What Will Be Hot in Home Interiors in 2012?

On December 5, 2011, in Home Trends, by Melissa Tracey

Share|

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

The design forecasts are rolling in for the new year and the predictions of what’s going to be popular in interior decorating in 2012.

According to Beasley & Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla., here are some interior design trends to be on the lookout for in the upcoming year:

Hickory chair featuring hot 2012 trend of yellow and gray; Photo Credit: Beasley & Henley Interior Design

Homes go gray: All shades of gray will be making up more households, from warm grey to charcoal gray, through furnishings, window treatments, and artwork.

Yellow pops: Yellow can lift practically any room, according to Beasley & Henley Interior Design. Pairing yellow with gray can bring a trendy look to a home in 2012.

Photo Credit: Beasley & Henley Interior Design

Rustic: Furnishings from natural, reclaimed, and rustic wood are expected to catch on. “Finishes on these rustic pieces will range from wire-brushed to bleached oak to gray washes,” according to Beasley & Henley Interior Design.

Photo Credit: Beasley & Henley Interior Design

Repurposed lighting: Reclaimed pieces that are turned into lamps and lighting pieces is expected to continue its wave of popularity in 2012.

The industrial look: The industrial look is also gaining traction, such as repurposed, industrial occasional tables or side carts.

Lower seating: Chairs and sofas are sitting lower to the ground. More home furniture manufacturing companies are debuting lounge chair seating lower than the standard 20’’ off the floor. They’re introducing more products at 17-18’’ off the floor–possibly to fit in smaller homes.

Oversized photography, such as in Sepia or computer-enhanced, will dominate the look of artwork in the coming year. Photo Credit: Beasley & Henley Interior Design

Supersized artwork: Artwork continues to get bigger with oversized photography dressing up interiors with black and white, Sepia, or standard pictures.

Loving the grays…… creates a cozy relaxing interior. Mixed with natural furnishings for a simple easy feel… , without all the fuss.
What type of interior design do you prefer?

• Oct 13, 2011, 4:37 PM

What Boomers Want in a Retirement House

Email

Print

• Article
• Comments (5)

By Jeremy Olshan

istockphoto

Baby boomers want new homes that can stylishly accommodate the needs of aging.

The blueprints for retirement are changing, homebuilders say, with baby boomers demanding fewer stories, step-less front entrances and showers, and doorways wide enough to one day easily accommodate wheelchairs.

A survey of what the new homes of 2015 are likely to feature indicates that following the housing bust, aging boomers have more modest notions of where they’d like to live, the National Association of Home Builders says. “Affordability was number one, and with that a substantial reduction in the square footage from years past,” says Stephen Melman, the group’s director of economic services. “They also want grab bars in the bathrooms, step-less showers, and when there is more than one story – they want the ability to put a master bedroom on the first floor.”

While boomers are often said to be ill-prepared for the future, there seems to be a concerted effort to project ahead through the decades and imagine their needs as they become less mobile, Melman says. “We found that 89 percent of older homebuyers want to be able to live in the house for as long as physically possible. As the sandwich generation they watched their own parents and learned how their needs will change.”

But the builders surveyed indicated that the older home buyers wanted the houses to have the capacity to become fully wheelchair accessible “without needing ramps,” Melman says. “I think what they want to do is stay independent – and what they don’t want is the place to look institutional. They don’t want a hospital, but a home.”

Such features are also being designed to appeal to younger families as well to ensure that the homes will have greater resale value, the study found. “One thing we’re no longer seeing is all the fancy spas and kitchens – the goals seem to be more pragmatic and affordable,” Melman adds.

As homeowners age…what is important in a home ? The outlook for what new homes in 2015 will feature appears to be a more modest approach…. then in the past. In my opinion affordability and simplicity of lifestyle is best fitting for many.