Ins and Outs: Which Home Building and Design Trends to Adopt and Ditch in 2023

During the pandemic, people invested in their homes with a fervor the home design industry hadn’t seen in a long time. In 2023, that trend continues as people narrow in on their dream home aesthetic and home performance goals.

Read on to see which home building and design trends are on the rise and which trends are getting left behind.

Work-From-Home and Flexible Square Footage

The pandemic created a whole new class of workers and took them out of the office — permanently in some cases. Three years later, home offices have solidified themselves as a necessity for many people.

In 2020, people did their best to create viable work-from-home situations. But as it became clear that work-from-home life was here to stay, cramped home workspaces with little-to-no privacy became a major pain point for people. 

In 2023, most new homes include home offices or studies so that people don’t have to sacrifice a bedroom to their day jobs.

The pandemic taught people how valuable every square foot of space is. As a result, innovative space management design options are taking center stage.

Custom home builders are creating maximum flexibility in their builds by incorporating multi-purpose rooms, discreet built-in storage, and rooms with adjustable levels of seclusion in their floor plans. A closed or adaptable floor plan creates a sense of coziness and privacy that open floor plans don’t offer.

Sustainability

As people are home more, energy costs are soaring, even as commuter costs go down thanks to work-from-home jobs. Couple this fact with the prevailing global push for sustainability and climate consciousness, and it’s no wonder demand for sustainable house designs is on the rise. 

An example of this trend in real-time is the growing number of builders creating master-planned communities with zero-emission homes or ultra-efficient homes to better align with this generation of homebuyers’ strong desire for sustainable living. 

Smart home and green home technologies like programmable thermostats, remote-control high-efficiency lighting, and solar panels with wall batteries are also gaining popularity as people look for ways to reduce their impact on the environment and reduce energy costs.

Efficient appliances, energy-saving windows, and eco-friendly building materials are in high demand, and this trend will likely only grow in influence over the course of 2023.

Gas Is Going the Way of the Dinosaurs

After research illustrating the effect of gas ranges on indoor air quality came to the forefront of the public eye, people have been getting rid of gas ranges. The replacement? Induction cooktops. 

The widespread push for more sustainable homes is also contributing to gas’s fall from grace. In fact, some cities have already begun prohibiting gas connections in new builds to reduce harmful emissions at the municipal level. This trend is almost certainly permanent because sustainability and conscious consumption are here to stay, too.

Induction cooking is also gaining popularity because of its elegant efficiency. As with the rest of their homes, people are designing their kitchens with an emphasis on functionality and efficiency. Because induction cooking setups offer better ease of use, safety features, and energy-saving potential, experts expect them to dominate gas ranges in 2023.

Self-Actuation as Design

Individualism reigns supreme in design today. As people lost access to many of the venues where they were able to express their public-facing personalities during the pandemic, they turned to their homes as outlets for expression. Today, the design pendulum swings in the direction of ornate, semi-maximalist interiors with lots of personality. People are choosing unique fixtures, decorations, and furniture to put their personal style on display in their homes. 

Long passé design elements like patterned wallpaper, arches, scalloped features, and art-deco influences are making their way back into homes as a direct departure from the austere minimalism mentality that dominated home design for the last decade.

Turn It Inside Out

As people spent more time inside, they found ways to chase rays, even if they could only go as far as their patios. Outdoor living improvements and houseplants exploded in popularity during the pandemic as people scrambled to make their spaces more dynamic in the absence of life outside their four walls.

Now, as the same people build new homes, they insist on integrating all-season indoor-outdoor spaces into their house designs and floor plans. 2023’s trends include:

  • Exterior walls made entirely of glass
  • Outdoor kitchens
  • Large doors to backyards for a seamless indoor-outdoor experience
  • Luxurious shaded seating areas are in this year

As this trend grows, expect to see increased emphasis on natural light, houseplants, and large, carefully designed outdoor living areas in both front yards and backyards.

Affordability and Aesthetics

In 2023, people are refusing to compromise on affordability, durability, and beauty. Capable and elegant design materials like engineered hardwood flooring and Dekon and Neolith countertops are growing in popularity for indoor spaces.

The supply chain issues during the pandemic forced home builders and buyers to find innovative ways to get the materials they needed to complete their home-building projects on time and under budget. This put the spotlight on high-quality modular materials that could circumvent the supply chain woes that other more traditional materials suffered from.

Furthermore, as people feel the effects of the early stages of an economic downturn, this trend will likely gain momentum throughout 2023. People are already showing a strong preference for design options that reduce their average cost per square foot as much as possible while maintaining quality and functionality.

What We’re Leaving Back in 2022

As 2023’s home-building trends gain traction, some trends from 2022 are losing popularity. From the “can light craze” to ill-conceived dysfunctional polygonal shelving, here are some trends home designers are glad to usher out the door.

Can Lights

People went a little crazy with recessed lighting and can lights. Willy-nilly light fixtures and sterile light schemes are out. Thoughtful interior light design and downlighting are in.

Herringbone Tile Walls

Herringbone tile walls are a dated trend that has stayed firmly in 2022. What started as a novel application of a classic flooring style has since become a tired, house-flipper design trope. Look for Zellige tile to take center stage this year as people opt to add more interesting textures and colors to their kitchens and bathrooms.

Dysfunctional Ornate Storage

You’ve seen them everywhere, from the IKEA display floor to the breakroom in your office building: small, oddly shaped geometric hanging shelves that can’t hold much more than a tiny succulent. People are ditching these dysfunctional polygonal shelving flourishes for solid, efficient storage options like flexible storage builtins. 

Open Shelves

Open shelving had a big moment in 2022. They look great when you have a curated, camera-ready diorama of tasteful items set neatly on them, but as soon as real life hits and the clutter gets real, open shelves become a lot less appealing. People are looking for functional, discreet storage options to meet their organizational needs.

If you’re planning a home-building project this year, you’re in the right place. Schar Construction has more than 40 years of experience building beautiful custom homes for our clients. Let us show you what makes a Schar home special. Contact us today to start designing your dream home. 

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