Homebuilder's designer experts share nine trends for the new year
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The way we perceive and interact with the environment around us has a direct impact on our comfort, health and happiness. For this reason, Taylor Morrison (NYSE: TMHC) recognizes the importance of thoughtfully designed homes—from flooring materials to furniture textures, lighting choices and architectural design—and is committed to constructing functional, efficient and stylish homes specially customized to anticipate consumers needs and appeal to their emotions. For the fifth year in a row, Taylor Morrison invited a group of design and architectural experts to share the latest, highly anticipated home trends centered around wellbeing:
Laminate boasts the beauty of hardwood with the toughness of an engineered material
Meet the neighbors: If the pandemic proved anything, it's that people crave frequent social interaction. So much so that there's one popular design element making a big comeback—centered all around bringing communities closer together. "We are seeing more and more homeowners setting up inviting outdoor seating areas right in their front yards," shared National Director of Design and Model Experience Lee Crowder. "By adding a few lounge chairs, a fire pit and some cafe lighting, all of a sudden you have an incredible space where you can enjoy being outside with your loved ones. As an added bonus, you might even befriend your neighbors."
In addition to fostering a sense of community, front yard living speaks to the overarching trend of indoor and outdoor connectivity. "No matter where it is—be it the back, side or front of a home—more connection between inside and outside living is a growing trend," explained Taylor Morrison's Vice President of Product Design Brian Juedes. "And the addition of fresh air and natural lighting also boasts important health benefits."
Anew office offering: With remote and flexible work here to stay, Taylor Morrison is incorporating a new iteration of office spaces into its architectural plans. Known as "Tech Spaces," these smaller alcoves conserve square footage and offer a sense of comfort and privacy when working from home. "As long as there are companies allowing employees the flexibility to work from home, we need to accommodate that in our home designs. No one wants to be working from a kitchen island anymore," shared Juedes. Rather than sharing one full-sized office, homebuyers can opt for two smaller tech spaces—which is especially beneficial for households with multiple individuals working from home.
Fire and spice: For the last three years, Taylor Morrison has compiled a palette of paint colors for their 2023 Color Collection in collaboration with Sherwin-Williams. This year's palette is centered around the paint company's 2023 Color of the Year, Redend Point (SW 9081). "While overall warm and cozy, the color is versatile and can be used with the same charcoals and bright whites that we've seen trending for so long. Redend Point is a good paint choice for a whole room without making the walls too dark or overwhelming, but can also add a pop of color to cabinetry or a kitchen island," Crowder said. In addition to Redend Point, Taylor Morrison has included Foxhall Green (SW 9184), Eider White (SW 7014)—part of Taylor Morrison's interior paint colors—and Dorian Gray (SW 7017) to show the versatility of combining a warm tone with greys and whites.
Warming up whites: The last few years have been dominated by a simple color palette consisting of bright whites and cool greys. Now moving away from this trend, many homeowners are opting for more colorful design options. But what about those who designed their homes around the all-white trend, and are now seeing their homes phase out of style? "Adding soft, warm tones and light wood accents can immediately add warmth and bring cool tones into the new trends we are seeing today," Crowder shared.
Tying it back to Sherwin-Williams' Color of the Year, Redend Point is an example of a warm color that pairs especially well with cooler tones. "Named after a sandstone rock formation in the United Kingdom, Redend Point is an example of nature highlighting how some colors work well together. In photos of the formation, you can see the reddish-sand color of the rock wall paired with the gray pebbles on the beach. If nature can pull off a combo of warm and cool colors, so can you," Crowder encouraged.
Clutter-free comfort: Organization is key to wellbeing, especially with so many workers operating in a hybrid environment. "Living in a home that works for your lifestyle makes life easier," said Crowder. "When you have a home that is in order, it creates a calm and relaxing environment. You can spend more time with family and less time stressing over your space."
Whether you're a DIYer or prefer professional assistance, help is available at all price points. "You can hire incredible services from 'The Home Edit' to come and personally organize your home. Or you can watch their Netflix series, 'Get Organized with The Home Edit,' and buy their line of products at Walmart or The Container Store to do it yourself," shared Crowder.
Elevation Fascination: Throughout the country, Craftsmen and Farmhouse designs have reigned supreme over other elevation styles. However, homeowners are starting to show an appetite for exterior designs that are a mix of both traditional and modern styles too—also known as "soft transitional." According to a John Burns Real Estate Consulting survey of 1,184 homeowners, 50 percent of homeowners in California prefer a mix of traditional and modern designs, compared to 34 percent of buyers in the Northwest.
"Modern farmhouse continues across the country, but right alongside that is modern contemporary, transitional styles. These designs continue to grow in popularity on both the inside and outside of our homes," Juedes explained.
Modern redesign with MINE: In 2023, expect to see modern-shaped furniture incorporated into home design. Think curved lines, rounded silhouettes and clean finishes—modern furniture is whimsical and sleek. "Plush, overstuffed upholstery pieces not only meet the modern criteria but are also cozy and inviting," Crowder noted. For homebuyers wanting to incorporate contemporary design elements in their home, Taylor Morrison has partnered with MINE design services, a company known for their modern furniture selections. In addition to Taylor Morrison's own suite of digital tools—like their reservation system that allows buyers to design, personalize and price out homes online—customers have complimentary access to a handful of MINE's digital tools to help decorate their homes with furniture pieces found in Taylor Morrison's model homes.
Passionate about laminate: When it comes to durability, price and appearance, laminate flooring is a popular alternative to traditional hardwood. "Laminate flooring combines the beauty of wood with the toughness of an engineered material. Manufacturers are now able to capture the beauty of a realistic hardwood aesthetic, not only from a color standpoint, but also when it comes to touch and feel," said Crowder. "Laminate is easier to maintain than wood and is a flooring that will perform better and last longer."
From outside in: With an increased focus on sustainability in home design, many are relying on outdoor elements to decorate—bringing organic and nature-inspired features inside the home. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows showcase natural landscapes and act as a natural mood booster in states that receive consistent sunlight. Native plants that thrive inside add organic elements to the home and preserve local biodiversity. Matching décor, paint and flooring to outdoor elements, especially in rooms with lots of windows, help blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and produce an illusion of openness inside the home.
Meet Lee Crowder: National Director of Design and Model Experience Lee Crowder always has her finger on the pulse of what's trending and timeless when it comes to home design. With nearly two decades of design experience at Taylor Morrison, Crowder's design expertise and unique insight into the psyche of homebuyers has made her a go-to subject matter expert for the media—and she is regularly featured in national and trade publications like Forbes, The Spruce, the Los Angeles Times, Builder and Kitchen and Bath Design News. Today, she leads a team of design and color experts across the country to implement Taylor Morrison's national design and model home strategy, key initiatives and programs.
Meet Brian Juedes: As the National Vice President of Product Design at Taylor Morrison, Brian Juedes leads efforts to improve operational efficiency through architectural design. With 35 years of professional experience, and more than two decades in residential design, Juedes has designed more than a quarter of a million homes across the country. At Taylor Morrison, he is responsible for refining and rationalizing floorplans across all markets and building homes that are more efficient and attractive to consumers. Juedes is one of only three professionals in Arizona to hold a license in architecture, civil engineering and structural engineering—and he is the only one to specialize in residential construction.
About Taylor Morrison
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taylor Morrison is one of the nation's leading homebuilders and developers. We serve a wide array of consumers from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury and resort lifestyle homebuyers and renters under our family of brands—including Taylor Morrison, Esplanade, Darling Homes Collection by Taylor Morrison and Yardly. From 2016-2022, Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America's Most Trusted® Builder by Lifestory Research. Our strong commitment to sustainability, our communities, and our team is highlighted in our latest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report on our website.
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