Designers Love These Trends for 2016
Green and White Eclectic Kitchen With Brass Pendants
White walls, bold cabinet hues and brass fixtures are just a few of the trends designers are predicting for 2016, as seen here in this colorful kitchen from Caitlin McCarthy Design.
Photo by: Caitlin McCarthy Design
Caitlin McCarthy Design
It's a new year, and that means a whole new batch of up-and-coming design trends to embrace. We polled HGTV's Fresh Faces of Design winners to find out what colors, patterns and design styles they'll be using all year long.
White Walls, Bold Accents
Living Room Features Mantel With Bold, Blue Pattern
A bright blue and white mantel boasts a fun diamond print pattern for a one-of-a-kind look in this living room. A pink and gray striped coffee table adds some funky contrast, while soft neutral grays and whites balance out the bold patterns and bright colors.
Photo by: JWT Associates
JWT Associates
White walls are making a comeback, but that doesn't mean color is out. "In 2015, we saw a lot of muted tunes and neutrals," note Wendy and Greg Blackband, winners of the "Master Retreats" Fresh Faces of Design category. "We would love to see more color, more richness in tone, more contrast, more pattern and more depth."
Liz Stiving-Nichols, who won the "Organically-Inspired" category alongside her business partner Lauren Morgan, agrees. "White walls are no longer being viewed as boring or sterile," Stiving-Nichols says. This year, think of white walls as a blank canvas for colorfully-upholstered sofas, bright lacquered furniture pieces or even patterned tile. Or, keep the accents more neutral (but no less impactful) by pairing bright white walls with rustic wood beams and metallic details.
Bright White Coastal Retreat
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Wallpaper (The Bolder, The Better)
Custom Wallpaper Brightens Staircase
Custom-designed wallpaper transforms the staircase leading to the home office. Both youthful and smart, the multicolored stripes are affixed to the stair riser.
Photo by: Lee Manning Photography
Lee Manning Photography
Alison Kandler, winner of the "Crazy for Color" category, is all about wallpaper this year. "I am using more and more wallpaper in all kinds of fun patterns and colors! I expect to continue to use wallpaper throughout 2016. To embrace this trend, don't limit the fun patterns to the walls — add them to stair risers, inside dresser drawers and more.
More Ways to Use Wallpaper
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Eclectic Style Is King
Ben Rollins
Gone are they days of matchy-matchy rooms: Designers (and homeowners) will continue to embrace mixing and matching styles this year. "For 2016, I anticipate self-expression with bold colors and shapes as an emerging trend," predicts Tatiana Machado-Rosas, winner of the "Kitchen + Dining" category. "We will see very eclectic spaces with mixed styles. I see crystal and ornate elements, an Asian influence, and the Greek key pattern arriving as themes.” See how these themes work together in her winning kitchen space:
Stylish + Eclectic Kitchen
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Cabinets: More Than Just White
Navy Blue and White Kitchen Featuring Large Cabinets and Kitchen Island with Stools
A straight-up classy kitchen, this navy blue-and-white color scheme feels both nautical and clean. Spacious, white cabinets provide ample space for all a cook's cookware and gadgets. Featuring a blue base, the kitchen island is surrounded with simple, white stools for eating in.
Photo by: Allison Corona Photography, Let It Shine Photography, Doug Petersen Photography
Allison Corona Photography, Let It Shine Photography, Doug Petersen Photography
"Kitchen cabinets are getting more colorful, with less white cabinets," notes Alison Kandler. From sage greens to grays to dark grays, blues and blacks, mix up your cabinet hues for a whole new look.
More Bright Kitchens
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Multipurpose Family Spaces
White Kitchen with Beautiful Desk Area
With places on the wall to pin homework, to do lists or whatever else, this desk is made with style and function in mind. The custom white cabinets also provide plenty of room for storage both above and below.
Photo by: House of Jade Interiors
House of Jade Interiors
"We are seeing separate second floor homework rooms as a thing of the past," says Daniel Contelmo, winner of the "Kid-Tastic Spaces" category. "Parents want the children nearby while on the computer, so a homework alcove near the kitchen may become more popular." Another bonus? A homework nook in the kitchen reinforces the room's role as the heart of the home, adding one more function to the cooking and gathering space.
More Desk + Study Zones
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Rustic Goes Refined
"Our eyes are tiring of recycled materials. You can be green without telling everyone about it. Interiors are getting simpler," says Alan Metcalfe, winner of the "Posh Public Spaces" category. That means you'll see grayed-out wood tones and reclaimed wood pieces giving way to simpler, more modern interiors with just a few rustic or salvaged accents. See how his winning bistro design took rustic in a modern direction:
Step Inside an Urban Bistro
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Natural Meets High-Tech
Unique Cooking Center in Modern Kitchen
Ceramic tile mimics the look of weathered wood, creating a backsplash that perfectly complements this modern kitchen’s rustic-industrial vibe. Hot-rolled steel panels form the cabinetry that surrounds the cooktop, and a custom hood is made from live-edge walnut, warming up the space.
Photo by: Photography by Bob Narod for Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen and Bath
Photography by Bob Narod for Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen and Bath
Another modern twist on rustic design you can expect to see in 2016? Materials that are man-made, but inspired by nature, says Kevin Transue, winner of the "Design With a Passion" category. "Technology will provide fabrication methods...of features and finishes that were previously unheard of." This includes materials like planks of ceramic tile made to look and feel like rustic wood, but also look for items created using 3-D printing technology and furniture pieces that incorporate "smart" tech-connected features. Urban millenials, he says, will be early adopters.
Fixtures That Double As Art
Blue Kitchen Island With Vintage Flair From Sarah Sees Potential
As seen on season one of Sarah Sees Potential, designer Sarah Richardson filled this century-old kitchen with a mix of modern amenities and vintage charm. The large eat-in kitchen island was topped with a premium slab of Calacatta marble and painted a rich blue to match the room's traditional blue and white floral wallpaper. Brass pendant lights hang over the stainless steel sink and complement the room's brass hardware, completing the cohesive design.
Photo by: Stacey Brandford
Stacey Brandford
"We typically do our best to stay ahead of design trends," notes Liz Stiving Nichols. Something that's both up-and-coming and timeless, though? "I love throwing in an unexpected pop of color with furnishings and fixtures that act as functional art," she says. If you're thinking of choosing statement fixtures, Lauren Coburn, winner of the "Big City Digs" category, notes that polished bronze is where it's at for 2016.
Indoor-Outdoor Living
Sarah Dorio
As technology becomes a bigger part of our everyday lives, it's more important than ever to let nature in. That's why it's no surprise that Darryl Cobb, winner of the "Great First Impressions" category, predicts "a greater emphasis on outdoor living, and the connection between inside and outside." Who wouldn't feel connected to nature with this wall of windows that opens to a private outdoor space? Another plus: As homeowners downsize interior spaces, an outdoor lounge can almost double a home's living space during the warmer months. Now that's a trend we can all get behind.
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