National Association of Home Builders highlights latest home design trends

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) highlighted designer trends for 2015 at their recent 2014 Best in American Living Awards (BALA).

Among the winning projects, certain trends stood out, and NAHB predicts these home design trends will really pick up in 2015. Some of the trends seen in the winning projects include:

• White-on-white kitchens. Many kitchen designs featured white cabinets, topped with white countertops, finished off with white backsplashes and white trim. Industrial textures are being introduced, but they are muted or white.
• Doubled island kitchens. The popularity of open living/cooking/dining spaces are lending themselves to more creative and casual spaces. Back-to-back islands and side-by-side islands are showing up in all styles of homes—one island for cooking and preparing food, and the other for serving food and dining. Sometimes the second island takes the place of a more formal dining room table.
• Centered bathtubs. Bathrooms are continuing to become more spa-like. As a result, large, well-designed tubs are becoming the center of attention. They are being pulled away from the wall and treated like sculptures.
• Natural elements mixed with contemporary materials. A softer side of modern design is evolving as contemporary and industrial materials are beginning to mix with natural materials. Wood, steel and glass are a popular combination, allowing the best from both worlds. Modern textures are being combined with old-world or classical elements.
• Increased quality of details. Across the board, the details, such as how a handrail meets a stair, are getting better. Light, classic details that are clean and well thought-out are amplified when pulling together major pieces of a simple, clean-lined space.
• Get-away rooms. Whether it is a room with a view or a game room, creating spaces that allow you to get away from everyday life are becoming popular. These spaces are designed to encourage relaxation and family time or allow one to practice their hobbies.
• Wine rooms and bars. Wine is finding its home everywhere and anywhere. Wine displays under the stairs are beautifully filling spaces that could otherwise go to waste. Full rooms dedicated to wine or liquors are no longer just for the avid collector. Wet-bar nooks are adding to the overall encouragement of relaxing and enjoying time at home.
• Indoor-outdoor living. Roof decks, California rooms and nano-walls are creating ways to make accessing nature easier during day-to-day life. No matter if in the middle of the city, in the suburbs or out in the country, people are utilizing the extra space on the roof to give them a great view while soaking in the surroundings. Indoor-outdoor transitional spaces are showing up where weather permits by utilizing removable walls, screens and foldable walls.
• Grand entries are not the focus. Entries are still very well designed, but the amount of space allocated to the entrance is shrinking. Large pivoting doors make grand statements but open immediately into the main living space of the home.
• Non-car-centric design. While cars, driveways and garages are a part of American life, it seems that the car is no longer a major part of the design conversation, but when they are incorporated, they are done well. Design features that seem to be taking their place are sidewalks, bike paths and spaces for community gatherings.