A new year means interior designers have wiped their palettes clean and reloaded with a fresh set of styles and crazes to outfit living spaces. Exhausted trends have faded into the horizon and new paint styles, kitchen and wall finishes and furniture looks are poised to make a run for multifamily design into 2017.
With the impending unveiling of new home fashions at the National Association of Home Builders annual show, some fads are already coming into focus in the home design crystal ball.
Real estate website Trulia and HouseBeautiful predict that the limits of home fashion will be pushed this year, based on what designers are saying. Like 2016, home concepts are expected to focus on comfort, ease and individualism. But interior finishes will feature fold colors and unique textures, and the institutional standby of subway tile in kitchens and baths will continue to gain popularity.
Here are some of the highlights you should look in the coming year:
Interior designs and comforts for 2017
Texture is a big player in finishes from the kitchen to floors. Stainless steel and other brushed metal appliances that have been dominant in previous years are expected to concede to matte metal finishes for refrigerators, stoves, ovens and other machines, says Trulia.
But don’t think everything should be so flat. Trulia predicts that shiny metal finishes like polished brass and bronze knobs, knockers, pulls and faucets are coming back.
Another big ticket item for 2017 is cerused wood for floors and cabinet. Ceruse is a white pigment used in cosmetics, and by blending it into wood the grain pops. The effect is most dramatic in darker woods and oaks. Cerused has been around (it’s been in the high-end market for some time) but, like many styles that wait for their moment in the limelight, this appears to be the year that it shines.
In kitchen and bathrooms, simplicity will persist. Subway tile is proving to be a look that suggests clean and easy can sometimes be less invasive and comfortable.
As if the apartment industry didn’t already know, smart home technology features are what every trendy living space needs. According to one designer interviewed by HouseBeautiful, charging docks will blend more into interior finishes and furniture.
Also, this appears to be the year that wallpaper makes a comeback. Designers are seeing more interest in patterned wall coverings, and paisley, overscaled florals and abstract designs are leading the charge, says Trulia. Smaller walls and spaces are expected to get these treatments. The return of paisley ties and socks, however, is questionable.
Multifamily design
For furnishing the apartment models
Multifamily managers may want to incorporate some new furniture designs in those apartment models for an up-to-date look. Animal-inspired textures, nail-head designs and overdyed rugs are expected to lead the way.
“Whether real or faux, leather, shagreen, and parchment will be hot materials for 2017,” says Trulia. “Mainly, these hides will be used as an unexpected pop of texture in accent furniture.”
Nail-head designs have long been used on large pieces of furniture and follow the more traditional senses. Trulia expects the design to transcend into chests, credenzas and maybe light fixtures with unique patterns.
Rugs will also take on a new look (don’t worry, no lion’s or bear’s heads are in the fray). “We’ll never see sisals and solids go out of fashion, but there is something new in the world of rugs,” Trulia says. “It’s all about an overdyed effect that features rich, saturated colors. These colorful showstoppers are practically pieces of art for your floor.”
What’s on the way out
Some trends won’t make the cut, however. It’s been said for the past few years at nearly every multifamily conference that your parents’ granite countertops are going, going, gone and marble is stepping to the plate. Trulia concurs, but says the surface finish will emerge from kitchens and baths and spread elsewhere throughout the home. And none of that fancy colored stuff, either.
“Granite is out and marble is in, especially in black and white, for countertops and tables. Expect the marble motif to show up in carpets, wallcoverings and fabrics.”
According to HouseBeautiful, a couple of furnishing mainstays have worn out their welcome. Because space is always at a premium, oversized furniture is too bulky. Thus, smaller apartment floorplans would be better suited with slimmer furnishings.
Also, antique furniture should be sent back to the mothballs. Nobody, the magazine says, wants their furnishings to be relics of the past. Finally, Billy Bob Thornton can be at peace.
