6 renovation trends in 2018

2017 will soon come to an end, and some of us probably have started to prepare our New Year’s Resolutions. How about a revamp of your house? As the saying goes “New Year, New You”, so you should consider new designs for your house to get yourself refreshed for the coming year. We have gathered several design trends that may be ideal for your home!

By Irene Arieputri

1. Mix Scandinavian and Industrial designs

2017 was filled with Scandinavian and Industrial home designs, and the trend doesn’t seem to be waning. In fact, 2018 may see a marriage of both! While they sound contrasting, both elements can complement each other well. Industrial design has an edgy, rustic look that can stand out in a Scandinavian-design house if done correctly.

Eric from MET Interior advised choosing subtler colours from the Industrial colour scheme, such as black and shades of grey. “The highlights of Scandinavian designs will be the minimalist wooden touch, while the Industrial designs can be applied to some elements such as metal light fixtures or vintage furniture.” He admitted that the combination of Industrial and Scandinavian could be tricky, but would turn out lovely if you could strike a balance.

Interior designer: MET Interior

2. Be creative with lighting

To complement the minimalist design, you will need modern lighting fixtures that are flexible and low maintenance. Make your lighting stand out, even when not in use, by choosing the right material and colour. Metallic or brass finishing will be popular next year, with tons of creative designs in the market.

Skyii Sim from Icon Interior Design found track lights very suitable for Scandinavian and Industrial themes. “Track lights are flexible and easier to maintain, but if you want something more contemporary and luxurious, modern chandeliers with a polished mirror body or hair-line brass body are also on-trend.” If you are not sure which lighting to choose, Sim also advised, “Chandeliers are more suitable for houses with higher ceilings, and Tom Dixon and simpler lights are in favour of lower ceiling homes.” With some searching, you can even get great savings on lighting fixtures.

Interior designer: Icon Interior Design

3. Get matte finishing

It’s time to replace the shiny materials around your house with something flatter in colour. Many people start to switch to matte finishing due to its durability. A matte coating can hide pesky marks on your walls and ceilings, making them look flawless without any nicks or cracks.

Rey from i-Chapter said, “The newest in-trend texture would be matt finishing, which is widely used for many things at home, including black taps and sinks. In 2018, furniture and paint won’t be as bright and glossy as 2017 – many people will love to explore matte for their home designs.”

Interior designer: i-Chapter

   4. Have an open kitchen concept

2018 will see a more open concept at home, especially for the kitchen design. An open kitchen concept allows the dry kitchen area to be extended to the living room, encouraging more interaction among people at home, especially if you love inviting guests over. It also creates more breathing space as the air typically gets very stuffy during and after cooking.

Eddie Yap from Dreamvision believes that an open kitchen concept overall provides a positive feeling as space looks bigger and wider. “People tend to use white and earth tone colours for their open kitchen concept so that it can blend naturally with the living room or other areas.” He added, “With an open kitchen concept, homeowners also get more storage for their kitchen appliances, particularly the bulky ones like dishwashers.”

Interior designer: Dreamvision

5. Touch up the feature wall and balcony

With minimalist designs still in trend, homeowners tend to have more space on the wall to display some artwork or decoration. Daniel from Square Room Interior Design suggested that the renovation trends in 2018 would include craft stone for the walls. Craft stone is also ideal for outdoor walls because they are durable to water and heat.

“Another area that often undergoes renovation is the balcony. More people are looking for a cosy feel for their balcony, and thus, the wooden decking.” You will often find wooden or artificial decking is durable and waterproof, making it easy to clean. “Because outdoor furniture is constantly exposed to sun and wind, it usually has neutral tones so that the colour won’t fade quickly.”

Interior designer: Square Room Interior Design  

6. Improvise ceilings

Most of the time, people are focused on decorating the wall with artwork or the floor with tiles, plants or rugs. However, one aspect that will gain traction next year is the ceiling! More homeowners will seek to decorate their ceilings by creating false ceilings. False ceilings are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. They help to hide cables and wires in the ceiling nicely.

Jassca See from Luxurious Design noticed that false ceilings would be the trend for many bedrooms in 2018. “Besides walk-in wardrobe and patterned blinds, another popular bedroom design next year is false ceilings.” False ceilings accentuate the lighting of the room, as well as making the room more stylish. “There are a lot of designs for false ceilings that homeowners can explore, depending on the theme of the house,” she added.

It’s time to get your house revamped to follow the popular home design trends in 2018. Don’t hesitate to contact experienced interior designs and get free quotes to start your renovation in time, before the new year kicks in!

Interior designer: Luxurious Design  

Article and images contributed by HomeRenoGuru and Nippon Paint.

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