Homeowners look to spruce up the place in 2015; here’s how…

When people hear homeownership, especially for first-time buyers, it’s easy to imagine this process in which an agent takes you around to a number of perspective properties, you fall in love with them and then you make an offer and hopefully close the sell. However, the reality is that purchasing a home is only the first step – albeit a great stride – into homeownership.

The thick of the challenge is in the upkeep and furnishing, and really cultivating the space into a livable environment for the long-term – using “livable” in a very western sense – picking out what you love and deciding what you don’t. And it’s not a one-time effort.

Trends in housing change just as often as trends in footwear or cooking. People want different things at different times; it’s a fact of life. Though these trends are often hard to predict, below you’ll find what we expect to be 10 of the hottest housing trends in the next 12 months.

1. Freestanding bathtubs – A contemporary take on clawfoots, freestanding tubs are poised to make a huge splash in 2015. Already the envy of Victorian dreamers, freestanding tubs have long since been an inspired bathroom addition, but a hefty price tag has kept them out of homes. Not any more. Mainstream manufacturers like Kohler are catching on to the trend and are starting to offer affordable options that compliment other budding bathroom favorites, like open wall niches and single wash basins.

2. Coral colors – In November, major general building materials supplier Sherwin Williams, known primarily for its paint line, announced that Coral Reef (SW 6606) was the company’s color for 2015. “We have a brighter outlook now that we’re out of the recession. But this isn’t a bravado color; it’s more youthful, yet still sophisticated,” Jackie Jordan, Sherwin Williams’ director of color marketing, said, explaining how the shade reflects the country’s desire for revitalization.

3. Charging stations – Smartphones, tablets and the arsenal of other electronic gizmos on the market have become integral parts of our lives – we connect with friends and family on them, we work on them, we do everything on them. Unfortunately, they all still required dedicated charging stations, which have prompted most homeowners to set aside space specific to that purpose. Understanding where people tend to plug in their devices – kitchens, mud rooms and garages – builders have started to carve out small areas intended for charging stations.

4. Open floor plans – The fad is simple. Millennials who are coming into or are expecting to come into homeownership want open spaces. As the new generation of homeowners, builders are starting to design condos and single-family homes to satisfy their demands.

5. Quartzite – Something of a wonder material, quartzite is easy to synthesize, affordable, it doesn’t stain as easy as granite and it’s virtually indestructible. It’s the obvious choice for the smart, 2015 homeowner.

6. Conserving water – From drought in California to Africa, concern over the conservation of water has spread worldwide, including working its way into the wider housing industry. With the availability of rainwater harvesting tanks, low flow toilets and a plethora of other water saving innovations, homeowners are quickly becoming enamored with the option of more sustainability.

7. No more keys – Seeing how effective keyless systems have been for cars, more and more homeowners are looking to keyless systems to help make their homes safer, more convenient and more futuristic – biometric fingerprint scanners, anyone?

8. Fire pits and places – In the past, fireplaces posed several concerns with regards to venting and design. However, with the innovations building has seen in the last decade, those problems are quickly becoming things of the past. Newer designs are making areas for open flames more accessible, more compact and just more doable.

9. Storage – People want more space and less clutter. And though multifamily structures are supplementing living space with more communal space, homeowners will still be looking to expanding their storage areas in 2015.

10. A luxurious sleep – Sleep was a particular point of conversation in 2014, as experts and notables from a variety of industries found ways to incorporate the importance of getting your eight hours (or however much a person needs – the figure is debated) into bigger conversations. The same is true for housing. In an interview with Realtor Magazine, designer Jennifer Adams said, everyone is realizing the importance of comfort, quality sleep and taking care of yourself.”