6 More Design Trends for 2016

Last time we shared the beginning of our prediction list for 2016 residential architecture and design trends. We’re back again, with more great ideas for you to consider. Illustrated by images of work we’ve recently completed and especially love, they offer plenty of food for thought!

Design Trend #8 - Luxurious Amenities

This dovetails with our growing need to escape the stress-filled, on-call lifestyles our digital devices unwittingly encourage. Where luxury amenities used to include butler’s pantries and bars, today they’ve morphed into features such as spa-like indoor swimming pools, in-home basketball courts and workout rooms, movie theaters, and wine cellars. If it makes you feel like you’re on vacation in your own house, it’s right on trend.

Design Trend #9 - Texture, Texture, and More Texture

White kitchens are classics, and will likely remain popular for many decades to come. Still, that doesn’t mean they’ll always look the same as they do today. Texture is becoming an increasingly popular means of adding personality, and visual interest, to a white kitchen. Warm, dark wood and unexpected use of brick, as seen on this ceiling, are two of the newest ways we’re upping the ante when it comes to designing a white kitchen.

Design Trend #10 - Contemporary Warmth

If you think contemporary means cold, sterile spaces, think again. Warmly contemporary rooms, such as this kitchen, are quickly becoming the new norm. Generous amounts of natural wood, along with abundant natural light, are keys to achieving this increasingly popular look. Sleek, yet more earthy and organic than in the past, it gives new meaning to the word modern.

Design Trend #11 - Spa-Like Master Baths

We first wrote about this trend on our blog last year, and since then, we’ve watched it continue to skyrocket in popularity. Simply put, there is nothing quite like the indulgent luxury of experiencing a spa-like environment in your own home. It’s like getting away from it all every single morning – and every single night. Emphasizing a tightly edited collection of exquisite materials, clean lines, and an absence of fussy ornamentation, spa-like bathrooms are must-haves for a growing number of new home buyers.

Design Trend #12 - Fresh Interpretations of Traditional Influences

As much as we may delight in the new and the now, there is absolutely no substitute for faithful adherence to the principals of timeless architectural design. Elegant styling, evocative materials, and rich detailing will always have their place. This is a throwback, and, at the same time, a reemerging trend. If it appealed to the aesthetic sensibilities of custom home owners a century ago – and appeals to you, today – it’s on-trend.

Design Trend #13 - Setting as Muse

While it’s always been important for architects and designers to take a home’s setting into account, this year we predict a greater-than-ever nod to site. The reason? The unprecedented explosion in building materials and furnishings that enable us to design rooms that not only consider, but actually honor, their settings. This family room features technologically state-of-the-art windows, along with upholstery fabrics that easily shrug the damage caused by sun. Ten years ago, these furnishings would likely have been bleached, and even damaged, by sun exposure. Not any longer – thank goodness!

Of course, we’ll continue to keep an eye on upcoming trends and share our thoughts with you. Whether you’re on Chicago’s North Shore, or elsewhere in the country, we can help you navigate the many trends influencing how our homes look, and the way we live in them. We invite you to contact us to learn more!