Are you planning to make some updates to your home with the thought to sell in the not too distant future? It’s probably a good idea to know what design trends appeal to buyers today before you start.  Home design trends and colors change about every 10 years, so let’s take a look at what’s “on trend” right now.

Neutral Colors

It’s long been recommended when selling your home to paint your walls a neutral color. For many years that meant off-white, which morphed into light gold and later, taupe. Today the trending neutral color is gray, in any number of shades. Gray can give a sophisticated look or an informal contemporary feel and easily coordinates with any accent color.

Living Rooms

Living rooms are trending toward subdued, neutral palettes and being “tech free.” Large, flat-screen TVs over the mantel are moving to media rooms or other locations. The trend is toward warm, comfortable spaces for conversation, listening to music or reading a book.

Floors

Natural wood floors are still in demand, but now rich, dark finishes are the trend. So too are wider and longer planks, which offer greater stability and an upscale look.

Tile or stone floors still dominate in kitchens and baths, and Midwestern winters make heated floors especially prized.

Kitchens

A decade ago dark cherry cabinets seemed to be part of every kitchen remodel. Today, kitchen design is trending toward all white and light-colored counter tops for a bright and airy feel.  Dramatic black and white color schemes are also making frequent appearances. Another trend is lower wood cabinets in shades to match a natural or laminate wood floor with white cabinets above.

Granite countertops have long been an enduring status symbol and standard in kitchens. While granite is still very popular, engineered quartz (90% quartz and 7-10 % resin) has come on strong due to its durability and more uniformity and choice in colors.

Stainless steel appliances continue to be the top sellers, giving kitchens an industrial or professional look. But a new appliance finish is LG’s very sophisticated black stainless, a variation that isn’t silver but isn’t solid black, and fingerprints don’t show as easily. And now most kitchen updates feature the newer refrigerators with French doors and lower level freezers in traditional stainless steel.

Bathrooms

Design trends in bathrooms lean toward clean, modern, transitional looks in neutral colors including all white, gray, and black and white with shades of purple accents. Another trend is bathrooms that feel more like living spaces with small chandeliers, statement mirrors, graphic wallpaper, and furniture-like pieces for storage.

Buyers appreciate a spa-like feel in a bathroom—large format tiles (gray porcelain floor and wall tiles are strongly trending), fluffy white towels, towel warmers, heated floors and no-threshold showers have replaced whirlpool tubs.