What will home design look like through the remainder of this decade? The Wall Street Journal recently asked hundreds of interior designers to peer into their crystal balls to identify the trends that will dominate home design from now until 2030. Here are some highlights:
- Homes will tip their hat to mother nature. Natural light, open windows, small balconies and terraces and skylights will pay homage to nature and provide more opportunities for homeowners to experience the benefits of natural light, fresh air and green spaces.
- The popularity of open floor plans will wane. This trend started before COVID-19, and homeowners are beginning to want defined spaces that separate work from home. That does not necessarily mean more walls or enclosed spaces. What it does mean is that there will be distinct spaces separated by interior windows and strategic sightlines.
- Millennials will move to the suburbs, which, in turn, will result in home design and amenities will become more urban.
- There will be an expanded emphasis on health and wellbeing. Instead of having a fitness room, homes will feature yoga studios, meditation rooms, steam rooms and infrared saunas, among other amenities and systems that allow family members time to reflect and recharge their batteries.
- Furniture goes on a diet. Sofas and other furniture will become thinner and more compact.
- Handwashing increases permanently. The Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 is responsible for the creation of the powder room and the popularity of easy-to-clean white subway tile. Look for COVID-19 to result in vestibules and mudrooms that include sinks and package and shoe storage spaces.
- Multigeneration households make a comeback. The high cost of housing and independent living will result in more multigenerational households with separate spaces or even in-home apartments for parents and adult children.
- Design softens. Hard edges in design will give way to curved countertops, walls and woodwork to provide the look and feel of harmony and warmth.
- Increased investment in quality pieces rather than inexpensive pieces whose price tag is directly related to quality or indistinguishable design.
- Work from home will be the norm, and defined spaces will be designed to respond to this trend. Also, there will be multiple venues within a home and outside that enable family members to work from home, participate in video conferences and charge devices.
What’s Trending Now and What’s Expected
For the first time in many years, more homeowners are electing to stay in their existing homes and opting to improve their existing space, instead of moving. The motivation to improve existing space is to make it more beautiful and functional and to make necessary changes that allow for aging in place gracefully. Some of the trends that are expected to continue into the future include:
HOME SMART TECHNOLOGY
- Home technology – voice-activated functionality and integration with Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa, among others – to connect and operate showers, vanities, refrigerators, lighting, thermostats and ovens.
- Appliances are not only becoming more beautiful, they also are becoming more functional:
- Combination refrigerators that offer safe food and wine storage.
- Smaller, more compact dishwashers that use fan-assisted drying thereby eliminating the need for towel drying and third racks that allow for more cleaning capacity.
- Manufacturer apps that connect dishwashers to smart devices that allow users to monitor and adjust settings and create custom wash cycles.
CUSTOMIZED EVERYTHING
- Customization capabilities for plumbing fixtures. Homeowners now can specify custom colors and materials for their kitchen sinks and faucets.
- Touch and hands-free faucets with special spray devices for rinsing dishes and setting water spray volume on demand.
- Faucet finishes in rose gold, warm brass and matte black.
- Engineered quartz has become the most popular countertop material, especially in urban and suburban areas.
- Blue continues to gain popularity for cabinets and color schemes in kitchens.
- Mixed wood tones will also increase in demand as homeowners increasingly recognize that mixing different tones and textures allows for a unique, custom look.
- The natural organic look paired with splashes of accent and backsplash color is a direction many designers and homeowners opt for.
If you would like to assure that your next kitchen, bath or renovation project is on-trend and can withstand the test of time, give one of our JM Designers a call. You can schedule a consultation here either in person or virtually, or drop by one of our showrooms. We promise to offer guidance to create the kitchen of your dreams that is also easy to clean.
