We’ve seen plenty of trends come and go during our many years in the home building business. Although some last longer than others, every hot home design trend eventually becomes dated or unfashionable. Updating your home every time trends change can get very expensive. That’s why we advise New Jersey homeowners to choose classic styles that will complement their homes now and in the future. Keeping these tips in mind will help you avoid common trend-related design mistakes.

Choose Upgrades Wisely 

Selecting finishes, fixtures, cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint colors and other home features is one of the most enjoyable things about building a new home. The upgrades you choose showcase your personality and style preferences and make your new house feel like a home. 

Most home design trends, like these ones featured in Vogue, only remain popular for about 10 to 15 years, as the homeowners who choose avocado kitchen cabinets, carpeted bathrooms or tile countertops discovered much to their dismay. If most of your design choices are trendy options, your home may look dated much sooner than you expected. 

Whether you prefer modern, contemporary, traditional, rustic, or French Country design, look for classic choices within those styles. For example, simple, elegant Shaker cabinets work well in both traditional and modern homes and never go out of style.

Think About How Often You Really Want to Paint Your Home

Keeping up with the latest paint colors is impossible unless you plan to repaint every year. Luckily. neutral colors are good choices no matter what the trend and offer the perfect backdrop for your furniture, artwork, and accessories. When Hammer & and a Headband blogger Tara Besore asked interior designers for their favorite neutrals, most selected white, beige, or greige (combination of gray and beige) tones. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t include trendy colors, like October Mist, Benjamin Moore’s Color for 2022, in your decorating plan. Keep up with the latest color choices by painting a smaller room the color of the year or adding a trendy color to molding or trim. When trends change again, simply repaint your powder room or refresh the trim around your windows. 

Use Furniture and Accessories to Keep Your Home Up-to-Date

Generally, it’s best to limit trendy design choices to areas of your home that can be easily changed, like upholstered furniture, artwork, and accessories. Replacing these items is much less costly than ripping out your kitchen cabinets or your floors. You’ll probably be ready to buy a new couch or reupholster your furniture in 10 to 15 years anyway.

Accessories offer the perfect way to temporarily incorporate the latest colors and trends. If you prefer to buy furniture that will last for years, follow Modsy’s advice and choose items with clean lines and minimal ornamentation or flourishes. 

Ask Your Builders for Advice About Incorporating Trends 

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict how durable a new product will be when it’s first introduced. Since it usually takes a few years for manufacturers to work out product kinks, you may be the guinea pig for a new trend. If you’re lucky, it will be a positive experience. If not, you may be paying a lot of money to remove the trendy item in just a few years.

If you’d rather not find out a new trend’s limitations after you install it in your home, ask your builder or installer for his opinion. He can share any concerns about quality, durability or installation and recommend high-quality, classic products that will look good in your home for years to come. If you’re a little overwhelmed by all the design choices for your new home, give our design studio a call. Our designers can provide advice and insight that will help you create a timeless design for your new house.