What are you likely to see if you take a tour of homes these days? The answer is surprising because several new things are gracing new homes, and we’re not just talking about features that cycle in and out of style, decade after decade. There are actually dozens of fresh trends in the home design market and a few are pretty ingenious. Here are the top trends in home design for the year:
Artsy Fixtures
Everything from so-called “artisanal” light fixtures to specialized faucets and toilets are making a splash in new homes. It’s not just the new developments where the trend is taking hold. Many owners of exiting and classic homes are choosing to add artistic touches via light fixtures, kitchen design elements and other areas of the home. Art, in all forms, is a major trend in modern homes. The irony is that most of the art is “classic” or very, very old.
In-Home Elevators
No longer the province of classic, expensive homes, elevators are finally coming to the mass market in homes of all sizes and price levels. Seen sometimes as a safety feature for owners who don’t want to navigate long staircases, home elevators are an ideal installation idea for parents who have young children that post a falling risk on steps. But another reason people are putting elevators in their homes has to do with style. In-home lifts look great and bring a special quality to any home they’re in.
Simmons-jl [CC BY-SA 3.0]
Smart Everything
Smart appliances are turning up literally everywhere. In new homes they’re par for the course, but even older and classic homes are getting in on the act. Add-ons in existing homes include things like self-cleaning pools, very intelligent ovens, refrigerators that know all your eating habits, mirrors that tell you when you should see a doctor, sprinklers that do the heavy lifting of lawn maintenance and more. The smart appliance trend is certainly here to stay, even though some designers and marketing experts think it has already gone overboard.
Brass and Copper and Stone
Metal design elements come and go but the new trend toward unfinished stone, copper and brass is really picking up steam. This design element is especially catching on in brand-new homes rather than as an add-on in older ones. Where are stone and metal appearing? They’re all over the home, but primarily in bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms. Huge slabs of feldspar are commonly featured in dens and larger living areas near high-tech entertainment systems. Some people view these all-natural pieces of stone and metal as a way to “get back to the outdoors” while sitting in front of a $5,000 flat-screen and binge-watching the latest cable series.
Geometric Art, Patterns and Themes
One of the over-arching design themes in new homes is related to geometry. Whether you do well in the subject during high school doesn’t matter. You’ll no doubt be surprised and possibly pleased with this entrenched home design trend. Geometric patterns are showing up in wallpaper, flooring, ceiling tiles, cement walkways, artwork, kitchen decor and even roof tiles. No area of the new home is without at least a nod to the time-honored subject of geometry.
