At the start of each year, the Best in American Living Awards (BALA) recognizes dozens of new projects from this past year that featured the most innovative layouts and eye-catching design elements.
Whether you’re looking to buy a new home, thinking about renovating your current one, or you’re just interested in what’s new in home design, here are some the biggest trends that you’ll see dominating in 2018.
Open but defined floor plans. Instead of one large, undefined space, open floor plans will evolve to include more definition in 2018, whether it’s by shifting materials, adding columns, or changing the ceiling height. This way, you can still get the airiness of an open floor plan while giving each section its own definition and style.
More developed regional styles. In both single-family and multifamily projects, strong regional styles have emerged all over the country. For example, in Michigan, expect to see lots of familiar peaked roofs, layered facades, and sturdy columns.
Restored and repurposed. Historic preservation and restoration, as well as adaptive reuse projects, are becoming increasingly popular with multifamily designers and developers. Adaptive reuse projects are particularly sought-after by millennials who love the story behind a repurposed building and want to live somewhere stylish, unique and chic.
Right-sized kitchens. Leave massive kitchen islands in 2017. You’ll be seeing far fewer double islands appearing in 2018, and even single islands are being designed to be smaller and more proportionally sized with the kitchen and adjoining rooms.
Spa-like baths. Who doesn’t want to feel like they’re stepping into a spa every day? Bath design is trending toward refinement and sophistication, with home baths becoming more and more reminiscent of upscale hotels and spas. Tasteful and luxurious are the two words that will define baths in 2018. Floating vanities and stand-alone tubs will also be more popular this year.
Clean details. You’ll notice clean, simple lines and detailing in homes everywhere. Forget about overly-ornate decor and shift toward thinking more minimally. It will make your home feel fresh, new, and uncluttered for the year ahead.
Metal and wood exterior details. You’ll be seeing this trend a lot this year, particularly on single-family homes. There will be an increased use of metal and wood in exterior details, with the two materials often combined to create interesting, two-tone facades for both traditional and contemporary-style homes. It gives the impression of bringing the past and future together into one cohesive idea, making homes seem modern and sleek without sacrificing a warm, natural feel.
Whites, grays and charcoal paints. Gray is still a strong trend with home buyers, and it looks like white is here to stay. You’ll see more monochromatic designs that add variety by incorporating multiple textures instead of pops of color. For example, think about a white kitchen with quartzite countertops, a white shiplap ceiling, white cabinets, and airy white window coverings. This creates a clean and multi-layer look that is guaranteed to compliment itself and please a wide variety of buyers.