The Most Popular Features to Add to Your New Jersey Home During a Renovation

The features you choose for your home remodel can significantly impact your happiness with the end result. That’s why it's essential to carefully consider creative home improvement ideas to determine what would work best in your home and give you the most happiness. 

Fortunately, our team at G&L and Sons Renovations knows a thing or two about home remodeling. As one of the best home remodel contractors in Montclair and its surroundings, we have experience guiding clients toward the right modern home renovation ideas. 

In this blog, you’ll learn home renovation trends for 2025 and our recommendations for must-have features in your remodel. 

What Are the Top Trending Features for Home Renovations in New Jersey?

Mixed Color Finishes for Hardware, Appliances, and Decorative Lighting

A decade or so ago, it was fashionable to have everything in one's home match perfectly, but this trend has shifted. At G&L and Sons Renovations, trends have shifted to include renovations with mixed-color finishes for hardware, appliances, and decorative lighting. 

In New Jersey, an increasing number of homeowners are embracing creative ideas like mixing brass fixtures with matte black or stainless steel with gold accents to create a layered and curated look in the home. With decorative lighting, there is a definite shift towards two-tone finishes that tie into interesting design elements far from traditional. 

Electric Radiant Heat

In recent years, gradient heating has gained more traction among homeowners looking to renovate in New Jersey. It is one of the more modern home renovation ideas that is definitely worth considering, as it provides not only reduced energy bills but also more comfort. 

Electric radiant heating distributes heat across a temperature gradient to evenly heat spaces. When it is added beneath wood, laminate, or tile flooring, you won't have cold floors during winter and dread getting out of bed!

Energy-Efficient Windows and Door

Energy costs are again on the rise and will likely continue to be unfavorable, considering the US energy data. However, that doesn’t mean you have to simply accept that your bills will be higher. Instead, you can consider energy-efficient windows and doors. 

These improved doors and windows are popular among homeowners wanting to renovate their homes. Although the initial outlay might be a little more expensive, they're a must-have, considering they reduce heating and cooling costs while improving a home's overall sustainability and enhancing comfort. Plus, many window and door options qualify for rebates and tax credits!

Multi-Colored Kitchen Cabinets

Many New Jersey homeowners are phasing out drab, monotone, or neutral-toned kitchen cabinets during renovations. We’ve found that a kitchen design trend that continues to gain popularity is multi-colored cabinetry. 

For example, home renovators are choosing perimeter cabinets in a bold paint color paired with a natural wood-stained island to create depth and visual interest. This trend is allowing homeowners to experiment with contrasting hues and add interest to their kitchen spaces without spending too much on decor and luxury features that might be out of budget. 

Outlets in Drawers

One of the best built-in features for Montclair home renovators is outlets in drawers. This popular feature allows homeowners to say goodbye to cluttered countertops. 

With outlets installed inside drawers, everything from kitchen appliances like mixers and blenders to bathroom essentials like hairdryers and straighteners is kept out of sight. With your outlets hidden in drawers, you can enjoy a clearer and cleaner-looking home daily. 

Lighted Mirrors in Bathrooms

When renovating your New Jersey home, you have many different luxury home upgrades to choose from. One of the simplest and least expensive is lighted mirrors in the bathrooms. For many people, lighted mirrors in the bathroom are a game-changer because they provide excellent illumination when you need to get ready for the day, groom yourself, or apply makeup. 

They also often have adjustable lighting settings, which makes them aesthetically pleasing and great for those who frequently film TikTok transition videos or take pictures for their Instagram. 

Accent Walls

When it comes to modern design ideas for Montclair homes, we would be remiss not to mention accent walls. This popular renovation feature upgrade is making a significant comeback in 2025 design trends. 

With an accent wall created with bold paints, textured wallpapers, or wood paneling, you can creatively personalize every room in your home to aesthetically elevate the overall theme you’ve chosen and let your personality shine through.

Adding Storage

If there is one thing many older homes in NJ lack, it is ample storage space. So, it should come as no surprise that it has become a homeowner's priority to add built-in storage during a remodel, like innovative shelving solutions and additional cabinetry. 

When you work with G&L and Sons Renovations, we will ensure you have more storage by efficiently using every square foot. We can also help with custom storage ideas. 

Good Lighting

When you renovate your home, you need to upgrade it for better lighting. Usually, it's best to install a mixture of ambient, task, and accent lighting to create ‘lighting layers’ in your home that provide an ambient atmosphere and more usability. 

In addition, if you lean towards being more tech-savvy, you may also want to consider smart lighting systems you can control from any smartphone or voice-activated lighting, which is becoming increasingly popular. 

Larger Kitchen Islands

There are many kitchen renovation must-haves, but larger kitchen islands have become a more popular choice in recent years.

Larger kitchen islands have become the heart of modern homes. They provide ample counter space for cooking, dining, entertaining, and additional storage. We’ve also seen many homeowners opt for islands with integrated features like prep sinks, outlets, and seating areas.

Beverage and Wine Refrigeration

You'll find that dedicated beverage and wine refrigerators are a luxurious yet infinitely practical addition to kitchens and entertainment areas. 

These specialized fridges keep drinks at the perfect temperature and free up space in standard refrigerators. So, if you’re someone who enjoys their beverages, it's a nifty idea you might want to think about for your upcoming remodel. 

What Are the Best Features to Add for Improved Home Storage Solutions?

When it comes to storage solutions, there are a few features you should consider before you begin your remodeling journey. To give you a better idea, we’ve shared popular options our recent clients have embraced to improve how they use the spaces in their homes:

• Open adjustable shelving in built-ins: With open adjustable built-in shelving, you can tailor your storage to your needs. Most find this option ideal for offices, living rooms, and kitchens, where flexibility is key. 

• Drawers: We’ve recently completed many custom renovations in New Jersey, where drawers are requested to hide items from sight. Most people choose deep drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms to keep everything tucked neatly away. 

• LED lighting on shelving: Although technically not a storage solution, it is a feature that improves how you use storage in your home. With LED lighting on shelving, you can improve visibility while making your cabinets look more striking. 

• Rolling ladders for high cabinets: It can be challenging to reach the higher cabinets in your home. Installing a rolling ladder is an excellent option if you’ve decided to build vertical storage because of space requirements. 

• Mudroom storage benches: If you’re considering adding a mudroom during renovations, you should also consider the storage in this space. We recommend installing mudroom storage benches that are perfect for sitting and storing away footwear and outdoor gear when not in use. 

• Recycling and garbage drawers: No one wants their rubbish or recycling displayed in their kitchen, so recycling and rubbish drawers are becoming hugely popular. Integrated garbage and recycling drawers are a sleek and sanitary option for kitchens. These pull-out systems make sorting waste easy and keep trash bins out of sight.

• Hooks: Adding hooks in mudrooms, entryways, and closets is an inexpensive and efficient way to organize bags, coats, and accessories.

G&L and Sons Renovations Must-Add Feature Recommendations

At G&L and Sons Renovations, we understand that each homeowner’s needs are unique. However, there are certain features  – over and above what we have discussed already – that we consistently recommend to enhance functionality, comfort, and style in any home:

• Mudroom addition: One of the best home additions to consider during a remodel is adding a mudroom to your New Jersey home. A well-designed mudroom with benches, hooks, and cubbies can make a big difference in keeping your home organized and clutter-free.

• Kitchen addition: Open floor plans designed through a kitchen addition create larger gathering spaces in this room, making it even more perfect for entertaining and everyday family life.

• Laundry re-situation: Convenience is key in our book. That’s why we recommend locating the laundry room near bedrooms during a remodel to save time and effort for busy families.

• Full bath addition: One of the newest bathroom renovation trends in New Jersey is adding a full bath addition. Adding an extra full bathroom increases families' convenience and boosts your home's resale value.

• Energy-efficient lighting: We always recommend energy-efficient lighting solutions that reduce utility costs and contribute to a much greener planet.

Let G&L and Sons Renovations Add Popular Features to Your New Jersey Home During a Renovation

Evidently, there are many popular features to add to your New Jersey home during a renovation. If you would like help choosing the right features, you can contact our team at G&L and Sons Renovations here. We’ve spent years helping clients curate their homes with on-trend features that make their lives better and their homes everything they have ever dreamed of owning. 

Here are some other blog posts that might interest you:

Kitchen renovations

Planning a kitchen remodel

Choosing a remodel contractor

To recap, plan your project carefully and take the time to explore what matters most to you.

If you live in our northern NJ area and are ready to create the project of your dreams we'd love to hear from you.