
2019 Home Design Trends
New year, fresh design. If updating your home is on your list of resolutions—whether it’s one room or the whole house—look to these expert-identified trends to bring your spaces into 2019 in style.

Modern farmhouse style.
Call it the “Chip and Joanna Gaines effect.” Made popular on the power couple’s HGTV hit Fixer Upper, this design aesthetic features white exteriors, steeper black pitched roofs, larger windows, and black window frames. “The word ‘farmhouse’ allows for some eclectic pieces, like Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn furnishings, pieces that have a more informal, weathered finish,” says Steven Kleineman of SKD Architects.

Painted cabinetry.
Expressing your personality through painted cabinetry in your kitchen or bath—in combination with refined, nutmeg-finished wood—continues to be a popular way to infuse a space with color, says Renae Keller of Renae Keller Interior Design. Try an on-trend teal, a classic navy hue, or, if you want to go really bold, Pantone’s Color of the Year: Living Coral. To keep the eye from feeling overwhelmed, pair the pop of color on the kitchen island, bathroom vanity, or lower cabinetry with upper cabinetry in a lighter shade, such as white, gray, or a natural wood tone.

Thoughtful layout.
High ceilings are out—more appropriately scaled spaces are in, says Kleineman. “Plans need to be open and flexible where people live and interact.” That being said, glass-and-steel room dividers are also making an appearance, giving the illusion of open concept, while still offering some privacy and spatial division.

Connection to the outside.
Homeowners are amplifying natural light and bringing the outdoors inside with the help of large windows. “Marvin Windows just introduced Marvin Modern, a reaction to that, with very thin, almost commercial-like window frames to maximize the extent of glass,” says Kleineman.

Smarter homes.
You’ve no doubt noticed the increase in voice- and phone-controlled home amenities, such as automated lighting, whole-house sound systems, and security devices—and that trend isn’t slowing down in 2019, says North House Residential Design’s Vaughn Larson, who predicts this technology will start being integrated during the construction phase. “Look at commercials,” Kleineman adds. “Computer and Google Home automation commercials are set in cool surroundings that show off our connected approach to controlling our environment.”

Contemporary finishes.
Traditional hand-forged, weighty cabinetry hardware is getting a makeover for today’s homes in modern finishes, like polished nickel. For lighting, antique brass “is still here, and it looks smashing against wood and painted surfaces,” says Keller.
