Top 5 Home Design
Trends of 2017
The current trends are all about utilizing rich color,
maximizing texture and creating comfortable interiors you can’t wait to relax
in. Use these trends to get inspired to makeover your home’s interiors and
create spaces you love that also appeal to your personal style. Remember, if
you plan to sell in the next few years, you may want to avoid doing anything
dramatic and instead incorporate small changes that would appeal to buyers.
Why are these trends gaining
popularity?
The underlying theme of these trends is creating a home
environment you love; one that appeals to your emotions and feels like a
retreat from the stresses of the world. Although the home is a place where you
can relax and spend time with loved ones, work expectations are beginning to blur
the line between work and home. Even if people don’t work from home
specifically, many are stretching their work hours into their evenings and
weekends to complete work projects.
It’s no wonder the Nordic concept of hygge (most
often pronounced “hoo-gah”) has become a hot trend. A centuries-old concept,
incorporating hygge in the home means
creating simple and comfortable spaces that make you feel cozy and safe and appeal
to your senses.1 The emphasis is on simplicity and fostering
positive experiences.
WARM AND RICH COLORS.
Whether you want to play with a bold color or stick with
neutrals, one thing is clear—paint is the foundation of a great design.
Painting your interiors has a return on investment of about 75 percent and
is a relatively inexpensive project to complete, costing between $25 to $100
for paint alone.2 If you’re thinking of refreshing your home’s
interiors with a coat of paint, popular colors include warm taupe, fresh green
and dark tones. These colors are popular choices because they evoke feeling of
warmth and coziness when you walk into a room.
If you’re interested in adding more drama to a room, include
bold, dark colors. Dark shades add color
and sophistication to any space. Plum and dark gray pair well with pale blues,
warm whites and light gray.
Try one of these Colors of the Year:
Poised Taupe – Sherwin Williams
Greenery - Pantone
Shadow – Benjamin Moore
RICH MATERIALS.
Lux materials create a space in which you can’t wait to kick
off your shoes and relax at the end of the day. The Danes use a mixture of
materials and pattern as a way of adding character and interest; however the
overall look still needs to adhere to a color palette to prevent it from
looking distracting.
Natural materials and textures allow you to maximize the
comfort of the bedroom, living room or family room. Wood accents give rooms an
earthy feel. Incorporate rustic wood sculptures, trays and furniture into your
space. Choose furniture made with sustainably harvested wood certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or use reclaimed wood for an environmentally
friendly alternative.
GOING GREEN.
According to a recent study from the American Psychological
Association, people are more stressed than ever, with 24 percent of adults
reporting they’re experiencing “extreme stress.”3
Top sources of stress include work and money. By
incorporating small changes, like making your house more energy efficient, you
can start to lower your bills and get back to relaxing and enjoying life like
the Danish do (who consistently top the polls as the happiest people).
Save money on your energy bills by sealing the “envelope” of
your home, which includes the windows and doors, walls, floor and roof. The
better insulated your home is, the less heat will escape and the lower your
energy bill (and stress level) will be.
The most heat loss occurs through the walls of the home: up
to 35 percent of heat loss, to be exact.4 Ceramic
insulating paint is a space-inspired coating of paint mixed with ceramic
compounds and applied to interior or exterior surfaces. It seals your walls and
prevents heat from escaping, which means reduced energy bills all year long.
THE FUNCTIONAL HOME OFFICE.
Twenty-four percent of employed people do some
or all of their work at home.5 Since more people are working
remotely than ever, home offices are becoming more popular. Even if you don’t
plan on working from home, a home office gives you a place to pay bills, work
on personal projects, plan your family’s schedule and more. Home offices tend
to be multifunctional, serving as a guest room when family and friends visit,
and have the potential to meet other needs that arise.
The key idea behind hygge is to enjoy the environment around
you and for each room to be a sanctuary to sink into at any given moment. Your
home office is no exception! Maximize
your productivity, efficiency and focus by painting the walls shades
of green or blue.6 If space is an issue, create a nook by installing
docking and tech cabinets that are big enough to store a printer and other
small office equipment and files without taking over the room.
SPLURGING ON KITCHEN RENOVATIONS.
The kitchen is often the busiest, most hectic room in the
house and one of the top renovation projects with a high return on
investment.7 We do more than cook meals there; it’s where homework
is done, bills are paid, weeks are planned and more.
Kitchen remodels consistently show a respectable return on
investment. According to the 2017 Cost vs Value Report from Remodeling magazine, a minor
kitchen remodel touts an 80.2 percent return on investment.8 You
don’t need to overhaul your entire kitchen to make it more hygge. Smaller
additions can transform it into a relaxing and functional space you enjoy
spending time with friends and family in.
What does a “minor kitchen renovation” entail? In addition
to replacing the fronts of your cabinets and drawers, it also includes
replacing out-of-date appliances and fixtures. You may also consider replacing
countertops. Quartz and quartzite are becoming more common as are other green
laminate options, including ones that mimic stone, wood and concrete. Laminates
install in less time, often over the existing countertop, make it an ideal
choice for busy homeowners as well. Other hot kitchen trends include
incorporating sustainable materials like bamboo into your countertops and
floors and water filtration systems.
Want to improve the look and feel of
your home’s interior? Are you thinking of upgrading to a home that better fits
your changing needs? Call us—we’d love to help you achieve all of your
home-related dreams.
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