Top Home Design Trends to Watch for in 2016

LG Black
photo from LG’s new Stainless Black line

Style is always evolving, and you can definitely see that in the world of home design and décor. As a real estate professional, I’ve seen a lot of predictions for “must-have” decorating and style tips for 2016. Some of them sound like fun and have catchy names, like the “Glamily Room.” And many make a lot of sense, using materials, strategies and concepts that combine the best of today’s technology with old-school comfort and style. Here is my pick for Top Home Design Trends we’re most likely to see in homes throughout the Arlington, Virginia area and beyond.
#1: No-tech Living Rooms: Watch for a design trend of living rooms that ditch the tech for family. With so much time spent plugged into the matrix for both kids and adults day and night, homeowners will be looking for a tech-free zone where they can unplug, relax, read a book, or have a space where friends and family can gather and connect, free of digital distractions.
#2: Smart Spaces: While you’re hanging out in your no-tech living room, you can stash your smart phones, tablets and other devices in clever hidden nooks around the house that store, charge and keep your devices at hand and ready to go without cluttering up counters or overloading outlets. Look for these especially in kitchens, entry or mudrooms, and bedrooms.
#3: Sunrooms & Screened Porches: Remember when we talked about the Disappearing Dining Room? Well, one idea that’s definitely caught on for alternate dining room spaces is a sunroom. A space to read, relax and dream while sipping on a favored beverage, the sunroom is moving out of dreams and into reality as homeowners are finding ways to carve out space for a special sun-drenched corner of their home. Extending the theme of relaxed entertaining outside, screened in porches are back, too. Add in a cozy fireplace, natural rugs underfoot, outdoor furniture and even a few well-placed lighting fixtures and you’ve added space, comfort and entertaining potential to your home with ease.
#4: Surprising Backsplash and Countertop Pairings: White subway tiles, white kitchens and neutral countertops ruled the last couple of years, but 2016 looks like designers are done playing safe. You’re going to start seeing uncommon combinations such as brick backsplashes, granite countertops, and reclaimed wood butcher blocks.
#5: Bathroom Statement Mirrors: Medicine cabinets are out, mirrors that make a statement are in! Picture large, wood-framed beauties and ornate vintage extravaganzas that really boost the style factor in bathrooms throughout your home.
#6: Colored Stainless Steel: After years of shiny, silver stainless steel appliances, new colors are debuting to give kitchen lovers more choices. Black stainless steel is making a buzz (check out LG’s new line). And Whirlpool debuted a line in Sunset Bronze for those not ready to turn to the dark side.
#7: Statement Pendant Lighting: Chandeliers and recessed lighting are out, pendants are back in. Their wide range of style, size and ease for installation has brought back pendant lighting as the new darling in kitchens, dining rooms, outdoor living areas and throughout homes everywhere.
#8: Two-tone Kitchen Cabinets: Taking kitchen updates even further, many people are keeping upper cabinets white or neutral for a clean, light feel, then changing up the colors on lower cabinets with deeper, darker colors for a stylish two-tone treatment.