Trends may be affordable to follow in the worlds of fashion, movies and makeup. But what about following trends in the realm of home design and improvement? A home design trend usually has a life time of about 5 – 10 years, depending on how fickle you are and the size of your pocket book. If granite is out, then what’s in? What about marble, quartz, corian, concrete, or stainless steel? The choices can seem overwhelming.
The reason why any trend takes off is mostly because the old ones are over exposed, tired — like old Vegas show girls whose bling is a bit tarnished and frankly, not so perky anymore. I mean, at one point, people were crazy about brass fixtures. They couldn’t get enough of brass. Now people are spending money to purge any trace of gold out of old homes. Brass is like the mullet hair style of home bling. Nobody refers to brass as a “charming period detail.”
If you really want to know what’s in vogue visit a few model homes. The builders have researched what will appeal to most of the population at specific price points. The advantage of putting current styles into your home means that it will likely appeal to large audience, making the home more resalable. But…that’s boring. Not just a little boring. Like really, really boring. Whenever I go to someone’s home and see granite countertops, I have to refrain from yawning. Not that there’s anything wrong with granite. It’s just so… expected. If you plan to stay in your home awhile, why limit yourself to granite? Why let others tell you what you should and shouldn’t like? I’m here to tell you, it’s ok to be you.
There are plenty of examples of good design that have elements of the unexpected. When you see a unique design solution, it surprises you and tells the story of the people who inhabit the space. Good design should push your comfort zone and make you ask yourself, “Is this authentically me? Does it facilitate how I want to live?”
Corrugated metal ceilings says, “Industrial can be sophisticated” from Renovation Design Group
Breaking the matchy-matchy rule from Errez Design
Creating storage and multi-function in a space with levels in the architect’s loft from PorterFanna Architecture.
Everybody is different. Your home improvement projects should solve functional problems, improve the daily flow of your life, tell your story and make your home your own, regardless of whether it has trendy finishes or not.
Top image credit: Gretchen Evans Design
