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Headquartered in Portland, the renowned design-build remodeling firm Neil Kelly Company has released its Top 8 interior design trends for 2015. It is important to note that the word “trend” does not mean “fad.” While a trend veers in a new direction and predicts a social tendency; a fad fades fast. The trends forecast by the 25 design consultants at this award-winning firm will stay strong well past this year’s expiration date.
Trend 1: The Next Frontier
According to Houzz.com, a leading platform for home remodeling and design, nearly half of its readers remodel to prevent potential health problems. This trend is more anesthetic than aesthetic.
“We believe that the healthy home is the next frontier in home renovation,” says Neil Kelly President Tom Kelly. “Remodelers have a critical role to play in helping people make changes – to improve their home environments.”
Whether it’s non-offgassing finishes, no-formaldehyde cabinets, or better air filtration systems, homeowners realize a benefit to the family in creating a healthy living space. For example, Kohler’s SanSouci Touchless Toilet flushes by waving a hand over it, no touching of a handle required.
Trend 2: Creature Comforts
Some creature comforts never go out of style, and many see technological improvements over the years. That’s the case with heated floors in the bathroom. “It gets pretty cold in Central Oregon, so my clients here often want heated floors,” says Kathleen Donohue. “And these clients took it a step further and added anincreasingly popular feature — a heated towel rack.”
Trend 3: Heavy Metal
From copper pendant lighting to brass sinks (shown), metal is making the rounds in 2015. “Shades and tones of copper are in the mix,” observes Heidi Hawk. “I love working with multiple mediums as it brings out the artistic side of design.”
Trend 4: Remodel vs Move
Maybe the Recession taught homeowners something, or maybe people would rather scratch their fingernails on a chalkboard than move. Either way, an emerging housing trend is that more and more folks are opting to remodel their existing homes than move to a new one. In other words, they’d rather “love it” than “list it.”
One Neil Kelly whole home remodeling project is the perfect case. The homeowners asked Karen Richmond to change the entire orientation of their home to take advantage of the existing view. “It made more sense for them to stay and use the fantastic property they already owned, instead of hunting all over and paying top dollar to find another piece of land,” Richmond explains. Clearly every situation is different, but as a trend many sources confirm that more homeowners are discovering it’s cheaper and more satisfying to stay than go.
Trend 5: Reduce, Reuse, Rebirth?
Talk to any sustainability expert and at some point during the conversation you’ll hear the phrase “life cycle.” It’s not necessarily an extreme concept; in fact, the products that Neil Kelly uses have their own life cycle. Some are long, like brick. Others are short, like fast food. And some never die. For example, Viridian is a Portland-based company that takes beautiful old wood, saves it from the landfill, and re-purposes it as a raw material that some Neil Kelly designers are known to gobble up.
“When shipping containers make their way from Asia they look pretty rough, but with a little sanding beautiful colors and grain patterns appear,” says Karen Richmond. “It’s versatile, bursts with personality, and it’s wood we wouldn’t normally have available to work with.”
Trend 6: And The Winning Color Is….”
Neil Kelly designers actually despise having to pick one color as the most popular for the year because usually there are a whole host of colors that catch their eyes. “We’re seeing light blues and greens becoming increasingly popular,” Richmond states.
Adds Diane Foreman, “If you want to know what the hot colors are going to be in the coming year, don’t go to the paint store. Go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond or any store that sells bath towels. They will start stocking new towel colors long before those colors show up in the paint stores. Retail has to be way ahead of the game.”
Trend 7: Contemporary Makes a Comeback
Could 400 designers be wrong? According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s (NKBA) Style Report, hundreds of designers agree there is a move toward simplicity in a cleaner, more contemporary design. So say goodbye to Rustic and hello to a more Minimalist & Modern groove.
This bathroom (shown) may be situated near the woods of Battle Ground, Washington, but it looks right at home in midtown Manhattan, too. “Our client wanted a serene sanctuary — a place that was soothing, but not cold,” says Sandi Erdman. “Most people who are looking for contemporary design are looking for a clean, pared-down look that is Minimalist yet beautiful.”
Trend 8: Transitional vs Traditional
A few years ago raised panel cabinet doors were all the rage — they were everywhere. Now, flat cabinet panels are in. “And that’s probably the biggest component in that design shift,” remarks Janel Campbell. “I think people have so much going on in their daily lives that when they get home, they are looking for a peaceful atmosphere with less clutter – fewer lines – and less stress.”
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