Stunning New Trends That Need to be Considered When Building/Updating Your Home

When creating your dream home, whether it be a new custom build or a renovation to your existing home, there are lots of decisions to be made about the space. What do each of the space look like and how will you use them? What do you want it feel like? How trendy do you want to go?  How do I figure my budget?

Many people looking to renovate their home or build a custom home are hoping to have the most current design style that will amaze their party guests or look appealing to the next homebuyers. However, the average person doesn’t always have the clearest idea of how to incorporate the newest trends in residential design, while keeping the over all design timeless. Even if someone is an avid HGTV watcher, the things that are shown on television are several months or years old. So without the proper deep research, many homeowners make the mistake of installing dated, tired design trends. That is where involving professionals from Elizabeth Erin Design and the EED Process will assist you.  We will give you a look into the newest trends in the world of kitchen, bath, and overall residential design. All of these trends will freshen up your house and give it new, lively character and how and where to use your budget dollars to accomplish it all!

First let’s look into the kitchen…

1. Total White is out. Total Black is in.

Top designers today are implementing a bolder look, an alternative to the previously popular all white kitchen. Total black cabinets bring a dramatic, moody look to the space,  multiplying a fresh design, adding burst of timeless character.  Pairing matte black cabinets with either a wood, black, or marble countertop creates a beautiful atmosphere. In order to keep from making the space too dark, try using a light countertop/backsplash, light warm floors, and lighter upper cabinets. You can even eliminate the upper cabinets altogether!

(Image from Italian Bark: https://www.italianbark.com/interior-trends-how-to-choose-kitchen-finishes-bertazzoni/)

2. Pops of Color Within The Kitchen 

Going hand in hand with the new bold interior look and the rejection of total white kitchens, designers are loving using pops of color in the kitchen. To pull this off, try bright primary and secondary colored appliances. They’re timeless, hinting back to Bauhaus design. To accomplish this punch of color, with less of a risk, go for a playful color on the kitchen island to make it stand out on its own or coordinate with colorful accessories spaced throughout the kitchen. Popular colors for new kitchens are deep greens and blues. Shades like forest green, dark teal, and navy can be paired beautifully with lighter tones such as sage green, mint, and baby blue. Check out a design EED has completed above with a fun dusty blue island. On the right, this new kitchen setup showcases a Kitchen Aid stove which can be purchased through Factory Direct in Urbandale, IA!

3. Metallics

As everyone becomes more creative in their choices of hardware, metallics are becoming a larger part of overall kitchen design. Metallics won’t only be popular in small secondary elements such as handles though. They are becoming popular in cabinet and furniture finishes, wallpapers, appliances, tiles and backsplashes, etc. With this comes a demand for quality materials that won’t be simply a metallic finish sprayed onto wood, but actual authentic metal. The blue metallic bar backsplash used in an EED installation above has metallic laced through it. To the left, a featured kitchen from Cambria (photo by Eric Piasecki: https://www.cambriausa.com/style/modern-jewel/#!/) is a great example of bringing color into the kitchen as well as brilliantly using metallics.

On to the bathroom…

  1. Spa-like designs

(Image from Italian Bark: https://www.italianbark.com/tile-trends-2021-kitchen-bathroom-design-casalgrandepadana/)

Throughout the past year, relaxation became even more of a focus in the home.  To many, bathrooms are seen as an oasis within the home, therefore are being inspired by wellness retreats and spas. When renovating/building your own space, walk-in showers, freestanding tubs, waterfall shower heads, and stone/wood finishes are great to consider. They are popular in seamlessly bringing this vision to life. Wood-effect and granite-effect porcelain tiles are also some examples of quality, durable materials that look great. These spaces are normally minimalist with calming, natural hues. Try warm wood tones instead of a drab and tired all white.

2. Black & White

Black and white is timeless and on trend. Just like in the kitchen, dark bathrooms are coming into style as well. You can do this by using a graphic black and white wallpaper or tile. It creates a clean, sleek atmosphere. When choosing black as the dominant color, it creates a moody, dramatic atmosphere whereas white would feel bright and clean. In the image above, EED chose a geometric black tile with a light sheen for the walls around the free-standing white bath. The pop of gold from the bath hardware adds dimensionality and doesn’t take away from the effect of the black and white scheme. 

3. Biophilic Design

With the focus on relaxation and wellness comes a trend in focusing on overall health. Being forced to stay home with the pandemic, everyone is aware of the importance of natural green to improve well-being. This trend can be seen in all areas of design from large commercial projects to small residential areas. Now, we are seeing people placing much larger biophilic statements in their bathrooms than ever before. Having that huge statement in what is normally the smallest room in a house allows for the biggest impact. A couple creative ways to bring this trend into your own space is to use a wallpaper or tile with a fun greenery pattern or to try installing a live green wall. Make sure to be careful when selecting those powerful features, but also make sure to have fun and be creative. A safer, easier way to bring the idea of biophilic design into a bathroom is by simply adding a large piece of greenery such as a fern, spider plant, or snake plant.

Here are some overall home trends…

1. Visual Escapism

(Image from Italian Bark: https://www.italianbark.com/interior-trends-2021-visual-escapism-best-digital-artists/)

The pandemic has undoubtedly left you wishing for the ability to travel to new places and times which has brought around an escapism design trend. People want interiors that will transport them to another world, away from the chaos that has consumed the last year. So far, these trends are mostly seen in digital interiors by digital artists, but are transitioning into new launches from brands and companies who want utopian landscapes, buildings, and interiors. Examples could be bright monochromatic interiors, ethereal homes, or dreamy window landscapes. So try out this trend to create the space from another world that you’ve always dreamed of. It may not be so far from reality anymore.

2. Luxurious Interiors

A major trend gaining more and more popularity is the glamorous luxury design style. It takes inspiration from hotel design, art deco style, and Viennese Modernism. Geometric shapes, luxury velvets, monochrome prints, and loads of rich textures will be all the rage. This is where the metallic trend can also come into play. Surfaces with a bit of a reflectance or sheen have a great look for this style. Time apart may have influenced you to want a luxury getaway and desire to eventually host elegant gatherings. If that sounds like you, make sure to install quality, authentic materials with integrity. These will last longer in the end, and never go out of style. In the installation image above, Elizabeth Erin Designs had a great time designing a creative luxurious lighting plan.  The vertical lines on the entry wall and ceiling are not there by accident, it was done by design and imbedded into the drywall!

3. Color, Color, Color

There are conversations happening around the creative uses of color in design. Plain, neutral spaces are beginning to be seen as tiresome to the general public. Taking over the scene are huge pops of color as seen in our installation above.  Color can be added through artwork, accessories, wall paint/paper, rugs, or furniture.  It just needs to be balanced with neutrals.  Have fun and don’t shy away from color.  No matter your favorite color, there’s a beautiful color scheme that can bring a new freshness to your space and give it the character it needs. Let our team at Elizabeth Erin Designs assist you in selecting color scheme.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about our nationwide interior design services, we can be reached through our website CLICK HERE.  There you can also view our portfolio.   If you have a topic you would like us to cover in a future blog, please email us at office@elizabetherindesigns.com and let us know what you would like to hear about.  Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest interior design information. Have a beautiful week and remember Elizabeth Erin Designs is always here to shed light on how we can assist you in achieving your vision!

We are blessed to employee some of the best up an coming interior designers in training!  This blog was written by Aimee Wallner and edited by Jodi Peterman.  Fantastic job Aimee!