As we leap into a new year, Trulia’s design panel has been busy taking stock of the top trends from the past year in order to predict what will hit big in 2018 and what’s on the way out. According to the team of interior designers, organizers, and home stagers, there are four things you should avoid if you want your home to look stylish. If you’re planning a remodel in the year ahead, the design panel’s advice could help you make choices that won’t look immediately dated.
Exposed Lighting
While Edison bulbs and pendant lights have been trending for a while now, the Trulia design panel says the trend will fade out in the new year. “I am a lover of all things vintage and appreciate a nod to the past, but it just became too overly saturated,” says Hannah Crowell of Crowell & Co. To keep your lighting from looking outdated, choose options with shades. And if you’re planning a remodel, skip the exposed track lighting in favor of recessed lighting.
Granite Countertops
We never thought we’d see the day when granite countertops didn’t reign supreme, but recently, other options, including marble, quartz, and even butcher block, have stepped to the forefront. “Granite is durable, I will give it that, but it lacks the beauty of marble or the sleekness of quartz,” Crowell explains. If you already have granite counters, don’t make any rash decisions (all trends come back around, after all), but if you’re planning a kitchen renovation, you may want to consider these other options.
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Reclaimed Wood
Joanna Gaines championed the material with her much sought-after modern farmhouse style, but according to Trulia’s panel of experts, reclaimed wood is about to fall out of favor. While the material lends a cozy, rustic vibe to any space, we could be seeing less of it in the year to come.
Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring skyrocketed in popularity when companies started marketing it as an eco-friendly alternative to oak and other common flooring materials. But recently, some have questioned the material’s sustainability, and designers are tired of the trend. If you’re thinking about redoing the floors in your living room, consider another type of wood or the ultra-trendy, retro-cool terrazzo (see, every trend comes back eventually).
