One of the biggest trends we've seen this past year has been the green movement. It started as a catch phrase but has grown into an actual movement since the downturn of the economy and job market. People are changing not only their lifestyles with food choices and exercise plans but they're also desiring a clean and healthy home for their family. Sustainable flooring and recycled building materials are a common request.
The next biggest trend we've seen in the industry is a scaling back of home improvement projects. In the past homeowners didn't put any thought into the future when they splurged on major home renovations. With the economy today homeowners are cautious of the future and want to make sure that they aren't going to lose their investment in their remodeling projects. They realize the possibility that they could become a victim of the poor job market and don't want to find themselves upside down, having to sell their home for less than they've put into it.
So with this cautious attitude we're seeing more and more small scale projects instead of the big home additions. Instead of gutting kitchens, tearing down walls, and purchasing top of the line appliances we're seeing more of a facelift approach. A lot of homeowners are re-purposing and reusing their exisiting cabinetry and flooring, updating only the countertops and fixtures. The same goes for bathroom remodels, adding some tile flooring, a new tub, and a fresh coat of paint is enough to get a noticeable update with a quarter of the cost.
Along those same lines of scaling back the focus of improvement projects has become "maintenance" projects. Replacing siding, windows, roofing, and doors to uphold the integrity of the home are common practice now according to Martin Conneely of Conneely Contracting.
Color is the new black! The color trends that are popping up seem to follow this overall lifestyle change to get back to the basics and back to our roots. The color pallets are broadening and earth tones and deep rich colors are popular. On the design side we're seeing these colors paired with a global influence in fabrics and decor. As the new year approaches expect to see a move toward simplicity and clean lines with more vivid and rich colors. "In 2010-2011, we’ll see a trend toward consumers choosing livelier colours to reflect their optimism in their quest for a brighter future.” says Stéphanie Pelland, Marketing Communication Manager for the Sico brand and member of the international colour forecaster Color Marketing Group.
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