Last week, we introduced you to five bathroom design trends for 2010 based on the research and opinion of Excel’s design team. Today, we offer five more.

HIS & HERS SINKS – Pairs of sinks have been popping up in bathrooms (even small ones) for years, and that trend will continue in 2010. Vessel sinks (ones that sit above the counter) are declining in popularity while traditional brushed metal sinks are rising.

HEATED FLOORS – Once an ultimate luxury item, heated floors are becoming more common as homeowners embrace the “bathroom as a sanctuary” theme.

MORE MIRRORS – Bigger mirrors and the addition of mirrors is a popular bathroom upgrade. This is especially true in smaller bathrooms, where mirrors can be used to create the illusion of extra space.

GREEN BATHROOMS – No, we’re not talking about paint options, but bathrooms that are green in their approach to the environment. Low-flow toilets and shower heads have been musts for years, but more homeowners are also embracing energy efficient lighting and sustainable building products. Items made from recycled goods are popular too, including tile made from recycled glass and countertops made from recycled plastic.

PRIVATE TOILET – One of the more unusual trends of the new year is the creation of a more private toilet, with partial or full walls surrounding it. (This is more common in larger bathrooms.) Related to this trend is the relocation of the toilet to an inconspicuous part of the bathroom.

According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), consumer spending on bathroom remodeling efforts was understandably down in 2008 and 2009 compared to previous years, but homeowners still spent more than $68 billion on bathroom upgrades last year. The biggest overall trend is turning the bathroom into a sanctuary where homeowners can relax and pamper themselves.

In this two-part entry, the Excel team scoured the Internet to identify the top 10 bathroom design trends of 2010. The good news is you can incorporate many of these trends in a new modular home because virtually all Excel homes are fully customizable, right down to the color of the sink and the style of mirror and cabinet.

BIGGER SHOWERS – More homeowners are opting for a large, airy shower over a traditional bathtub. According to Ed Miller of E. Miller and Associates in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, some homeowners are taking a cue from European design and doing away with shower walls altogether, making the entire tiled bathroom an extension of the shower (and adding adequate drainage, of course).

BIGGER BATHTUBS – If the oversized shower isn’t enough to soothe you at the end of a long day, replace the standard bathtub with a larger, soaking tub. The Jacuzzi tub is still a fixture in many homes, but quieter soaking tubs are becoming more popular as homeowners search for more peaceful, serene bathroom settings.

ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS – If you’re spending more time soaking in your bathtub, chances are you’ll want a little entertainment while you’re in there. That’s why televisions, surround sound stereo systems and even refrigerated coolers are becoming more popular in today’s bathrooms.

NATURAL LIGHTING – Skylights and windows are popping up in bathrooms everywhere as homeowners bring the outside inside by allowing more natural light into what was once a closed off, cave-like room.

TRADITIONAL FEEL – According to the NKBA, bright bathroom colors and contemporary fixtures are giving way to more traditional elements. White, off-white and beige colors are in, with bright colors added by way of accessories and other small elements.

Television production has often been described as two minutes of panic followed by two hours of waiting. Rinse and repeat.

That can indeed be the case, but for the final reveal of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, there’s constant excitement in the air. Excitement coupled with the feeling that someone’s life is about to change. In this case, seven lives today, and many more for years to come.

Last minute preparations began last evening, with a call out for skilled hardwood floor and tile installers. Work was at top speed inside and out, nearly up to reveal time, with furniture being delivered, landscaping being completed (an entire yard in less than a day!), the arrival of more than 200 books for the home’s library, courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens, installation of fixtures, and finally, the installation of the front door.

Back outside, some of today’s highlights included visits from Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Governor Martin O’Malley, with both appearances kicking off a bit of a media frenzy. Speaking of media, we’d like to thank all the newspaper, television, radio, internet and blogger outlets who have given the build amazing coverage throughout the week. The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Times and WMAR-TV, along with scores of freelance writers and photographers were out in force for the reveal, while radio station Z104.3 kept the hot and restless crowd pumping with a live broadcast and some tunes.

What followed seemed like endless hours of camera blocking and rehearsals: rehearsals for the crowd cheering; rehearsals for the bus move; rehearsals for the limo positioning; and rehearsals for more rehearsals. For the next few weeks, we’ll probably be hearing “Move that bus!” in our sleep. When that bus pulls away “for real,” simply seeing the reaction of those girls made the rehearsals, the weather, the delays, the hot days and the long nights completely worthwhile.

A big THANK YOU to all our partners in this awesome endeavor: the Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation, Chris Rachuba and the Rachuba Group, Artisan Fine Homes, the donors and sponsors, our friends from production and ABC, the neighbors who let us disturb both your street and your sleep, and the hundreds of volunteers who gave up your time to help complete this journey. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – Baltimore has finally wrapped. We’ve changed people’s minds about hybrid modular building. We learned a lot about “live” television. We’ve changed some lives. And we’d do it all again.

Welcome home, Girls Hope.

NOTE: This episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is slated to air in September 2010 on ABC. Sign up now to receive an alert when the air date is announced.

It’s hot, it’s (fortunately) dry, and progress continues at our little project on the corner. Brick work is nearly complete, what are now rolls of sod will soon become a lush lawn, and inside, hundreds of volunteers and skilled workers are applying paint, paper and flooring. When all is said and done, this house will be an asset to both a great neighborhood and a great organization.

Out on the street, we had a bit of a fireworks display this morning, courtesy of a cherry picker taking out a power line. Quick work from Constellation Energy and the Baltimore Fire Department soon brought things back to normal. While we’re on the topic of safety, we’ve had a great record so far, both in and out of the house. Special thanks to the Baltimore Police Department and our production protection, Extreme Security for helping keep things in order, and for all the EMTs and other medical personnel onsite.

Talk is that the reveal is still on target for tomorrow afternoon, 6-ish, and we invite everyone to come on out and see how this reality television works. Speaking of working, a big thank you to all the folks who have come from out of state to keep the home on track. It’s amazing how not just the whole city, but the region has pulled together. To quote one of the many bloggers covering this awesome event, “It’s definitely a home built with love, and when the girls come home it will be a home full of love.

Here’s our official alert for the reveal:

Move That Bus!! Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Reveal at Girls Hope Home Now Slated for Today

EVENT: The young ladies from Girls Hope return to find their new dream home on what was once a vacant lot.

WHEN/WHERE: Sunday, July 18, at approximately 6:00 pm/ 3817 Fleetwood Ave., Baltimore

WHO: Ty Pennington and designers Michael Moloney, Paul DiMeo, Xzibit and Jillian Harris.

Spectator Information: To participate in Sunday’s reveal, spectators should park in the upper lot of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 6000 Radecke Avenue. Spectators should plan to spend several hours on site and should prepare accordingly by bringing plenty of fluids, such as water and sports drinks, and wearing sunscreen.

Media Information:
Media should plan to arrive before 2:00 pm and take the shuttle from the Belvedere Shopping Center on Hillen Road.  Satellite trucks may drive directly to the homesite. No microwave trucks allowed. Hard wire microphones are a must.

As if the EXTREME weather over the past few days wasn’t enough, the Baltimore area experienced an earthquake last night! A 3.6 magnitude quake centered around Rockville woke up local residents. It may have rumbled a few, but our Extreme team here at the site didn’t notice a thing.

What’s more, it didn’t shake the foundation of the Girls Hope dream home – physically or in spirit. We’re still moving ahead full speed and are still looking for those skilled volunteers. Check out our volunteer page for further detail and to sign up. Special invitation to skilled workers – bricklayers, trim carpenters, painters – in our Central and Southern Pennsylvania region. It’s a short drive, and a great cause.

In the meantime, the brickwork, siding and roofing work continues to move forward, as does painting. We’ve received an important notice: the Ravens cheerleaders just arrived. More later…

Rain has given way to sun, the heat has returned, and the build is back on schedule. We’re completely dried out, spray foam insulation is going in, bricks, siding and roofing are coming together, and many parts of the house are being primed and painted. The general consensus today is that going modular was definitely a smart move and great time-saver.

Speaking of move, as in “Move That Bus,” we now have a date and time for the reveal, thank you ABC: it’s Sunday, July 18, from 3:00 to approximately 5:00 pm at the homesite, and of course, everyone is welcome to come out and support this awesome event. To participate in Sunday’s reveal, spectators should park in the upper lot of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 6000 Radecke Avenue. Plan to spend several hours on the site, and bring water, sports drinks and sunscreen.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who pulled together and pitched in to get things back on track. We’d also like to thank the many visitors who have stopped by to view the build and spend some time speaking with us, and with our build partners. Special thanks to the Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and her staff. The city has been incredibly supportive of this endeavor, and we appreciated the visit from your staff today.

Volunteers and drink donations are still welcome at the jobsite, particularly if you’re skilled. For more information, visit http://baltimoreextrememakeover.com.

Wednesday, rainy Wednesday, and we’re hoping this building floats.

All kidding aside, all of us here at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition site continue to work diligently, although the weather has simply not been on our side for the past 48-plus hours. This rain hit us at a vulnerable time and pounded us for two days. On an Extreme Makeover shoot, two days of thunder storms is the equivalent of getting two months of rain non-stop. Although a lot of progress has been made, we are taking the next 24 hours to try to get the house back on schedule. Our promise is, and always has been, to provide a home that the women of Boys Hope Girls Hope can be proud of, and we intend to keep that.

We see this as a great opportunity to demonstrate how we can “excel together” and how quickly a setback like this can be addressed and corrected by working in modular. Perhaps the greatest advantage is that, after only a few days work, we were well along into the process when the rain hit.

We’ve had incredible response from folks from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and right here in Maryland, but we still need your help. Right now, drywallers, trim carpenters, framers and brick masons are in demand. Until further notice, the target reveal day is still on target for Friday, July 16.
Volunteer/Media/VIP parking is located at the Belvedere Shopping Center (Dollar General lot) off Hillen Road. Spectator parking is located at the upper lot of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church.

To volunteer, please visit baltimoreextrememakeover.com.

As if it wasn’t already a challenge building a home in just 7 days, Mother Nature has chosen to give us another obstacle to overcome. Rain, and lots of it.

We’ve been faced with EXTREME weather in Baltimore these past couple of days. Schedules have been adjusted and numerous types of skilled labor volunteers are in high demand. Huge fans used after natural disasters were placed in the home on Tuesday to help dry it out as the team worked hard to set the roof. While we saved time upfront with our hybrid building approach that incorporated a balance of stick and modular building techniques, we still need help to catch up after multiple delays caused by this wave of difficult weather.

Despite the thunder, lightning and torrential downpours, spirits of the build team and volunteers have remained positive. Wet clothing covered with mud is a fashion statement. Hard hats serve as a convenient umbrella. And ponchos have become a must-have accessory. The energy around the build site is incredible. No one is letting this weather rain on their parade (pun intended).

With more EXTREME weather to come, we continue to ask for skilled volunteers to come help us finish this home on-time. Our team, as well as the young women of Girls Hope, needs you!

Visit baltimoreextrememakeover.com for an updated list of volunteer needs and to sign up!

Despite rainy skies and (more than) a few delays, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build took on a life of its own as the first box was placed on the foundation around 12:00 am Sunday morning.

Throughout the early morning hours and well into the day Sunday, flatbed after flatbed rolled up Fleetwood, bringing additional boxes which were then connected to an enormous crane and set into place, with team members from Excel, Artisan Fine Homes, and the Rachuba Group supervising.

The question of the day from onlookers, VIPs and those not familiar with the building trade was, “That’s a modular?”

“This build will really change people’s perception of ‘modular,’ said Rob Ebbets, VP of Marketing for Excel. “We’re out to change people’s minds, and what better platform that a show seen by millions? The Girls Hope house will prove that this format goes well beyond the stereotypical ‘double wide’ and show that the sky’s the limit when it comes to design options, quality and site assembly.”

The new day brought new groups of volunteers, crowds of spectators, and media. Some highlights included a busload of employees and families from Excel’s Avis and Liverpool plants, who were treated to a front-and-center view of the build site, some welcoming words from Excel CEO Steve Scheinkman, visits from Extreme Makeover designers Michael Moloney, Paul DiMeo and Xzibit, as well as officials and the young men of Boys Hope Girls Hope – not to mention some great food and perhaps most importantly, a VIP tent with air conditioning.

The public is invited to view the build site at 3817 Fleetwood, Baltimore, MD until the new home is revealed on Friday, July 16. Skilled volunteers are always welcome, and right now, bricklayers are in demand.

Volunteer/Media/VIP parking is located at the Belvedere Shopping Center (Dollar General lot) off Hillen Road. Spectator parking is located at the upper lot of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, beginning Sunday.

For information please visit baltimoreextrememakeover.com.

On Friday morning, the young ladies from Boys Hope Girls Hope got a surprise when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington announced that the hit show will build them a home – from the ground up – in just seven days.

The show’s traditional “door knock” took on a different twist, with the announcement being made during a live broadcast of Good Morning Maryland on WMAR-TV, the local ABC affiliate. The segment was shot live at Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor district with host Megan Pringle conducting interviews of the Girls Hope students, who were greeted with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tour bus carrying Pennington and fellow designers Michael Moloney, Paul DiMeo, Xzibit and Jillian Harris. The crew was joined onstage by representatives from Excel, The Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation and Artisan Fine Homes.

Boys Hope Girls Hope, an organization designed to bring joy to young men and women from at-risk families, was created with a vision to house young people in a supportive atmosphere and give them an opportunity to continue their education away from the destructive environments they’d lived in previously. For the Extreme Makeover team, along with hundreds of local volunteers, it’s a great chance to give back to youngsters who made the difficult choice of leaving home to pursue their dream of getting a good education.

For now, there’s only the Boys Hope home. Having purchased land nearby in hopes of building a similar one for young inner city women, the Boys Hope male scholars reached out to the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team. The young men want to help build a home to provide the girls in their community the same opportunities to fulfill their promise and achieve their maximum potential. They have the space, and now they also have the volunteers to help pave the way for these young women and their future.

The build site at 3817 Fleetwood, Baltimore, MD will be active 24/7 until the new home is revealed next Friday, July 16. The public is encouraged to watch. Volunteer/Media/VIP parking will be located at the Belvedere Shopping Center (Dollar General lot) off Hillen Road. Spectator parking will be located at the upper lot of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, beginning Sunday.

Meanwhile, the seven young ladies from Girls Hope will go on vacation to Los Angeles and enjoy a tour of Hollywood while the home is completed. While in Hollywood, the kids from the hit Modern Family (Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriquez) team up to help some exceptional boys and girls in this special two-hour episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

For information please visit baltimoreextrememakeover.com.