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I’m always looking forward to seeing what the future might hold. This is especially true when it comes to trends that apply to our homes. As we’ve all heard, our house is our largest investment ever. Let’s look at some trends in home design for this year and we’ll grade the accuracy of some generally held beliefs.

Well, that’s mostly true but what can really help your home’s appreciation is:

1. Buying the right home from the start (huge!)
2. Making wise home improvements (large!)
3. Staying on top of routine maintenance (potential game changer, while at the same time simply using common sense)
4. Staging it well to sell (added “oomph!”)

Today we’re going to focus on item #2. Identifying trends that will make your life better, or easier, or improve the resale of the home.

This topic was born after reading, Top 12 Trends That Will Transform the Home, published in February. This piece was targeting businesses that might be in their planning stages for new products for the home. But I thought the takeaways were worthwhile for homeowners as well!

I’m going to assess each item in the article’s list and then apply my knowledge of the local, Louisville real estate market, to gauge what kind of impact this home improvement might have towards improving the bottom line at the closing table.

Let’s dig right into these Trends in Home Design for 2016!

Lights That Sparkle and Change Colors Will Start Appearing Everywhere in the Home

Honestly, I personally think this is crazy cool but I don’t believe it’s going to change home values much at all. Though, they might seal a deal with a particular buyer sucked in simply by the “cool factor.”
Rating: Novelty

Who Wants to Make the Trek to the Kitchen?

I have seen this popping up more and more in high-end properties. Especially the kitchenette in an upstairs playroom or even master bedroom to save the jaunt to the kitchen for morning coffee.
Rating: Moderate Gain

Drawers Have Never Been So Organized

Organized closet systems still haven’t fully integrated into our Louisville homes. I think we’re a few more years away from taking this kind of organization down to the drawer level.
Rating: Novelty

Wood-Burning Fireplaces

As I understand the description on this one, we’re talking more about high-end gas fireplaces rather than “wood burning” so maybe the editor let this one slip. I do think modern fireplaces are on the way up in popularity. Just be careful, they can be pricey.
Rating: Moderate Gain

Kitchen Brands Make Fantasy Homes Happen

Only the highest of high-end homes could hope to pull off the dedicated pizza oven. I will say, some buyers are opting for higher-priced kitchen appliances with the hope they will last longer than their cheaper cousins.
Rating: Novelty

Backyards Become the New Gathering Spot

I agree that outdoor space is becoming more and more valued by Louisville home buyers but at the same time, these homeowners don’t want the maintenance. If the built-in range on the back patio is a challenge to care for it might not make the list.
Rating: Novelty

Retro Rustic Rules

Now here’s one that resonates with many Louisville house hunters! HGTV is wildly popular and we’ve all seen this resurgence of rustic touches coupled with modern amenities.
Rating: Moderate Gain

Appliances Turn Pro

As I mentioned earlier, the additional functions of these high-end appliances is less important than their quality of performance and lifespan.
Rating: Moderate Gain

Toilets Turn High-End

While entertaining on television, I don’t believe there’s much of a market for these kinds of items here in Louisville. Perhaps we’re just a few years behind, who knows?
Rating: Novelty

Two New Buzzwords Abound: Personalization & Responsiveness

Now we’re talking. Having the appliance or space that can change with you, whether short-term or long, that’s something of true value. Whether we’re talking about re-designing the inside layout of your refrigerator or turning your extra bedroom into a true exercise room. Both would be valuable. The problem is we haven’t seen very successful executions of these things yet.
Rating: Potentially Large Gain

Unexpected Colors Popped Up Everywhere

There have always been trendy colors that come and go with the seasons and I expect there always will be. Nothing to see here.
Rating: Expected

Affordable Artisan Glass

We’ve seen some of these kinds of applications appear in bathroom vanities and light fixtures and they’ve been largely well-received. Louisville doesn’t go in for modern style all that much, but depending on the style selected (i.e. country), this trend could really pay off here.
Rating: Moderate Gain

So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed reading Trends in Home Design for 2016, please share with your friends!