I was at the Luxury Portfolio International Conference in Las Vegas a few weeks ago (a great Insta follow by the way). Beside the amazing meal I had at Delilah (and the killer speakeasy vibe!), I learned a little about some design trends that, once I heard, I can’t un-hear. Perhaps you’d like to hear a little about what’s coming over the horizon into homes near you.
hot off the presses from Las Vegas
Popular Paint Colors are Changing – Especially Gray
The king is dead! Long live the king!
Gray-beige, also known as “Greige,” has dominated the neutral palette-style that has been SO popular, for the last decade, or longer. I am here to tell you, and maybe you’re starting to notice it fading- but Gray is dying. Warmer colors are already all over design magazines, and where it started with wood cabinetry in the kitchen, it’s creeping onto the walls. Beige will become more visible, into browns, and color is coming back. Thank goodness! But keep an eye out, and don’t be surprised if that icy-cold gray starts to feel lifeless when you see it next.
“Grand Millenial,” “Maximalism,” “Granny Chic”
What’s replacing our sleek design sensibility? Homes that are alive, alive, alive! As Millenials dive with both feet into homebuying (Nearly 60% I’m told) are committed to the process, a massive shift away from renting!) they are bringing their desire for nostalgia and authenticity into the home, too. Enter the “Grand Millenial” sense of design. Lots of patterns, the visual equivalent of an Ornette Coleman “Free Jazz” concert using Harmolodics. Think your grandmother’s house, throw in some Lily Pulitzer, and you’re starting to hone in on the seismic shift into color. They are even calling it “Granny Chic” or “Maximalism” – Take a look around!
our listing on Lexington Avenue that went into contract 5% over asking. Perfect example of warm colors happening!
The Multi-Pantry & Beverage Center
Marie Kondo will cringe, to be sure, because she would want you to have each thing have ONE place in your home, made famous in her now ubiquitous The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. However, what is growing in popularity across the country are multiple pantries. Think home office, midday breaks, or snacking nearer to your dens. Stock up the Skinny Pop, crank up Netflix, and tune out. And long popular in suburban homes, the beverage center is gaining traction. I’m not talking about the 100-bottle wine fridge. I mean the place to stash your AHA seltzer, next to that extra pantry. The Costco closet started to gain momentum years ago in the city. Yet, no one wants to be in the kitchen, unless you’re having a conversation, it seems. The couch is where it’s at.
Two Home Offices
Work-life balance, even with plenty of return to work notices from banks, Google, and other corporations, has shifted forever. People got used to working at home, and even in Manhattan, you will start to see more and more double home offices showing up. It doesn’t matter whether both adults in the house are working remotely, or if one happens just to be a full-time volunteer. Working at home got serious in the last two years, and it’s showing up here, even in apartments. Consider the notion of the “co-primary house,” where people are shuttling between the Hamptons and the City, or Florida and the City, or Aspen and the City. The home office life got deadly serious. That isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Nickel and Chrome are Classic, But also Out
I don’t know that this will ever be really true in New York, where we have 100-year-old buildings designed by Emery Roth, J.E.R. Carpenter, Rosario Candela, and new iterations of these classic designed from Robert A.M. Stern that replicate (some say improve) these ideas. That is to say that what worked still seems to work today, as far as the architectural and design language of Prewar New York. However, in new homes, new construction, and in standard post-war fare in New York, don’t be surprised to see very little chrome or nickel for a while. Brass is in, baby! It may take a little while to trickle down from the super-high end, but we’re already seeing it in newly-renovated apartments- and you’ll see it, too.
Don’t Take My Word For It
Look around, you’ll start to see all of these design trends happening across the city, and certainly beyond. Enjoy Spring Cleaning! -Scottie