As this year comes to an end, we’re excited to uncover some of the home trends expected in the New Year. Home upgrades often help increase the value of your property and can thus be viewed as an investment in building your home equity. Let us know what you think of the home trends below and which ones you’re most interested in!

Sustainability

There is growing focus on sustainability and renewable energy, spanning the use of more sustainable devices along with renewably-sourced and recyclable materials and other key areas such as the process of design and construction.

Attention is being paid to implementing devices and features which are energy-efficient and water-saving. For instance, as of January 1, 2020, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago can claim 100% of the cost of the purchase of a solar water heater, up to a maximum of $10,000 TTD. Emphasis is also being placed on the transition to LED lighting, the use of solar panels and green water pumps. With more suppliers offering these options, consumers can more easily investigate them for their home use.

In addition, from a holistic perspective, thought is also given to the reduction of construction waste; rather than throwing away demolition waste, effort is made to reduce waste by finding alternative uses for the materials.

Technology

With technological advances, more home-owners and home-buyers are paying attention to updating their homes with more recent technology. Many homes have switched over to using fibre optics to get telephone, landline and TV packages instead of the traditional cable. Faster internet speeds mean that a household can transition from previous focus centered on a singular entertainment device (the television perhaps) to individual entertainment devices including laptops and phones, appealing to different tastes of members of a household.

There’s also focus on making homes smarter and by extension safer with technological upgrades such as automation and monitoring devices. For instance, homeowners can use connected devices to remotely monitor and control features such as lights, electrical outlets and home alarm system.

Prefab and Container Houses

There is growing interest in prefab, modular and container housing options. Some advantages with these approaches are reduced construction time and higher affordability than traditional alternatives. With fewer decisions needed in the design process, the timeline is more streamlined and some see this as less of a headache. While these are not as prevalent as traditional alternatives it’s something to keep an eye on.

Colour trend: Warm neutrals

Source: www.collectedinterior.com – Photo by M. Elle Design

Neutral colours are expected to remain very popular, with a shift from cold neutral shades to warm neutral shades instead. The use of these colours provides a classic canvas and can also be excellent for furniture hues as well.

Texture

Source: www.hgtv.ca

Texture is anticipated to be a bigger part of design, through applications such a textured walls, textured tiles and even artwork that of a very textured nature (such as woven materials). Some note that the 3-dimensional nature of textured walls also adds a more handmade feel.

Classic Colour Black

Source: www.collectedinterior.com – Photo by Damask & Dentelle

Black is predicted to be another colour of choice for an array of uses. From walls to sinks to countertops this far-reaching use of black is expected to give a more polished finish. Some are also noting that black paired with white is a combination to look out for in 2020.