A new year sees new trends, and as far as home improvements go, for 2017 there will be a big focus on the exterior of our homes and how its appearance compares to that of our neighbours, family and friends.
Bespoke items, aluminium bi-fold doors and composite doors are on the up, and so is our urge to share and get inspiration from social media.
Here, Mark Farmer-Wright, product development manager for Anglian Home Improvements, discusses three key trends, and the sub-trends within them, which he predicts will influence our homes this year:
1. Choose bespoke and add a personal touch
‘Personalisation is set to define home décor trends in 2017,’ says Mark. ‘At Anglian, we manufacture each and every window or door to the bespoke specification of the purchaser, so it is a truly individual product; but more and more we are seeing the demand for even greater personalisation.’
On the colour front, sophisticated hues will grow as white takes a backseat. Mark says this is because homeowners are drawing ‘décor inspiration from their personalities for a look which complements their own unique sense of style’. And when it comes to window frames, Mark says sage green, grey and cream are set to be some of the key growth colours this year.
2. Bring the outdoors in
This isn’t a new trend but bringing the outside in is going to be bigger than ever this year. ‘Look no further than the must-have Pantone colour of the year, Greenery, a vibrant yellow-green shade which evokes the natural environment,’ says Mark.
‘Meanwhile, the blending of interior and exterior spaces is set to be one of the hottest trends with bi-fold doors in demand.’ Mark says this is down to the UK being a nation of home lovers and keen gardeners. ‘It seems only right that the current trend for blending inside and outside spaces continues to be on the up,’ he adds. ‘Not only do bi-fold doors look stunning, they bring natural light into the home and open up the property for easy access to the garden.’
Specifically, we’ll see more homeowners opting for aluminium bi-fold doors, with slimmer sight lines than PVC-U, ‘so even when the doors are closed the room still feels as though it has been opened up to the great outdoors.’
3. #ihavethisthingwithdoors
‘Design trends that once took years to work their way around the world now zoom across our radar with dazzling speed,’ Mark comments. ‘Social media is having a huge influence on home styling, giving us instant access to an evolving host of concepts to pore over and draw inspiration from. More than ever, trends, inspiration and top tips are being driven by attitudes and responses to our changing world from the likes of Pinterest, Instagram and, to some extent, Twitter.’
Like many of the social media generation, today’s house proud homeowner is increasingly obsessed with snapping and sharing photographs of their home. If they’re not sharing their own photos, they’re pinning, liking and re-tweeting photographs that others have posted. Mark notes: ‘A quick search on Instagram throws up almost 67,000 posts with the hashtag #ihavethisthingwithdoors.’
So, what’s the obsession with front doors? Mark explains: ‘It’s unsurprising that doors are having “a moment”, given that they make such a statement to anyone walking past, approaching or entering the home. At Anglian, our composite doors have been in high demand and we expect sales of composite doors to increase even further this year, and at some point in the not too distant future overtake PVC-U doors. They are seen as more energy efficient and more secure, but ultimately they provide more options for personalisation, with a greater range of colours.’