Guest Contributor: Lee K. Crowder | Design Gallery and Model Home Branding Manager, Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes.
Last year Taylor Morrison designed and built over 8,000 houses nationwide. We launched exciting new home communities across the country, including Avery at the Grove and Westridge at Sycamore Hills in Southern California.
Today is great time to share the latest and greatest home design tips. Whether you’re hoping to get into a new home this year or spruce up the one you’ve got, I sincerely hope you find something that helps you love where you live!
How to Incorporate Design Trends without Breaking the Bank
Unlike the fashion world, following design trends in your home doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Here are two easy-to-follow tips to keep your décor on the cutting edge without doing damage to your pocketbook.
1. Chase Trends with Longevity
You don’t have to be a professional interior decorator to tell if a red-hot design idea is quirky or off-the-wall. Use your gut. If a trend seems really out there, stay away from it. Stick to trends that fit in with your personal aesthetic and match with the other rooms in your home.
2. Find Temporary Ways to Add Trends
Looking to throw all caution to the wind and try one of those wacky trends? No problem. Instead of redoing all the wallpaper in the kitchen with a wild color, display a few samples in simple matted frames. Don’t buy new lamps – just replace the lamp shades (and store the old ones for later). Don’t lay wall-to-wall carpet – get a throw rug. Don’t buy a new sofa – pick up accent pillows. You get the idea.
Go Healthy & Natural
One idea we’re seeing is a shift toward becoming eco-friendlier and bringing healthy lifestyles straight into our homes. Nothing achieves this look quite like an abundance of indoor plants. As a bonus, adding plants to your décor doesn’t just fit the natural aesthetic, it also offers the real benefit of filtering harmful chemicals out of your home.
If you’re building new, here are two more tips for healthy design:
- Hardwood floors don’t store dirt & dust the way carpets do. Ditch the allergens in your new home by opting for beautiful flooring made of smooth, natural materials.
- Flat finish paint contains fewer harsh chemicals than high-gloss finishes.
Adding earth tones is another easy way to bring the outdoors in and enjoy the popular indoor-outdoor lifestyle that many homeowners are going for these days.
Look to the Runway
Fashion trends are bleeding into home décor and design more than ever. If you’re a fan of fashion week, you’ll know the exact colors and patterns that will be in when it comes to furniture and accessories: browns & tartan plaids.
Watch what leading fashion models are wearing and integrate the shapes and hues into your home.
- Hint: Floral prints are expected to come back in a big way. This translates into beautiful floral wallpaper if you’re in a flowery mood!
My Favorite Tip
As the design gallery manager for one of the largest home builders in the United States, I’m often asked for my #1 design tip this year.
Believe it or not, my favorite is quite simple: The importance of contrast.
Gone are the days where every facet of the room needs to match – but just remember that contrast isn’t the same as clashing!
Think light walls with dark floors or light countertops against dark cabinets.
Anything to add black/white into the overall design aesthetic will achieve this goal. Here’s a fantastic example with the Bonita model – new Dallas homes at Caraway.
Another growing trend is called “selective use of color.” You can see exactly how it works in the Sable model at the Meridiana 50s new home community in Houston, TX.
Color Me Pink
Speaking of colors, expect ice cream colors to stay strong through the year. Unfamiliar with the term? Imagine you’re browsing the flavors at your favorite ice cream parlor. What do you see?
Mint green. Soft rose. Baby blue.
They’re as delicious as accent colors as they are in a cup or a cone. Don’t be afraid to paint the whole room, though, just use neutral furniture to keep the space grounded.
If pastels aren’t for you, another color trend is to capture the boldness of jewel tones like emerald and sapphire.
Why Work Harder to Clean?
Low-maintenance home design is a rising thought process with homeowners on the go. Who wants to spend extra time cleaning grout when you could be at the community clubhouse hanging by the pool?
Tile size is a big one here. Lots of small tiles are very pretty, but it leaves a ton of grout to be cleaned. Even sealed grout requires maintenance and care over time. So, what can you do? Install the biggest tiles you can find.
New 24” x 48” tiles from our Design Studio are an excellent choice when you want a seamless low-maintenance backsplash in the kitchen or have a large space to cover like a 2-story fireplace.
Opting for quartz over granite countertops is something else we expect to see a lot of. They’re both gorgeous, but quartz is easier to maintain.
More Design Gallery Advice
Get the most bang for your buck by looking at upgrading your cabinetry during your visit to the Design Studio. Cabinets are a great way to personalize your space and a wise investment as they’re something that lasts for the life of your home.
Another suggestion I often make to first time home builders is to check out our awesome selection of free-standing tubs. Not only are they beautiful but they can really add a fair bit of extra space to your master bathroom compared to a bulkier built-in tub.
Free-standing tubs are both retro and modern – a winning combination for a home décor trend.
Go Cozy, Get Comfy
Homes this year will be more stylish but less formal. Replace the stark, tailored look of classic sofas and beds with the Danish hygge style of comfortable and relaxed. Some of the coziest sofas and soft rugs might cost a little more up front but as our home life shifts and we spend more time entertaining in the great room, more Taylor Morrison buyers are seeing the value in paying a bit more for the most important furniture pieces in the house.
Looking for More Design Tips?
Crafting the perfect new build home to suit your personality and needs doesn’t have to be complicated – not when you find your new home with Taylor Morrison.
From asking the right questions to proper new home care and adding your signature touches, we’re with you every step of the way. Read more about our Signature Pledge and these informative blog posts filled with popular design ideas:
