While every new year brings with it a fresh array of trends — for fashion, for automobiles, for entertainment options, vacations and diet choices — the year-end buzz in the housing industry is less about new ideas than it is about transformational thinking. If predictions are to be believed, Americans are quite happy with the direction modern life is going in terms of the way they live and interact with their homes.
2 Notable Trends
Technology is here to stay, and additional tech innovation is expected on the home front. The twin concepts of ostentatious display and conspicuous consumption have been replaced, for the most part, by a move toward “frugal luxury.”
Practical and comfortable are key concepts, with a renewed emphasis on ecological sensitivity and intelligent harmony. Modern design is the style of choice, with light and bright interiors, but there is a renewed appreciation for vintage materials and forms, including classic craftsmanship coupled with original design interpretations.
Buyers like recycled wood not only for flooring and ceiling beams, but also for wall paneling and millwork. Homes may feature smaller rooms and cozy “hideaway” spaces in addition to great rooms and open floor plans. The long-term popularity of stainless steel and sleek white ceramic kitchen sinks might give way to natural stone or poured concrete farm style sinks and hammered copper basins. Functional recessed ceiling lighting will not disappear, but is apt to be supplemented with hanging pendants and large chandeliers — not only in kitchens and dining rooms, but throughout the home.
Retro and industrial vibes are evident, for lighting and hardware, bathroom fixtures and faucets, and interior materials. Along with style forecasters like Houzz, we see a transition from impersonal design to individual expression, from home interiors that are designed for show to spaces that serve as oases of calm in a chaotic world.
High-Performing and Adaptable
The minimalist “design-perfect” aesthetic of the past will be replaced by a comfortably imperfect, satisfying expression of individualism.
The 2018 home will be built to perform better than its older counterparts, and will be more adaptable to future trends because of its built-in technological improvements. Not only is it likely to be more economical in terms of water and energy consumption, but it is also apt to “respond” better to the individual needs, wants and preferences of its inhabitants. It will also be healthier and more sustainable.
The 2018 home will be safer, cleaner, stronger, lighter and brighter, more comfortable and more beautiful both inside and out. It will also probably age gracefully, require less maintenance and may even “repair” itself in some areas. At the very least, homeowners can look forward to better diagnostic tools and perhaps expect advance warning that maintenance or repairs are necessary.
More Than Just Lights
At Aterra, our designers are fully aware of the exciting new trends. We’ll leave the actual selection of those kitchen pendants and modern floor lamps up to you, but we’ll suggest places to put them and ways to eliminate trailing cords, and we’ll make sure that turning on the lights is as simple as opening a door, entering a room, or voicing a command, if that’s what you want.
Underlying smart technology helps to make dreams real and economical. We can design a lighting plan to simulate daylight or transform a media room into a “sound and light” show. We can light up your landscape, your home office or your garage, help you charge your car or monitor your infant, assure that your home is safe and efficient, and make sure you’re connected even when you’re on the go. We’ll answer all your questions about LED bulbs, functional upgrades, “artistic” home automation, and the cost of all this convenience.
If moving into a new home is on your 2018 calendar, let us be among the first to congratulate you; we’ll work with you to make it as stylish and up to date as possible.