10 Noteworthy Home Design Trends for 2019

With over 8,000 homes constructed last year, national home builder and developer Taylor Morrison has a window into the design trends that are most influencing home decor. Here are ten trends from the builder’s in-house design experts and from our own sales team, based on the elements today’s home buyers are requesting.

If you’re in the process of staging your home for sale, be sure to take note of these trends. Taking one or two into consideration can give your listing a boost and make it stand out in a crowded real estate market.

— A Heads-Up for Home Buyers —

1. Hidden tech. We’re long past the era when an ostentation display of technology was cool. Hidden tech is the trend to watch. The challenge in 2019 will be to create a beautiful, sleek, smart-home with discretely placed technology that complements the interior rather than making a statement on its own. AV components will be virtually invisible. Physical controls and keypads will give way to voice control and sensors with elements that blend seamlessly into the surrounding decor.

2. Healthy homes. Eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle trends are working their way into home design in a variety of ways, such as by incorporating an abundance of plants, choosing natural materials over man-made, hardwood over carpeting, and flat-finish paint instead of high-gloss. Starting your home on a healthful path need not be expensive. Begin by testing for toxins and chemicals. Switch to natural home remedies for weeds and pest control. Inexpensive filters for water faucets can be highly effective or use filtered pitchers for all water meant for drinking or cooking.

3. Low maintenance. For busy families, the trend is toward low-maintenance design, opting for finishes that don’t require a lot of TLC, such as quartz instead of granite and large tiles instead of small ones…which means less grout to clean. Low maintenance can include the enormous array of smart home features that along with providing convenience, are often in the set-it-and-forget-it category of gadgets and appliances. Once connected, they can relate to each other in ways that epitomize low-maintenance.

4. Fashion-forward. Keep an eye on the runway because there will be a stronger link this year between fashion trends and home decor and design, such as the recent explosion of browns and tartans. Comfort, function and quality are watchwords for all design whether you wear it of live in it. Southern Living offers 7 Fashion Rules to Bring to your Home Decor.

5. Earth tones. In keeping with the indoor/outdoor lifestyle trend, earth tones will be prevalent in home design. Earth tones work most anywhere, in any style home and appeal to all personalities. If you’re selling your home or anticipate that you may be putting your home on the market anytime in the near future, earth tones are the way to go. Greys, tans and off whites give potential home buyers a soothing, non-intrusive backdrop against which they can imagine their own life playing out, their own family fitting it.

— Not Your Daddy’s Home Selling Tips —

6. Monochromatic looks. High-contrast, monochromatic looks are rising in popularity, especially in the kitchen. Look for dark finishes with stark white or grey cabinets. A monochrome pallet can suit any design preference from casual cottage to elegant estate. Monochrome is a timeless look and seems to never go out of style.

7. Pastels and jewel tones. Look for palettes featuring baby blues, mint greens and blushing pinks – or the “ice cream cone” colors – or conversely, bold jewel tones like emerald and sapphire. Behr’s color trends page offers some stunning examples of both pastels and jewel tones in practical “at home” use.

8. Unique finishes. Fun hardware finishes like black, rose gold and brass continue to gain popularity. As a matter of fact, a mix and match array of finishes is gaining popularity. Houzz gives us a useful ‘Crash Course‘ in hardware finishes complete with pros and cons. In addition they offer the brilliant suggestion that if all hardware is not purchased at the same time in the same place, take along a sample of the finish you’re trying to match.

9. Flower power. Also inspired from the runway, look for floral patterns, especially in wallpaper. Wallpapers are back! So much so that authorities like HGTV are touting it as a 2019 trend. And take a look at this gallery of contemporary wallpaper treatments and suggestions for its use in any room of the house.

10. Cozy comforts. Have you heard about the Danish “hygge” look? It’s all about building a comfortable, relaxed environment with items like cozy and soft rugs, sofas and beds, as opposed to stark, tailored designs. Decorilla offers a great article with 7 Tips to Hygge your home. With simplicity and well-being as your goal, you’ll be assured contentment will just happen.