Discover the latest home design trends from this summer...
With fall just around the corner, it's time for a new look. Whether shopping for a new luxury home or giving a current residence a makeover, here are the latest looks and features to incorporate in your home:
1. Desks are back
After a break, a stint working on the couch, or successfully launching your tech startup in a trendy coworking space, it’s time for a real desk again. Going to the office might be a thing of the past, but whether it’s crafting your memoirs, running a successful blog, or completing your interior design plans it’s time for a new desk, with its own special place.
2. Virtual Stylists
If you’ve got to look fabulous then a professionally designed dressing room is a must. With new virtual styling services which connect users to professional personal stylists by video chat, you want your closet to be equally fashionable as the clothes on the rack.
3. Fashion Brands Become Household Brands
Armani now has condo buildings in NYC and Miami. 2017 is likely to reveal new plans by fashion houses to increase their stake in the US real estate market. Those that don’t live in these branded buildings will find that some of their best home showing features may be furnishings from major fashion labels. Even those on a budget should be able to afford some Versace tableware or throw pillows.
4. Smart Home Automation Tools as Standard
Even in the mid-range home selection, homebuilders like Lennar have been building smart home features as standard. At the high-end of the market, this may not be highly publicized, but buyers and renters will expect the service. Just as with Gucci and its sustainable ranches, and eco-friendly bags; going green, and being more energy efficient is just the right thing to do. In the luxury market, it is luxury that sells, not being a tree hugger. But that doesn’t mean the environment or efficiency is being neglected. In Lennar’s case, homeowners receive a Nexia Home Intelligence automation system that connects their smartphones and tablets to their door locks, security cameras, Z-Wave thermostats, and lighting. Recent acquisitions suggest that Apple and Google smart homes are on their way too.
5. Refrigerators Become Notable Features
On the low-end, the $5,000 Samsung smart fridge offers help with ordering groceries intelligently. Several thousand more will buy a good Sub-Zero fridge. 4x that may get you “the Lamborghini of over-sized Italian refrigerators." However, there is a major pivot in kitchen appliances property owners better know before they spend money on old-fashioned stainless steel. A recent Houzz poll shows almost two-thirds of users are interested in “dark alternatives to shiny silver metal.”
6. Combining Prime Properties for Supersized Spaces
Over the last 12 months, several areas have seen investors and developers quietly piecing together condos, old multifamily properties, and brownstones to meld them together into much larger projects. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a larger unit to hit the market ask your luxury real estate agent if they know of any of these off-market properties in the works.
7. Color
Room Décor Ideas has named Rose Quartz ‘Color of the Year 2016’, with Rose Quartz and Serenity (blue) making a great pairing for a serene pastel palette. Guatemalan fabrics are also said to be reemerging.
8. Sunrooms
Homeowners are realizing that sunrooms can pack some of the best return on investment when it comes to home makeovers and extending livable space. They make for magical morning coffees, Zen afternoons, and additional entertaining spaces.
9. The Other Entryway Gets some Attention
The entryway from the garage is finally gaining some appreciation in the design world. It may be one of the rooms that few have gotten around to touching yet. Now owners are realizing that with a little love this space can improve their lives, and could be a great selling feature. Think organizers for boots and coats, stylish seating for changing for, or out of the wet and cold, and even antique or sleek modern tables and key hooks for staying organized.
10. Wallpaper Makes a Comeback
After almost being eradicated after decades of plaguing home buyers and remodelers wallpaper is making a comeback. New styles boast metallic finishes, textured art, and personally customized papers that maximize space by altering room depth perception.