Home design, like many other things, goes through trends and fads. One season one color or material may be extremely popular and sought after, and the next it may be obsolete and dated. This poses a challenge for clients building custom homes. Should you embrace what’s popular and bold now or go the safer route and doing something that’s been used for years? The trendy vs. timeless debate is something our custom home builders deal with every day. It’s a personal choice, but here are our recommendations for where to go for timeless choices and where to insert trends.
Best Places for Timeless Choices
Like with fashion or beauty, home design goes through trends. But there are some choices that always remain in style. We often recommend keeping large items that can’t easily be changed out more classic. That way you don’t feel the need to constantly update them! Here are some of the best places to implement timeless design choices in your custom home:
Flooring
Floors play such a vital role in a home, both practically and aesthetically. They’re also one of the biggest purchases in a custom home and can take a while to install, which is why we recommend keeping your flooring classic like a natural medium stained hardwood!
Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are another item that plays a big role. They often define a kitchen design and a whole home. Like flooring, they’re a big purchase and one that most people don’t want to change out every few years. So keep your kitchen cabinets on the timeless side. White or natural wood are always good choices.
Trim
Trim, molding, and baseboards are often overlooked, but they play a big role in pulling a home design together. The style chosen should match the home, but we recommend not going for a super trendy color or style. Grey trim may seem cool now, but in a few years when your home won’t sell and you’re faced with having to repaint it all, you’re going to wish you went for a more timeless option.
Appliances
Appliances are what keep our homes running smoothly. From washing our dishes to drying our clothes, life would be a lot more difficult without them. But appliances can be pricey, and most people don’t want to replace them unless they have to, which is why we recommend sticking to the classic choices. We all remember the horror of avocado green appliances that were popular in the 70’s…don’t make that mistake!
Best Places for Trendy Choices
While classic choices are great for big, staple items, you always want your home to feel like it’s living in the current time. Just because trends burn out quickly doesn’t mean they’re bad. Some trends end up becoming classics after all! But because fads come and go so often, it’s a good item to limit implementing those to items that can easily be swapped out. Here are some of the best places to introduce some trends in your custom home:
Paint
Painting may be a hassle sometimes, but it’s a great way to refresh a space. It’s amazing what a new paint color can do to a home. It has the power to make it feel completely new. Color trends are one of the biggest things in home design. A few years ago cool grays were all the rage, but now warm whites are in! The great news is that paint can easily be swapped out as trends change so if you’re feeling a bright yellow wall go for it!
Fabrics and Décor
Want a trendy pop? Toss some fun pillows on the sofa. Want to update a space? Get a cool new rug! Low-cost items that are easy to swap out like pillows, rugs, throws, and curtains are a great way to update a space.
Powder Room
Sometimes it’s not so much a single item as much as a single room. Powder rooms are smaller spaces that can handle bigger designs. If you really want to go for a bold wallpaper or dry out a new style, a powder room is a low stakes room to implement some trends!
Light Fixtures
People often don’t update their light fixtures as often as they should. How often do you walk through a home and notice a light over the cool dining room table from the 90’s? It ruins a space. Luckily light fixtures can easily be changed out, which makes them a great place to try out some popular styles like Edison bulbs or MCM inspired fixtures.
Contact us to learn more about building and designing a beautiful Toronto custom home!
