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If you’re designing a home or renovating in 2019, here’s a rundown of what’s trending this year. Melbourne builders and homeowners are embracing the minimalist trend, but not shying away from featured fixtures and fittings to fill the space typically taken up with ‘stuff.’ Whether you embrace Kondo-life or want it in the bin, read below for what ‘brings joy’ to homes today.
Kitchen
Décor wise, metallic or patterned sinks are rising in popularity, especially in gold or brass colours. Bonus points for bespoke tap wear to match. Feature stoves (think coloured) are also available for a high-end aesthetic. An all-white kitchen is still a classic look, but less desired by those building their second or third home as they’re troublesome to keep pristine with age. Feature colours might also be used in cabinetry, open shelving or splashbacks to add depth and warmth to a new home. Lighting wise, a paired back design is common in kitchens that have capitalised on colour, but high contrast lighting may be used to emphasise particular features such as the sink or stove.
Bathrooms
Indoor greenery that purifies your air and wards off mould are common in today’s bathrooms. Be sure to select low maintenance varieties if you’re likely to neglect them and ensure they suit the amount of light you’ll get in your bathroom. Specialist wooden flooring and cabinets that are able to withstand water are also appearing in more bathrooms. The gold sink and tap trend is also utilised in bathrooms, whereas the rose gold trend of recent years is waning in favour of either shiny or brushed brass finishes.
Bedroom
Energy efficiency that reduces the need for artificial heating or cooling, especially at night, is a growing consideration. Being comfortable as you sleep is serious business, so the hygge trend of 2017/18 is extended to fixtures at the construction stage. The incorporation of energy-efficient glass means larger windows can be used without the need for additional heating or cooling. Similarly, while many people believe bedrooms are a carpeted domain, high performance flooring means that vinyls, laminates, wood and engineered wood can be used in these spaces, and not be too cold underfoot in winter and cumbersome to clean. Wide planks are particularly desirable as there are fewer joins or crevices for dirt to gather and they create a good sense of flow and connection to the rest of the house.
Living
Hidden connectivity and technology holds steady as the minimalist trend continues to feature in new residences. No one wants to see the cords and cables that are necessary to realise today’s smart houses. Televisions are also becoming decidedly lower profile with wafer-thin, wall mounted options becoming popular, like Samsung’s The Frame and LG’s launch of a 4K OLED roll-up television that disappears into a black base when not in use.Hands-free voice control units are also gaining traction. Wet rooms are also popular as a means to stash and store outdoor gear, which means that joy is obtained because cleaning and clutter is minimised!
Gold sink stock photo by CSD Dmitriy Tikhonenko/Shutterstock
