With a new year comes exciting trends in the home industry and multiple specialties. From floor to ceiling, and everything in between, the following trends and insights—sourced from expert voices—hopefully offer you inspiration to make your home the best home possible.
GENERAL DESIGN
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Universal homes: Builder and homeowners are considering houses that accommodate all phases of life, from the family years to the retirement years. Designs might include wider doorways, wider halls, bars in bathrooms, stair rails, and voice-controlled systems.
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Architecture: Demand for farmhouse, transitional, and contemporary styles continue to overtake traditional styles from the façade and foyer of the home to the interior design.
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LEED design: Architecture and design/build that includes a sensitivity and awareness of all environmental concerns, from sustainability, to sourcing, recycled products, air pollution (such as in paint, siding and insulation), and resiliency to increasingly erratic weather patterns.
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Tech: smart home applications continue to grow, and customers continue to become savvier about the energy savings, safety and convenience tech can offer. but installing them requires knowledge and advanced planning.
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Layered Lighting: In-cabinet lights, toe kick lighting, backlit bookcases, under-lit staircase, soffit lighting, room and stair lights turned off or on by motion detectors, and security lighting. Lighting is no longer an afterthought or the last item to consider, but a major consideration for every space in the home, both inside and out.
Expert Voice: NKBA NationalKitchen and Bath Association
INTERIOR DESIGN
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Reclaimed brick in the interior of a home: Reclaimed brick, such as Chicago brick, is being integrated into mudrooms, pantries, and foyers. This application brings texture and gives the ability to bring pattern on a floor in a subtle way.
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Large-scale botanical print wallpaper: The larger the scale, the better. This application is commonly used in powder rooms, giving a small space a larger feel, or in dining rooms.
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A classic bell jar lantern in soft brass or nickel: This light fixture is seen in varying styles of homes. It has taken on a fresh, new feel that can be used in transitional or classic spaces. It works great in hallways, over kitchen islands, or foyers.
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Natural and character grade woods in furniture, flooring, and cabinetry: Texture is playing a large role in the furniture market. The useof natural materials isbeing widely seen.
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Contemporary interpretation of a classical furniture design: Smooth, crisp lines render classic furniture pieces more modern. The application of large-scale nail heads with wide spacing in between also provides a transition from classic to contemporary.
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Architectural elements in design: A large amount of furniture pieces are utilizing clean lines and mixed metal and wood.
KITCHEN
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Quartz: while quartz isn’t new it is the most popular material for the kitchen because it can mimic all-natural stones and is virtually maintenance-free: it won’t crack or stain.
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Larger refrigerators in custom finishes: Stainless steel is out, black stainless steel is in, and color abounds across all appliances, including ranges, stoves and cooktops. Refrigerators are larger and more practical in functionality.
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Dual Tones: This is a trend that isn’t new this year, but will continue stronger than ever. Wall cabinets and base cabinets will feature contrasting or coordinating colors.
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Design Elements on Cabinet Doors: Plain shaker is out, decorative door styles are in. This includes using dual design styles. Perhaps a simpler design of paint or style for the wall cabinet with contrast or coordinate with a more intricate design in base and island cabinets.
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Blue Cabinetry: All shades of blue are being used in cabinetry, accessories and even décor like towels, curtains, shades, and fabrics.
Expert Voice: Aaryn Zablocki, The Appliance Source in Annapolis
BATH
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Wood grain from vinyl tiles, ceramic tiles, and other flooring options to bathtubs and especially decorative accessories like towel holders, toothbrush holders, water cups and countertop bowls.
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Stand alone tubs:Tubs of porcelain, hammered brass, copper, wood and other eclectic materials that make the space both customized and personal with stand-alone, floor mounted faucets that complement the tub material.
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The Bathroom as a place for relaxation with extra seating such as stools and chaises and separate vanities.
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Brushed metal and pewter: Golds and brasses continue to add a soft glow and reflective light for handles, knobs, faucets and accessory trim, even around mirrors, showers and wall art.
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Tech in the Bathroom: From ceiling vent fans that use Bluetooth to broadcast from smart speakers to built in USB outlets, smart devices that use apps to regulate energy use, point of use hot water heaters, and built in TVs in larger bathrooms.
