Making your home look pleasant and stylish can be a challenge for some people. A house isn’t supposed to just look pretty, it also needs to be functional and eco-friendly, if possible. Architectural design isn’t the same as interior design since interior designed is concerned with colours, furniture, fabrics and home decor. When it comes to architectural design, the focus is on components and elements of the structure as a whole. Also, it’s important to consider safety, feel and functionality of the space that’s being designed. So, these are the recent trends in architectural design that you might discuss with your architect:
1. Indoor/outdoor concept
Having a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors is the new architectural trend. Of course, the first condition to use the maximum advantage of such concept is to live in a warm climate. Having trees outside is a great way to create natural shade and enrich your space with some greenery. Also, in order to make this transition as smooth as possible, you can have wooden floors that will make everything look stylish. Of course, opting for big glass windows or sliding doors to create a boundary between inner and outer space is something one should also consider. Adding a patio outdoors can bring the whole concept together and make the place feel more intimate and warm.
2. Bold colours
Minimalist designs with neutral and pastel colours can surely add an element of poise and elegance to your home, but adding some bold, bright colours can also accentuate certain corners and other places in your home. You can even mix vibrant with neutral to create a more evened-out look. For example, painting walls bright sky blue can be a bit too much, but if you add nude or cream furniture, the whole room will have a different vibe. The neutral colours will tone everything down a notch, and look very easy on the eyes. If you feel particularly brave, you can mix more than one bright colour and contrast them against each other. Just make sure to create a counterbalance, so your place won’t look too overwhelming.
3. Open space living
The idea originated with small studio flats that couldn’t accommodate a single room for every usage. Therefore, the kitchen, living room and sometimes bedroom had to be merged together in order to create an illusion of bigger space and add functionality. Nowadays, this concept is being applied to bigger homes too, since it’s easier to maintain and everything is more visible. If you still want to define the spaces, you can use area rugs or larger furniture pieces such as bookshelves. Also, adding monochromatic colours can ensure that the whole open spice looks unified and well-designed. Creating continuity is important so the place won’t look messy and disorganized.
4. Eco-friendly features
Architectural design and home decor have been leaning towards an eco-friendly solution for quite some time, which is completely understandable, considering that creating a green future starts at home. Optimizing the use of resources, such as water and energy is the first step towards minimizing the impact of environmental changes. Aside from making your backyard as green as possible, having plants in your home is also important. Another great idea is to install a stunning vertical garden, that will enhance the look of your home and make it greener and eco-friendly. The vertical gardens have been getting more popular lately, which isn’t a surprise, consider the benefits. Aside from looking beautiful, they can also camouflage drain pipes and other inconveniences, and add some colour to your home. What’s even better, they’re easy to remove and rearrange. So there’s no reason to be worried since having a vertical garden isn’t a lifelong commitment.
5. Solar energy
Speaking of eco-friendly and sustainable solutions, more and more homeowners are deciding to opt for renewable energy ideas such as solar panels. Even though they may be a bit pricey, having solar panels can greatly benefit the environment and make your home look modern and elegant. Before you decide to proceed with installing, make sure to get all the information, and if possible, hire a consultant who can help you determine the amount of space necessary for installation. If you’re new to the topic of solar energy, discuss everything with your architect or a solar energy expert. There are different systems, so be sure to choose the one that works for you best. And if the trend with solar panel continues, prices are expected to drop which will them more affordable to more people.
Conclusion
Trends come and go, but some of these are expected to stay for a bit longer. Moving towards renewable energy resources and finding eco-friendly solutions when it comes to building materials, paints and furniture will become more and more important. Whatever you decide to do, first make sure that it’s functional and pleasant for you. Everything else you can rearranged later.
