This year brought with it exciting design options for the style-savvy luxury home buyer.
From interesting materials to surprising juxtapositions to the evolution of what defines truly elegant livability, the trends of 2016 have really made their mark. As a buyer with a discerning palate, no doubt you know what you like…but by immersing yourself in a few of the year’s hottest trends, you might discover some new complements to your taste.
We’ve rolled up our sleeves and put together some of the most striking design trends of the year and assembled them in a single collection, just for you. Take a look – you might find a few “must-have” elements for your next dream home.
1. Waterfall kitchen and bar design
A waterfall island
The “waterfall” design of a kitchen island or bar involves material cascading from the top of the area down the side. This creates a seamless flow that has a way of creating visual energy in a room. Popular choices include wood, granite and marble.
This isn’t necessarily a brand-new trend, but it is enjoying a resurgence. Contemporary finishes and materials have made this classic aesthetic feel fresh and new once again.
2016 marked a trend where the line between outdoor and indoor began to blur, with design concepts that converged the two spaces seamlessly. With retractable glass walls and screens and stackable doors, the divide between outdoor living and indoor luxury is essentially removed. Careful selection of materials can contribute to this sense of unity. In the process, the livable space in each area is enhanced and optimized.
2. Intimate and expanded outdoor spaces
An intimate outdoor space
Designers continued to look to the great outdoors as part of the overall living experience throughout 2016. These areas are typically created as spaces of relaxation and repose, with enhancements like fireplaces and comfortable seating designed to extend the time you spend outdoors. In many cases, the materials chosen create an artful complement to the natural surroundings.
More and more, design is freed from the confines of a home’s interior. No matter what the climate, outdoor spaces are being designed to feature a more prominent role in the lifestyle of a home’s owner.
3. Indoor-outdoor living space convergence
Interior connected to exterior area
4. Modern industrial home interior accents
A large room with modern industrial accents
Industry has finally come home. Bright colors, sleek lines and metallic finishes have found a place in more and more luxury residences. Long a favorite of commercial spaces, this look is making impressive inroads into private homes, and the results are as appealing as they are effective.
5. Exotic or re purposed wood accents
A white room with wood accents
For too long, “modern” was synonymous with “cold.” Yet recent trends show a warming of the modern aesthetic through the use of wood.
Through wood accents (often with material that is re purposed or salvaged) in ceilings, cabinets and floors, even the most modern residences become softened. In the process, the contrast of natural and modern materials creates a dynamism that became one of the most notable 2016 design trends.
See something you just can’t live without? We can help. Our in-house interior design studio “ELEMENTS Design & Decor” can make sure that your next great home interior vision becomes realty in no time at all.
6. Low-impact exterior landscape design
A design incorporating the environment
Buyers are trending toward a more sustainable approach to living, and that includes their selections for exterior landscaping and environmental design. Native species often require less in terms of water consumption, and they don’t carry the risk of spreading invasive plants throughout the region, either.
But it goes further than that. Permeable pavement and a “greener” approach to hardscapes overall can create the kind of Earth-friendly exterior environment that most homeowners find appealing these days. It’s the kind of exterior that looks good and is good for the planet, too.
Annette Daskalos,