Ten home design trends to expect in 2018

While you're trying hard to stick to your New Year resolutions, the design world is setting its sights on what styles will be big in 2018

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 and neutrals (Houzz)

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.

1. More colour in kitchens

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.

2. Rich colours throughout the home

Warm grays paired with camel, rust, tobacco, browns, blacks, and earthy reds and yellows, are expected to edge out cooler neutrals (Sea Pointe Construction/Houzz)

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.”

3. No more white or stainless steel sinks

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”.

4. Florals

To refresh a kitchen or bathroom, try contemporary tiles that look like wood, concrete, resin, fabric or even wallpaper (Rachel Loewen Photography/Houzz)

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.

5. Concrete accents

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.”

6. Vintage lighting

Vintage light fixtures are making a comeback as crafty home do-it-yourselfers outfit retro fixtures with new technology (Kimberley Bryan/Houzz)

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.”

7. Millwork feature walls and detailing

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.”

8. Trough or bucket sinks

Trough and bucket sinks can help create a rustic aesthetic and maximize minimal space (Designstorms /Houzz)

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.

9. Wallpaper-like backsplash

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.

10. Casual and calm modern bedrooms

Soothing color palettes, soft fabrics and simple furniture are expected to reign supreme in the master bedroom (Nanette Wong/Houzz)

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