NATIONAL NEWS

DESIGN TREND ROUNTABLE SHOWS US NEW AND EXCITING WAYS FOR UPCOMING YEARS

The National Association of Home Builders’ Best in American Living Award (BALA) winners exemplify the best of the best in national design trends, as identified by the industry-leading BALA judging panel each year. Using these winners and trends, NAHB’s Design Committee hosts an annual Design Trends Roundtable during the International Builders’ Show. Trends are expanded upon, debated and added to, resulting in a comprehensive collection of trends. These trends are subdivided into five main categories: overall design, how we live, architectural features, colors and materials, and design details. Expect to see these trends across the home building industry this year and beyond.

Thoughtful, Well-Edited Design

Architects are pushing for more character and uniqueness, especially in production homes. Welledited doesn’t necessarily equal simpler, but it does mean there needs to be a genuine purpose of place and points of interest that draw the eye across the façade – without all the fussiness of past decades.

What’s Old is New Again

A renewed focus on genuine sense of place makes adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects a focus of 2020. By focusing on what came before, designers can build on history instead of starting over, and residents will feel more connected to the place they now call home. Through preservation and adaptive reuse, builders and designers can capture parts of our heritage. It all boils down to this: Why get rid of a sense of place, when it’s already there?

Sophisticated Indoor/Outdoor Connections

Having indoor/outdoor connections in a design enhances livability and provides a great amenity to future residents. With new technologies and increased availability of glass walls, pocket doors, and large windows, new and remodeled homes alike are benefiting from seamless indoor/outdoor connections, both visually and physically. Even on tight lots, architects are finding design solutions to ensure every home has a view of or access to outdoor living. Pool and landscape designs are more an extension of interior circulation and design, rather than an afterthought, and are even more accessible, both visually and physically, thanks to increased indoor/ outdoor connections.

High-Design Multifamily Amenities

These projects are taking their cues from the hospitality industry and designing higher-quality lobbies, leasing offices, mail centers, etc., to be true amenity spaces for residents.

Flex Rooms

They are a big draw for a potential buyer, especially if they anticipate the needs of their family changing while they own the home. Grandparents could move in, a relative could come to stay, or they could start a new business, and the home needs to match. Flex spaces are replacing traditional guest suites. Hidden spaces, tucked-away furniture, and furniture that transforms allow for even greater flexibility.

Nontraditional Storage Solutions

All kitchens must come with upper cabinets, right? Wrong. Maybe as residents hope to declutter, so, too, does their storage. Instead of traditional cabinetry, designers will opt for shelving, both as a storage solution and as a design element. Outside of the kitchen, architects are creating more artful interpretations of traditional storage spaces, like wine cellars or under-stair displays. Artfully crafted, these storage areas purposefully blend into the room, instead of another typical closet door along a hallway. Architects are also incorporating floating cabinets, often starting first with the bathroom vanity and extending to kitchens, entertainment centers, and more.

High-Quality Signature Entries

In our often car-centric society, residents spend a lot of time coming into their homes through garages. In 2021, expect to see a greater focus on front entries and improved streetscapes. The entry extends behind the front door and includes the entire entry sequence.