Regret-Free Ways to Incorporate 2018’s Hottest Trends – Part 1

Picking out finishes for a home can be a bit like walking a tightrope. You want your home to feel of the moment, but you definitely don’t want people to walk into your home a few years from now, cringing as they think, “Oh, this is so 2018!” Even worse if you’re trying to sell your home, and those cringers are potential buyers! We know how stressful it is to keep that perfect balance, which is why we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up some of 2018’s hottest trends, and we’re here to advise you how to incorporate the best of them, and which ones you should just ignore. First up is something that seems to be getting a lot of attention, probably because it has reigned supreme for so long…

1. The Demise of the White Kitchen?

Trends Say: White kitchens have been extremely popular for a while now. Pinterest is saturated with them, and no wonder! They’re very bright and beautiful, and there’s a white kitchen for every style. But experts are predicting that some of that enthusiasm for white kitchens is going to wane in 2018. Kitchens will be shaken up with color, natural elements, and different sink colors (i.e., not white or stainless).

We Say: Give it some thought first. If you don’t like white kitchens anyway, then this trend is great news for you! But if you love white and are going for a timeless look, especially if you’re thinking about resale value, definitely still consider white cabinetry as a strong option. You can do that, and still incorporate some of the elements that are going to be hot this year to shake things up a bit. Here are some ways.

Break It Up With Contrast

A painted perimeter and stained island is one of the standard options for a Prodigy kitchen. We love the beautiful contrast this creates, especially when the light cabinets are paired with a dark countertop, and vice versa.

This kitchen uses black hardware and a dark backsplash to offset the white.

Go Bold With Your Sink

Besides the option for a stainless sink, we also offer three different sink colors in our standard selections (all of these options are available in both a single and double bowl style). Check out how a black sink pops against a white quartz countertop. What a sophisticated look!

We absolutely adore metallic grey sinks. They’re just a little outside the ordinary, but don’t steal the show. An absolutely stunning choice that will work for any number of styles!

In the right space, a brown sink is beautiful, and certainly not something you will see in everyone else’s home. We love the way it looks paired with bronze accents and gorgeous wood tones in this very warm kitchen.

A Touch of Nature

Add some natural elements to break up all that white and keep it from feeling sterile. We love how the wood grain tile in the backsplash warms up this all-white kitchen.

A 3-D stacked stone look is another great natural texture that shakes up the white cabinets.

Switch Up the Color!

Maybe the white cabinet look was never for you anyway. In that case, why not add some drama with black? Moody color palettes are another thing that’s in this year. These cabinets were done in Huntwood’s “Vintage Black,” and they are absolutely stunning.

We love the look of this kitchen, which has a stained perimeter and then a grey painted island—Huntwood’s “Phantom.” The backsplash and light fixtures bring in lots of texture. What a warm, elegant look!

Though they fell out of favor for a while there, stained wood cabinets are coming back strong this year. So if you love the look of natural wood, why not skip the paint and go with all-stained cabinetry? Huntwood has so many gorgeous stain options to choose from. Real wood gives your kitchen warmth and character that can’t be beaten!

Bring Color Through Other Elements

This charming kitchen has white cabinets, backsplash, and countertops, but the cheerful blue walls make it all pop. (Also, blues are very on-trend this year).

In this kitchen, striking red light fixtures complement the black and white palette and add a note of the unexpected. You can’t see in this picture, but the knobs on the cooktop are also red.

Embrace The All-White Look

Love the all-white look? Then embrace it! We’re supposed to see more variety in kitchen trends for 2018, but that doesn’t mean white kitchens are going out of style. Trends aside, white is classic. If you love white, run with it. You can always use accessories to bring in a little color. Doing it that way allows you to completely change your color palette with almost no effort or expense.

2. Making A Statement With Ceilings

Trends say: Forget walls! If you want to make a real statement, you should be looking up. Everything from bold colors to wallpaper will be making its way to the ceiling this year.

We say: While these rooms look amazing and are definitely pin-able, we question whether some of the bolder ones will stand the test of time. But never fear! If you love this look (we do too!) there are ways you can incorporate it that are totally classic.

Bold Yet Elegant

Most Prodigy Homes include a recessed ceiling feature. It’s just one of the signature, well-crafted touches that make our homes special. Choosing to paint that feature a deep, dramatic accent color also incorporates 2018’s tendency towards moodier, more dramatic palettes. Because it’s confined to just one area of the room, it doesn’t overwhelm you. Best of all, it’s a very elegant and timeless look.

Marvelous Millwork

There is nothing like a stunning ceiling treatment to give your home a truly special, beautifully-crafted look that will have enduring appeal. One fail-proof look is the box-beam ceiling, which immediately draws the eye upward and gives your home a classic charm. Paired here with a sleek black ceiling fan for a contemporary twist.

Something we have fun with in a lot of our homes is using LED lighting to really set off this feature.

If your style is more modern, something like this might be a wonderful option. Bonus points for painting the inside a strong accent.

Also noteworthy is the modern ceiling treatment found in the entryway of the same 2017 Parade home.

Entryways are a wonderful place for such statement ceilings. Here is an idea for how to get the look in a more classic entryway.

3. Geometric Tile

Trends say: Geometric tile is predicted to be huge in 2018.

We say: We think this is a wonderful look! Although trending this year, hexagonal tiles have historical roots, and will remain a classic after the trends move on, especially in a timeless color. So if you’ve been drooling over this look, we’d say you should go for it! We love how these black hexagonal tiles look paired with white marble in this elegant shower. Get more tile inspiration in our Gallery.

4. Coziness and Warmer Colors

Trends say: In 2018, people are going to be seeking a cozy feel for their homes. It does feel odd to call “coziness” a trend, since everyone always loves being cozy. What the experts really mean when they talk about coziness being on-trend is that, partly as a pushback against the at times austere minimalism of 2017, 2018 will focus heavily on the embracing of imperfections, prioritize comfort, and gravitate toward colors and textures that evoke warmth.

We say: We think your home should always be a sanctuary that feels comfortable for you, whatever that means. If you want to cozy up your home, the easiest thing you can do is to pick a paint color that is more of a warm grey, perhaps a greige, rather than a cool grey. Bonus: warm neutrals are also predicted to be very popular this year!

Bathrooms by nature have a lot of hard, cold surfaces, so it can be a challenge to make them feel cozy. But note how calming and warm this master bath feels, thanks to that warm neutral color palette.

Another way to instantly add coziness to a room? A fireplace! Each Prodigy home comes standard with a gas fireplace: a wonderful feature that will add so much warmth to your home, both literally and visually.

Another way to add coziness is through texture. This bedroom effectively layers textiles in many different textures, for a very inviting feel. Note how the room’s colors are kept neutral, so the effect is calming. Finally, if you want maximum coziness in the bedroom, carpet is almost always the way to go!

That’s it for this week, but 2018 still has plenty of interesting trends to discuss, so stay tuned for Part 2!

It’s certainly a challenge to create a home that feels of-the-moment and stands the test of time. But you don’t have to do it alone! When you build your new home with us, you’ll have the opportunity to sit down with a designer, who will guide you through the process of choosing fixtures and finishes. At Prodigy, we’re always striving to provide The Best Experience, and we want that experience to extend into your life with your new home. So, as you go through the process of building your new home, remember: the most important thing isn’t that your home follows all of the year’s hottest trends, but that it truly does feel like a home to you, whatever that looks like.

Ready to get started building a beautiful home of your very own? Contact us at 509.737.6227 to schedule a meeting!