Ten home design trends to expect in 2018

The home remodelling and design platform Houzz recently released its top 10 home-design-trend predictions for the new year. The site’s forecast, derived from conversations with industry experts as well as trends noticed among its 40 million monthly users, gives a glimpse of what we might soon see in our homes – and on our social media feeds.

Houzz editor and writer Mitchell Parker spoke about Houzz’s conclusions, and why these particular trends are gaining traction.

Although white will always be a classic colour for kitchen design, homeowners are shying away from bland hues and injecting rich colours, such as warm wood tones (eg, mahogany) and neutrals (eg, greys and blues), into the space to give it a warm, fresh and unique feel.

Social sites such as Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz have exposed homeowners to “what’s possible, what looks fun and what they can personalise themselves,” Parker said, and have encouraged them to be bigger risk-takers when it comes to colour.

Warm greys paired with “camel, rust, tobacco [and] brown-blacks,” as well as earthy reds and yellows, are expected to edge out cooler neutrals in the coming year.

“These rich colours are not like the avocado green and mustard colours from the 1970s. They won’t date quickly,” Parker said. “They are rich, moody and work well in home environments where you want a soothing and diverse mix of colours and textures.”

The modern Farmhouse style will continue to flourish in 2018 and spread to the bathroom. Parker predicts that there will be “more concrete, stone, copper and granite composite sinks in darker hues of grey, bronze or black”.

“As people set out to personalise their spaces, they are kind of bored with seeing a white sink all of the time,” Parker said. The rustic home decor trend is “waking people up to trying something new and different”.

It “harkens back to simpler times,” he said, “and that feeling of simplicity can be very calming in a home environment”.

The tropical palm print may have flooded your Instagram feeds over the past 12 months, but people aren’t yet tired of eye-catching, oversized graphic florals. Houzz expects even more interpretations of overscaled floral patterns, in high-contrast colours, in 2018.

Step aside, white marble – it’s concrete’s time to steal the spotlight. “It’s a really affordable, high-impact design element,” Parker said.

Already used for floors and countertops, the versatile, accessible material is now being utilised in more interesting and unexpected ways, including in home accessories, such as pendant lighting and furniture.

“We’re seeing new uses [of it] on all kinds of hardscaping surfaces,” Parker added. “On anything you can think of, people are casting it.”

Vintage light fixtures, including sconces, lanterns, pendants and chandeliers, are making a comeback as crafty home do-it-yourselfers outfit retro fixtures with new technology.

“I find that vintage fixtures are often better-made than new fixtures, I prefer their patina, and I appreciate the distinctive, one-of-a-kind quality they add to rooms,” designer and NBC’s Today show style expert Elizabeth Mayhew wrote in The Washington Post. “Online shopping platforms such as 1stDibs, Etsy and One Kings Lane have made it easy to find everything from an early 20th-century French crystal chandelier to a Sixties Sputnik.”

The ease and availability of millwork has helped increase its demand and popularity in the design world. “Before, if you wanted to find millwork or reclaimed wood, you really had to know where to go and find somebody who was good at working with it,” Parker said. “Now, you can DIY it, and put it right against the drywall behind your bed to create a feature wall.”

Another sign the modern Farmhouse trend isn’t going anywhere soon: Houzz predicts that deep, wide and durable trough and bucket sinks will continue to be popular in 2018. Used commonly in busy laundry rooms and kids’ bathrooms, these long, narrow and low-maintenance sinks can help create a rustic aesthetic and maximise minimal space.

Looking to refresh your kitchen or bathroom? Stay away from subway or hexagon tiles and instead consider contemporary tiles that look like wood, concrete, resin, fabric or even wallpaper.

Homeowners are running with the “less is more” notion in the master bedroom and opting for more modern and minimalist furnishings. Instead of bold and busy colours, soothing, neutral colour palettes are expected to reign supreme, along with soft fabrics and simple furniture pieces.

© The Washington Post