The design team at Home Front Build & CarbonShack has put together our predictions for hot & sustainable design trends for your home in 2023
KITCHEN TRENDS
Induction Cooktops: Gas ranges are OUT! Induction cooktops are the new must-have kitchen appliance. With a growing consciousness of the wisdom of green living and sustainable design, removing fossil fuels from the kitchen not only makes sense for the environment, but for your family’s health as well. One of the leading causes of indoor air pollution and toxicity is fumes from the burning of gas in the kitchen. Induction cooktops offer a healthy, eco-friendly alternative; in addition to being better for our home environments, they are also amazing cooking appliances in themselves. They are more responsive than gas or electric; much easier to clean, with their sleek glass surface; and more efficient, since they direct all their energy into the cooking vessel, not the air (which also makes your kitchen cooler to work in – bonus!!)
2. Colorful appliances: Stainless steel is out; lively appliance colors are definitely IN! For years, stainless steel has dominated the market, but now with more manufacturers offering beautiful colors, anything is possible. Even white appliances that fell out of favor about 15+ years ago are making a comeback. With more kitchens being part of a great room and open to other living areas, having appliances that blend with your cabinetry color or other design elements makes a seamless statement.
3. Mixed metals: Mixed metal finishes are IN! Whether is it mixing colors in faucets, cabinet hardware and light fixtures, or mixing brass and stainless in ranges, hoods or refrigerators - with so many beautiful metal finishes available, it makes for a more engaging space to have more than one metal finish throughout.
4. Compost, Chickens & bees: Expand your idea of sustainable kitchen design to food production and waste. Composting reduces landfill and adds nutrient free-of-charge to your own soil by turning your trash into gold. Also, if you can - and not everyone can - get some chickens! They are the best pets. They love your compost, make eggs for you and your family, and even produce excellent fertilizer. And don’t forget about the bees! They are much easier to take care of than you think, and make pounds and pounds of honey for your kitchen (and friends!).
Healthy homes
Toxic off-gassing products are out! Sustainable design and healthy rooms are definitely IN and not going away. The growing consciousness of our impacts on the environment has made us more aware of our own home environment, so the shift to greener choices is a win-win: a win for the planet and a win for the family!
Paints: Use paints with low VOC or no VOC to reduce or eliminate off-gassing in your home. This is especially important in bedrooms, where we spend up to 8 or more continuous hours each day, and where rest and wellness are paramount. Best practice: specify natural products, like integral color plaster or lime-based, clay or other organic-material-content paints.
Furnishings: Buy furniture that is made primarily from natural products, and not from cheap materials like composite boards, which emit harmful off-gassing from their glue and resin contents. Natural wood, clay, and fabrics like hemp, which is inherently anti-microbial and softens with use, are great options!
Mattresses: Coconut fiber or latex mattresses offer a superior sleeping experience and remove the off-gassing chemicals of traditional foam mattresses. Bedrooms are often small and closed for many hours at a time, so paying attention to overall air quality is critical for our wellness - especially concerning the products we lay asleep on for 30% of our lives!
Bathrooms:
Water-wise appliances! are a must in 2023! Touchless faucets came to new prominence with the rise in pandemic-related health consciousness. But given their water-saving features (traditional faucets waste up to 3 gallons of water every time you brush your teeth or wash your hands!) their importance is sustainable design means they are here to stay! Greater demand has resulted in a plethora of beautiful new styles and looks – so they make even more sense for the home bath.
Waterproof plaster! An old-school technique is making a comeback. Specifying this all-over finish simplifies the bathroom design, eliminating all the grout lines and tile edges that end here and there. You can choose to limit tile to the floor only, letting that be the main color or pattern statement, and finish walls and ceiling (and even niches, shelves and the countertops!) with plaster. This could well save you some money and reduce the design overload!
Contact us to discuss a new home build or a remodel!
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