chat with Nancy!  Last week my topic was the outdoor kitchen,  a luxurious extension of the indoor kitchen. The main topic of discussion was the aesthetic and surface materials for the outdoor kitchen.

We broke down exactly what is trending, what materials actually survive the elements, and how to design a spectacular outdoor culinary space.  Gil Olachea, owner of Ceramica, Scottsdale, Arizona, is back with me to continue our conversation.

Today Gil and I will talk about a very important aspect of cooking on your outdoor kitchen.  The safety factor.  

Before we begin I am going to ask you to subscribe on the platform you use to listen to my podcasts

Having a beautiful space to prepare and grill your menu is important to most homeowners.  More importantly is the safety factors, which is what we breakdown for your today. 

Our topics are:

Location of your outdoor kitchen

• Wind direction
• Proximity to your house
• Covered patios
• Smoke & fire damage 

Pros & Cons of different designs 

• L-shaped design
• Straight design
• U-shaped  design

Charcoal vs gas grills

• Health & safety factor

This is the perfect subject for everyone with a backyard.  We emphasized the safety aspects of a backyard kitchen which is so important.  Plan your project as you would your indoor kitchen for function and aesthetics so you can enjoy it throughout the year depending on your climate, of course.

Thank you for listening to Home Design Chat with Nancy. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, share it with friends and family, and join us next time as we continue exploring the latest ideas, innovations, and trends shaping the homes we love.

You can contact Nancy with any questions or suggestions for the show:  [email protected]      Check out her website:  NancyHugo.com     

If you are interested in design-- news, trends and more, check out https://designerscirclehq.com/.  

Welcome to Home Design Chat with Nancy! I’m Nancy  Before we begin I am going to ask you to subscribe on the platform you use to listen to my podcasts.

 Have you noticed that summer is moving quickly so we have the perfect subject – trends for outdoor living. It is not just about a stand-a-lone grill on a concrete slab and a picnic table.  Outdoor living has become a, luxurious extension of the indoor home.

To break down exactly what is trending, what materials actually survive the elements, and how to design a spectacular outdoor culinary space, I have the perfect guest today. Joining me is Gil Olachea from Ceramica, Scottsdale, Arizona.

The biggest shift we’re seeing in 2026 is the transition to multiple cooking zones and methods or appliances, heavily mimicking how indoor kitchens are designed – something you know a bit about! Instead of just one primary grill doing all the heavy lifting or cooking in a gazebo, pergola or patio, layouts now include distinct zones for prep, cooking, baking, storage and serving.

Replacing the traditional grill, utensil cart(s) and fold-up table has become very popular trend.  I’ve seen outdoor kitchens that are better equipped and laid-out than their indoor kitchen.

The main topic of discussion was the aesthetic and surface materials for the outdoor kitchen.

The materials of choice are, primarily, easy clean & maintenance.  Aesthetic is a close second.  And material manufactures are attune to this so they’re making products that address both of these key aspects!  Such as porcelain, large-format tiles for the floors and complimenting surfaces for island & cabinet fascia.  Regarding color palettes, it becomes personal preference but the trends are leaning toward the warm earth tones.

We talked about best, high-performance countertop materials for an outdoor kitchen that won’t fade, crack, or burn someone’s hand when the sun hits it. We broke down the best materials in various parts of the country and what to avoid in each area.

We talked in depth about the materials today and wanted to spend enough time on the outdoor kitchen layouts and also the very important safety factors when you are planning your outdoor project.  That is why this topic will be continued on July 20th.  This is so important if you are planning to create an outdoor kitchen area.

Thank you for listening to Home Design Chat with Nancy. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, share it with friends and family, and join us next time as we continue exploring the latest ideas, innovations, and trends shaping the homes we love.

You can contact Nancy with any questions or suggestions for the show:  [email protected]      Check out her website:  NancyHugo.com     

If you are interested in design new, trends and more, check out https://designerscirclehq.com/.

Designers Circle is a website that could be accessed anytime.

Hi everyone, and welcome to Home Design Chat with Nancy. Before I start, I would like you to please subscribe on the platform you use to listen to my podcasts.

My subject today is one of the most exciting—and sometimes overwhelming—projects: a kitchen renovation.

Most homeowners who have ideas and plans to remodel their home don’t start the project in the middle of the summer when their kiddos are on summer break or when the family goes on vacation.

 Instead, the remodel project starts in September right after summer vacation is over.

If you want your project to be completed for your Thanksgiving dinner or for the Christmas holidays, now is the time to start doing research. 

The reality is that successful kitchen renovations begin long before demolition day, and definitely before you contract with a kitchen designer and a general contractor.

Today I'm going to walk you through the most important things to consider before you start your kitchen renovation so you can avoid costly mistakes, stay on budget, and end up with a kitchen you'll love for years to come.

These are questions you should ask yourself before you start your research:

• Why do you want to remodel
• What are your wants and needs
• What is your realistic budget
• Does your existing layout work for you
• Do you have enough storage
• Is your lighting adequate
• Does your ventilation work
• What appliances are on your wish list
• Can you cope with disruption
• Know what to look for in hiring professionals

Before you start your kitchen renovation, remember this: the best kitchens aren't necessarily the most expensive kitchens. They're the kitchens that work beautifully for the people who use them.

A successful kitchen renovation should improve your daily life every single day. That's what great design is all about.

Thank you for joining me today on Home Design Chat with Nancy.

If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, share the show with friends and family, and join us next time as we continue exploring ideas, trends, and practical advice for creating homes that are beautiful, functional, and designed for the way we live.

You can email me at [email protected] with questions.  Check out my website:  https://nancyhugo.com/  For great design ideas and trends go to https://designerscirclehq.com/ 

Hi everyone and welcome back to Home Design Chat with Nancy.  Can you believe that ½ the year is gone?

Please subscribe & comment on the platform you are using.  I would really appreciate it.

I was a little off schedule last week and didn’t get to do a podcast but I’ll make up for that by talking about a very interesting subject that every homeowner, designer, and remodeler has experienced at some point—and that is design regrets.

We’ve all had those moments where we look back and think:
“What was I thinking?”

But here’s the interesting thing about kitchen trends. Most trends aren’t actually bad when they first appear. In fact, many trends solve a problem happening at that specific time. They reflect what homeowners wanted emotionally, culturally, and even financially. The problem starts when trends become extreme.

And kitchens are especially vulnerable because they are expensive to remodel. Unlike paint colors or furniture, kitchens are long-term investments. So when a trend burns out quickly, homeowners are often stuck living with outdated choices for years.

Today I’m talking about five kitchen design fads we’re actually glad are gone—. Some of these trends completely dominated magazines, television shows, and model homes. Others were pushed heavily on social media. And while some still exist in smaller ways today, they’re no longer controlling kitchen design the way they once did.

Every era has trends. Twenty years from now, people may laugh at some of today’s kitchens too. What matters is understanding WHY these trends faded and what lessons we can learn before investing thousands into a remodel.

Here are the 5 trends to say good-bye to.  Listen to the entire podcast for my reason for each one:

• Tiny Mosaic Tile Countertops
• The Over-the-top Tuscan Kitchen Era
• Appliances Garages
• Extreme Open Shelving
• All Gray Kitchens

The take-a-way from this podcast is that a beautiful kitchen is not just about appearance. It’s about how it functions for your life. Trends become dangerous when people stop asking practical questions, but the kitchens that survive trends the best are the ones designed around the homeowner—not around what’s currently viral online.

Maybe after this episode, you’ll look at old kitchen photos a little differently—and maybe even appreciate how much kitchen design continues to evolve.

If you want to learn more about me you can check out my website: NancyHugo.com and if you have any questions for me, just email me at [email protected]

Please subscribe to my podcast and don’t forget to share them with your friends.

Hi everyone and welcome to Home Design Chat with Nancy. I'm Nancy, and today is June 15th.   First I need to wish my adult kiddos a very happy birthday on June 21st. No, they are not twins, just luck to have the same birthday.

It is also Fathers Day on June 21st.  So to all you fathers and grandfathers out there wishing you a very Happy & healthy fathers day.

Before I continue please subscribe on the platform you use to listen to this podcast.  Help me get more subscribers and supporters. 

If you are wondering if I had more technical problems because I didn’t publish my podcast last week.  No problems I just needed to take a time out, or as they say “I took a pause”  but I’m back. So lets get on with todays subject.

If you've been following home design for any length of time, you've probably noticed that trends come and go faster than ever.

 One year everyone is painting everything gray. The next year gray is supposedly dead. Then we're told white kitchens are out, only to find thousands of beautiful white kitchens all over social media. My podcast on June 1st was on the white kitchen mystery.  I think in my opinion it was a very interesting podcast.

So today, we're going to talk about why trends return, why some disappear just as quickly as they arrive, and how homeowners can avoid spending a fortune chasing design fads.

• Why Design Trends Repeat Themselves
• Why Homeowners Get Excited About Old Ideas
• The Social Media Effect
• Remember When Gray Was Everything?
• Farmhouse Style: The Rise and Fall
• White Kitchens: Out of Style or Still Going Strong
• The Danger of Chasing Every Trend
• What Actually Makes Something Timeless
• Trends That Have Survived Decades
• Trends That Aged Quickly
• Why Personal Style Matters More Than Trends
• How Designers Balance Trends and Timelessness
• Lessons Homeowners Can Learn

Design trends come and go. Good design stays. Build your home around quality, comfort, functionality, and personal style, and you'll never have to worry about whether you're in or out of fashion.

Remember that the best-designed home isn't the trendiest home—it's the home that works beautifully for the people who live there.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, share it with friends and family, and join us next time for more conversations about remodeling, design trends, kitchens, baths, aging-in-place ideas, and creating homes you'll love for years to come.

If you want to learn more about me, go to my website:  NancyHugo.com

If you need my opinion on anything design oriented, email me at [email protected]

Welcome back to Home Design chat with Nancy where we tell you the truth about what happening in the design world.

I really would appreciate you subscribing to my podcast.  My numbers are going up, but more is better.  Is that even a sentence?  Anyway, please scribe on the platform you listen to my podcasts.

The topic for today is the white kitchen. 

• Why People keep saying white kitchens are out
• White Kitchens are not out of style
• Why are you seeing a lot of white kitchens on the internet, Pinterest and social media
• The advantages of a white kitchen
• The downside of white kitchens
• What is replacing the all white kitchen

If you enjoyed today's podcast, please share it with friends and family who are planning a remodel. And I'd love to hear your thoughts—do you think white kitchens are timeless, or are you ready for something new?

Check out my website:  NancyHugo.com to learn more about me and if you are interested in design you can go to DesignersCirclehq.com, a website I started 18 yrs ago for people who enjoy knowing about trends and more.

Welcome back to Home Design chat with Nancy where we tell you the truth about what happening in the design world. 

If you have been enjoying my podcasts please subscribe on the platform you use to listen to my podcasts.

Today is May 20th.  For years I have been publishing this podcast on Mondays but I have been having  Technical problems.  No fun especially since I’m a designer not a computer techy.  I’m crossing my fingers . I hope the problem is solved.

This podcast is about something more families are facing than ever before — aging in place and how homeowners are adapting their homes for elderly parents, relatives, and even planning ahead for themselves. Time moves fast and we will all be in situations that we don’t really think about until we’re there. We are seeing people aging and we can remember just yesterday how we were all younger.

Families are turning spare bedrooms, first-floor guest suites, converted garages, and mother-in-law suites into comfortable living spaces for aging loved ones. The goal is simple: keep family close while allowing older adults to maintain as much independence, dignity, and safety as possible.

  75% to 90% of older adults want to stay in their current homes as they age. They actively want to avoid assisted living.

But  90% of U.S. homes are not physically ready to accommodate independent aging.

Listen to this podcast to get ideas and suggestions about making your loved ones feel independent and part of the family.

If you’re planning on a renovation, I would definitely be happy to work with you. You can email me anytime at [email protected]—I’d love to hear from you.

If you want to learn more about me, go to NancyHugo.com 

And finally, visit DesignersCircleHQ.com, a website I started 18 years ago. It covers everything related to design and features updated podcasts, design trends, design news, and more. The site is updated every other week. 

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Home Design Chat with Nancy. where we tell you the truth about what’s happening in the design world—what’s worth your money…  where we talk about what’s really happening in today’s homes—and more importantly, how to make smart decisions before you spend a dollar and what’s just taking up space.

Today Gil Olachea, owner of Ceramica in Scottsdale, joins me to continue on the subject of the remodel projects for the best return on your investment. We had so much information to share with you that we decided to have a "part 2" on the subject.

Our topics on this podcast include:

• The rise of functional spaces
• Why ROI has changed
• What to avoide
• The "Golden Rule" for 2026 ROI
• What to avoid that gives the lowest ROI

The best remodeling projects for ROI today are not the most expensive and they are the most intentional.

✔ Smarter investments
 ✔ Better functionality
 ✔ Flexible spaces
 ✔ And thoughtful, phased upgrades

That’s where real value lives.

If you’re planning on a renovation, I would definitely be happy to work with you. You can email me anytime at [email protected]—I’d love to hear from you.

If you want to learn more about me, go to NancyHugo.com  And finally, visit DesignersCircleHQ.com, a website I started 18 years ago. It covers everything related to design and features updated podcasts, design trends, design news, and more. The site is updated every other week. 

This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠Monogram.com

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Home Design Chat with Nancy. where we tell you the truth about what’s happening in the design world—what’s worth your money…  where we talk about what’s really happening in today’s homes—and more importantly, how to make smart decisions before you spend a dollar and what’s just taking up space.

Several weeks ago I did a podcast on the worst ROI upgrades so today Gil Olachea, owner of Ceramica in Scottsdale, joins me on the subject of the remodel projects for the best return on your investment.

Our topics on this podcast include:

• Market projections
• The Shift in spending
• Kitchens - how they are changing
• Cost of Minor & Major kitchen & baht remodeling
• Th best ROI's for the remodel projects

The best remodeling projects for ROI today are not the most expensive…They are the most intentional.

The NKBA data consistently points to:

  ✔ Smarter investments
  ✔ Better functionality
  ✔ Flexible spaces
  ✔ And thoughtful, phased upgrades

That’s where real value lives.

If you’re planning on a renovation, I would definitely be happy to work with you. You can email me anytime at [email protected]—I’d love to hear from you.

If you want to learn more about me, go to NancyHugo.com  And finally, visit DesignersCircleHQ.com, a website I started 18 years ago. It covers everything related to design and features updated podcasts, design trends, design news, and more. The site is updated every other week. 

This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠Monogram.com