Every year the American Institute of Architects is releasing the conclusions of a survey they are conducting to find out what trends influence architecture that year. The subject of the last survey was Home Design Trends and it focused on two rooms: the kitchen and the bathroom, to find out what trends influence their design this year.
Timely designs
It looks like architects prefer timely features because outdoor cooking spaces are the most-wanted vogue. The result came just in time for people to switch from indoor to outdoor kitchens. Everyone who is owning some outdoor space close to their house can convert it into a kitchen. Outdoor cooking areas come with high-end cabinetry solutions, beverage dispensers, wine refrigeration, connectivity, grills, pizza ovens, speakers, televisions, and outdoor tiles that match the interior ones to ensure continuity. It’s important when designing the space to make it look connected with the interior one, especially if the transition is made through gliding doors.
The kitchen is the heart of the house
The survey also shows that indoor kitchens are also a hot trend for architects this year because they pay more attention to details than ever. Architects are handling more kitchen projects than ever because even if the size of the rooms remains the same, people want to use this space in different ways. They need architects to design spaces that include wine storage, refrigerators and socialising areas. The conclusions also show that smart kitchen features are 10% more popular than they were the last year. Butler’s pantries are also a hot feature but double islands dropped more than 10 percent. Nowadays architects are mixing materials to build modern kitchens and to define the culinary space.
Door-less interior spaces
Another major trend the American Institute of Architects identified in kitchen and bathroom design is door-less rooms. There are no doors between the kitchen and living room, between the kitchen and dining space, or between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. More and more homeowners choose to have no door between the bedroom and bathroom when a bathing space is connected to their sleeping area. The ones who want to install a freestanding tub prefer to place it in a room directly connected to their bedroom, and if possible close to a window. While for kitchens architects have to work with the same space size, for bathrooms the space gets larger being one of the rooms of the house that is growing in size yearly.
User-customised bathrooms
Even if it may sound surprising, considering that the population is aging, both kitchens and bathrooms lack universal design features. The last year people opted for water-saving toilets, but they are no longer a hot trend. This year smart toilets and specialized low flow shower heads from Hausera are on the rise. Because many of the models available on the market have bidet-style characteristics, they are sold at affordable prices. Toilets with heated seats, lids that lift automatically as the user approaches, and connectivity are other features homeowners are looking for.
Custom and luxury kitchens and bathrooms have dropped in people’s preferences. Austere interiors seem to conquer the architectural world.
