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Design Trends for the Home

The start of a new year means that it’s time for a whole new set of home design trends, great news for those who love to redecorate. In this blog, we’ll be taking a look at some of the big design trends for 2018, and explaining the ideas that underlie them. These are the home design trends that will come to dominate the next twelve months.

First of all, let’s take a look at what is predicted to be the color palette for 2018. Last year the neutral base color of choice was gray. That’s set to stay the same this year, the key difference being that the colors set against it are going to be a lot bolder. It’s all about setting a mood, so shades of dark purple and rich emerald will be perfect for creating a space that’s sophisticated yet homey, somewhere that you can really relax.

As for patterns in the home, you can’t have missed the 2017 trend for big, palm tree patterns covering pretty much everything you can think of in home décor. Well, that trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere, but it’s likely that it will diversify into a richer selection of floral patterns to choose from. Big and oversized are still the buzzwords of the day. Look for large patterns, and see how you can fit them into the rest of your décor without spoiling the mood.

One area where vintage fittings are trending is lighting. Crafty home decorators are reclaiming old light fittings and giving them a new lease on life, using things like pendants and sconces and transforming them into feature pieces. Whether you want it to or not, lighting always ends up being a focal point of a room. Reclaiming big, bold retro lights allows you to embrace this fact, and give a much-needed centerpiece to any room.

Finally, let’s take a look at the upcoming home design trends for kitchens and bathrooms. As any real estate agent will tell you, these are the rooms that really sell houses, so if you’re thinking about moving, you’ll want to pay close attention to them. However, even if you’re planning on staying put, it’s still nice to have a warm, homey feel in these rooms and fortunately, that’s exactly the trend in 2018. Following on from those reclaimed retro lights, sinks are also being influenced by the past. Bucket or trough sinks are all the rage right now, since not only do they give a bathroom a rustic feel, but they are also remarkably durable, perfect for busy homes. Both kitchens and bathrooms are predicted to move away from that classic white look, and start to incorporate a bit more of the dark side. Blacks and grays are the order of the day.

What home design trends are inspiring you?

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How to Protect Your Hardwood Floors

You have just had a brand new hardwood floor laid in your home and now need to know how you can keep this stunning feature in the best possible shape and condition. Firstly, a hardwood floor has to be kept clean – and stopping dirt at the door is really important.

Grit often gets stuck to the soles of our shoes when we are out and about, but there will be those who will tell you they have not walked across any grass or muddy areas. Tiny particles of grit come from the road or sidewalks and are the worst enemy to your beautifully polished finish on the hardwood. Heels and soccer cleats are an absolute no-no and you could provide regular guests with a pair of complimentary sandals, should they not wish to walk around your home in bare feet.

Even though you may have managed to keep it clean at the door, you will still need to regularly clean the wood floor with a vacuum and wipe up any spills immediately after the accident has occurred. Water damage will warp the floorboards and ruin the finish.

Scratching

Hard-edged table legs, chairs, and toenails on your dog are the biggest culprits when it comes to scratching your hardwood floor. Putting a felt pad on the bottom of all furniture legs and keeping Fido’s nails trim should do the trick.

Furniture Protection

Each time you push or pull the dining room chair from under the table, it will do some damage to the wood floor. But there are those that prefer a simpler solution in using self-adhesive padding to stick on every leg on the chairs and table. Entire furniture sets can be purchased from any hardware store.

Slip-on pads are specifically designed to fit over a chair or table leg. Often made from rubber or a soft plastic, these usually have more chance of staying on over time than the adhesive pads.

Sparkle the Finish

A dull-looking surface can be sharpened up by lightly sanding the hardwood and adding in two coats of polyurethane. You need only do this once every three years or so, to keep the finish looking in really great shape.

It is also important to avoid any chemical build-up on your floor. This can happen when the cleaning agent involves using oil soaps, wax, vinegar or ammonia-based products. Over time, excessive use of these agents will leave a hardwood floor looking drab and dull.

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Choosing A Home that’s Right for You

Picking out a new house can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. How do you choose the best location? What if the house has problems you can’t afford to fix? What’s the tiebreaker if you love two places equally?

You should have a plan prior to starting your search. Figure out what you absolutely need in a home and then prioritize additional features that you want. Remember to think ahead as this list may change in the next few years.

The first and only way to begin the decision-making process is to grab your calculator. A dream home becomes a nightmare the moment you can’t afford it. As you calculate, look beyond the listing price. Here’s why: A house with a vaulted ceiling costs more to heat than one with a low ceiling, and a house with a pool means paying to maintain it. All of these extra factors can add up.

Another less tangible way to decide if a home is right for you is to trust your intuition. Most buyers form an impression in the first few seconds after they walk into a house. Once you walk in the door of a potential home, you may want to ask yourself, Is this a happy house? or Does it depress me? Notice how you respond and trust your reactions. If you’re viewing a house and find yourself imagining your sofa near the fireplace and your brown chair near the window, pay attention. Chances are the house is a good match for you.

That said, there’s no such thing as a crystal ball when it comes to house hunting. And wondering whether the house will be too small if you get a dog or too big when the kids leave for college is inevitable. While it’s important to envision a home’s role over time, making a decision with too many variables in mind can work against you. Buy the house for the way you are living today. Then adapt as you go.

Make your home decision based on how you live, not where you’ll live. A house that offers dramatic mountain views and enormous windows onto a pond can seem like a wonderful place to call home. But if you’re rarely home the views aren’t going to be that important most of the time. Focus on features that will please you indoors. This advice is particularly applicable to high-traffic parts of the house, such as the kitchen. A sleek, minimalist stainless steel breakfast bar may set your heart on fire, but if you’ve got busy toddlers, a practical kitchen with lots of room and smudge-resistant cabinetry may be a better choice.

When you finally do make a decision – should you make an offer right away? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. I usually advise sleeping on it overnight. The exception can be when a market is especially active. This is a real gut check time. Would you be broken-hearted if you lost the house to another buyer? If the answer is yes, make an offer. Seldom will you go wrong if you follow your heart.

Also read our post: The Psychology of Color in Your Home