Home design forecast for 2017
The benefit of building new is creating spaces that enrich and transform your lifestyle. When it comes to making layout alterations to suit our client’s needs, McDonald Jones’ Principal Designer, Michael Percival, has seen it all. He shared with us some reoccurring favourite additions you can expect to see more of as 2017 continues.
“Towards the end of last year I saw a bigger push towards clients wanting bigger laundry’s or mud rooms,” Michael reveals. “From rural to suburban areas, if you’re working in the yard or the kids are making mud pies, it’s handy to have a room to take off dirty shoes and clothes without messing up the house.”
Michael believes this focus on outdoor living will continue to transform even the traditional Aussie barbecue.
“People are moving away from the conventional freestanding barbecues and instead creating an extension of their indoor kitchen outdoors,” he says. Clients have requested everything from built-in barbecues, cooktops with rangehoods and ovens, to bar fridges and sinks for the post-party clean-up.
When it comes to cooking indoors, clients have also called for more luxurious features. “Clients can’t get enough of Butler’s Pantries,” he says. “They see this area as an entertainer’s dream – a space for preparation as well as hiding the mess when guests arrive.” Installing the dishwasher in the Butler’s Pantry is also a common request to reduce the noise in the open plan living setting.
Increased storage space beyond the Kitchen are another hot item for 2017. Recent designs including the St Clair prioritise storage with a main Walk-In Linen storing everything from sheets, toys and vacuum cleaners, as well as a smaller linen for towels located next to the Bathroom.
The flexibility of working from home has also impacted floor plans. “An ideally placed home office towards the front of the home is becoming a necessity rather than a designer room to impress their friends with.”
Creating a motivational and comfortable space to work has become increasingly popular for parents and children alike. Study nooks are becoming a must-have across all our ranges, from GenOne to our Stuart Everitt Collection. The ability to monitor the kids from the Kitchen or Alfresco allows parents the flexibility to complete other tasks while being available to help answer any tricky homework questions.
While Michael acknowledges the desire for extra rooms, he also revealed a push towards smaller block sizes and developers wanting more from their sites. Small acreage homes, such as the Esperance, are expected to come under the spotlight in 2017 to suit wider and shallower blocks while still maximising every living space.
Other clients have opted for Two Storey designs, such as the Tulloch, to combine the luxurious lifestyle they desire with practicality.
Lastly, we have a trend to reward parents every day. “Parents are wanting their own relaxing retreat away from the main bathroom shared with the kids,” Michael says. Designs such as the Barossa make a point of including an extravagant bath in the Master Suite. This trend will help you conquer every hard day of work during 2017.
What do you expect will be the next big thing?