he way we live is changing, and our homes reflect it. Whether we’re entertaining or relaxing, our home mirrors our evolving lifestyle. Staying on top of trends in the home market is helpful whether you’re looking to buy or sell. Here are a few developments that are shaping the way we live today.
Color Gets Bolder
Professional color forecasters say strong colors are in. Rather than sticking with a safe beige, Americans have gotten more comfortable with using color to make a personal statement. Today’s colors are more saturated and deeper, and often have an ethnic influence. There’s also a trend towards “comfort colors.” The comfort color palette is all about soothing and calm. Think the deep orange of pumpkin pie or the warmth of mocha brown.
Flooring Goes Natural
Homeowners have long been drawn to the warmth and richness of wood floors. The newest trends in wood flooring include distressed planks, planks in wider widths, and exotic woods, such
and tigerwood and ipe. Salvaged-wood flooring adds a particular richness that comes only with age and comes with its own story. The wood may be Douglas fir salvaged from old industrial mills in Washington State, teak rescued from demolished homes in Southeast Asia or redwood from old wine tanks in California.
Environmentally friendly flooring is also in vogue. If you’re thinking green, you have great options. Bamboo replenishes itself naturally and is harvested from bamboo plantations, not from wild habitats. It looks great, too. Cork is another attractive choice for floors. Long used in Europe, cork is environmentally sustainable and non-toxic, and offers a warm, natural look. Linoleum, the original environmentally friendly floor covering, has made a big comeback. A natural product made primarily from linseed oil, linoleum is available in a wide array of colors to fit any décor.
The Kitchen Takes Center Stage
The kitchen has long been the heart of a home, and now it’s also prime entertainment space. Open, flowing floor plans merge kitchen, dining and living areas into one grand room that works as well for family dinners as it does for large-scale entertaining.
Kitchen islands, cabinets and even appliances are taking on the look and feel of fine furniture. The use of exotic woods such as wenge or zebrawood is increasingly popular. Dishwashers and refrigerators are paneled to blend in with the cabinetry, resulting in a sleek, modern look. Drawer-style refrigerators and dishwashers offer you the flexibility to place appliances exactly where you want them.
For countertops, granite is still popular. Some of the newer countertop options include satin glass, concrete and recycled glass slab that has an almost mosaic-like look. Many homeowners are also utilizing engineered stone. Made from quartz crystals and polymer resin, it’s nearly maintenance-free. It also comes in a variety of colors, and since it can be formed into different shapes, the sink can become a seamless part of the countertop. The fresh look for backsplashes is contrast and texture. Glass tiles are an elegant alternative to ceramic. Metallics are hot, whether in the form of shimmering tile or metal sheeting with the look of hammered silver.
PProfessional-grade appliances continue to find their way into more home kitchens. The newest look is vivid colors, whether it’s a bright red enameled stove or a rounded retro-style fridge in ’50s aqua. If you’re looking for something really cutting-edge, a British company makes a glossy black refrigerator encrusted with 7,000 hand-embedded Swarovski crystals.
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The Bathroom Becomes a Spa
The quest to replicate the spa experience at home has transformed the bathroom into a luxurious sanctuary. Master baths are boasting lavish amenities such as Japanese-style soaking tubs for two and steam rooms. Air baths, the newest whirlpool alternative, feature tiny, effervescent bubbles instead of targeted jets. Custom showers combine multiple showerheads and body sprays to create a rainforest-like experience. Built-in aromatherapy systems allow you to change the room’s scent to fit your mood. Some of the latest showers and tubs utilize colored light to stimulate the mind and body. Called chromotherapy, it involves shining streams of changing color hues and intensities through the water—think of it as a light show in your shower. Soothed, a warming drawer serves up cozy towels and heated floors keep your toes toasty. Surround-sound audio completes the mood, and a built-in bar keeps coffee or champagne at your fingertips. While you’re winding down, there’s no need to miss the news or your favorite show. Televisions are popping up in more and more bathrooms. The most elegant, space-saving solution involves installing a flat-panel television behind the vanity mirror. When it’s on, the image shows through and when it’s off, all you see is the mirror.
The Master Suite as Retreat
No longer a place just to sleep, the master suite has morphed into an amenity-rich refuge that rivals those of the world’s finest hotels. More and more, master suites are being broken into separate rooms, allowing couples to do their own activities, such as read or watch TV, and then come back together. Trend-watchers are also seeing the addition of “rejuvenation rooms” for meditation, exercise or yoga. These spaces usually adjoin the master bath spa area.
Master closets have grown to the size of small bedrooms and are being furnished as lavishly as the rest of the home, with storage systems, cabinets and other built-ins made of exotic hardwoods. Locating a washer and dryer in the master closet makes doing laundry a snap.
For the ultimate in indulgence, an en-suite wet bar and wine storage provide easy access to a nightcap, and a mini-kitchen with a built-in refrigerator and espresso machine is ideal for a lazy Sunday morning.
Ready to start looking for the home of your dreams? Call me, and I can let you know what’s available now that fits your needs and your lifestyle.
Windermere’s Community Service Day
At Windermere Real Estate, our commitment to communities goes deeper than just helping people find their dream homes. We believe in giving back to the neighborhoods in which we live and work. Each year since 1984, Windermere agents have dedicated a full day to community service projects that give back to our communities. Maintaining the health and beauty of our neighborhoods is a cornerstone of our work, and we consider it our responsibility to lend a helping hand where help is needed. Look for us in your neighborhood working on a project that will help make our community stronger. If you have a suggestion for next year’s project, please contact me or your nearest Windermere office.
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