Design Trends: Kitchens, Exteriors, and More
At Fuller, we embrace the latest design trends while staying rooted in what we do best, constructing custom and semi-custom-built homes to the highest set of standards. After reviewing multiple 2017 Design Trends resources, we’re assured our team has entered the year on point. Kitchens lead the way in setting design, especially as wide-open spaces and focus on home flow continue to dictate overall home design. Emphasis on the home’s exterior and green living continue to influence design choices while homeowners find new ways to splurge.
Kitchens: Design Central
Kitchens were not always a central gathering place. But with open-floor concepts creating expansive space, kitchens have easily become where family and friends congregate, so it only makes sense they receive so much design attention.
- Color: White kitchens continue to be popular, but 2017 sees more neutral colors coming in the mix as well as white being complemented with natural wood. According to Designer Jane Lockhart
“We’ll start to see more color in cabinetry, including navy, black, deep charcoals and cream colors.”
Contrasting hues for kitchen islands also adds color. And don’t be surprised to see white with off-white detail. Fuller likes this look as well as using various greys in its kitchen designs. - Cabinets: Color is not the only way to create a distinguished look for cabinets. Shaker-style cabinets are still the norm, but more custom homes are trending toward flat-panel cabinets, delivering a more modern feel to the kitchen area.
- Tiles: With a trend towards cleaner lines and finishes, more geometrical patterns are appearing in kitchens. The subway tile trend for backsplashes continues, but herringbone patterns are now in vogue as well, and some kitchens even include a wall of tiles in these unique styles.
Exteriors: As Important as Interiors
Some homeowners spend more time designing the exterior of their home than the interior. And that makes sense for North Carolina homeowners, who normally experience three seasons to play, eat or entertain outdoors.
- Porches: Porches are a southern home staple, and that trend is here to stay. Craftsman-style homes boast front porch details, and backyard screen porches continue to gain in popularity. The use of composite decking materials is also a growing trend for 2017.
- Building Materials: Speaking of materials, low-maintenance and sustainable building materials continue to be the design go-to in 2017. Fiber cement siding, like HardiePlank® and HardieShingle®, as well as fiberglass doors and windows positively benefit homeowners. Fuller uses sustainable materials, like Zip System® to create a draft-free, weather-proof home barrier and AdvanTech®, an advanced subfloor product, ensuring superior home construction.
- Landscaping: The low-maintenance and eco-friendly theme continues with landscaping. Designers and homeowners alike look to drought-friendly, native plants to integrate into yard design. Fuller incorporates Bermuda sod and rain barrels into its exterior design, supporting this trend.
Green is Good
Integrating green design is all the rage. In fact, for some homebuilders, green building is their main selling point. What green design trends should we expect to continue in 2017? Take a look.
- Sealing, insulating and conditioning crawl spaces
- Water conservation
- Indoor air quality
- Low-E windows
- Energy Star appliances
- LED or compact fluorescent lighting
The Extras: Who Doesn’t Like to Splurge?
Areas that were once an afterthought are now taking center stage. Paying attention to small spaces can make a significant impact.
- Design trends show an emphasis on splurging in the laundry room, and why not, considering how frequently a modern family uses this room. It might as well be functional and have good style.
- Everyone likes a grand entrance, so it’s not surprising to see entryways becoming design focal points. Fuller uses mahogany front doors or intricate floor inlays to give entry ways special design embellishment.
- Another small splurge that pays off in big functional ways is designing small storage spaces between studs. Designers seek opportunities to offer homeowners additional storage with shelving units or tall, narrow closets.
A Trendy 2017
Integrating new and exciting design trends while staying rooted in a strong foundation of quality homebuilding is simply smart design. Here to stay are wide-open spaces with flexibility in room usage. And kitchens, exteriors and splurges will continue to be a design focus. Who knows what trends will come next? But we like the direction design is headed.
Thanks for stopping by our land development news blog. We hope you've found the information helpful and feel welcome to contact us directly on social media if you have any questions or suggestions. If you have an upcoming land development project, please be sure to keep us in mind and you can use our contact page at any time to submit business related questions. If you've found this post helpful, share with the social buttons below and definetly take a look around our blog for more interesting topics.
