This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
These days, finding home design inspiration often starts in a search bar. Ideas for color schemes, decor styles, fun features to enliven a home — it all starts with typing in a few key phrases. A look at how these search terms evolve over time can give fascinating insights into current design trends.
So we reviewed search terms on Houzz from January through March 2025 and compared them with searches from the same period last year to see how homeowner preferences might be changing. The results, highlighted below from the 2025 U.S. Houzz Emerging Summer Trends Report, show rising interest in French country style, wood elements, warm metal accents and other design inspiration worth searching for.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates flat year-over year growth for custom home builders. The custom building market is less sensitive to the interest rate cycle than other forms of home building but is more sensitive to changes in household wealth and stock prices.
There were 34,000 total custom building starts during the first quarter of 2025. This was unchanged relative to the first quarter of 2024. Over the last four quarters, custom housing starts totaled 181,000 homes, just more than a 2% increase compared to the prior four quarter total (177,000).
Currently, the market share of custom home building, based on a one-year moving average, is approximately 18% of total single-family starts. This is down from a prior cycle peak of 31.5% set during the second quarter of 2009 and the 21% recent peak rate at the beginning of 2023, after which spec home building gained market share.
Note that this definition of custom home building does not include homes intended for sale, so the analysis in this post uses a narrow definition of the sector. It represents home construction undertaken on a contract basis for which the builder does not hold tax basis in the structure during construction.
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This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .
8. Glowing Stone
Natural stone is a perennially important material in furnishings and lighting, but it’s become a focal point over the last few seasons as it’s gotten warmer, darker and more heavily veined. Indeed, we once again saw myriad sculptural lamps with colorful marble bases throughout the market.
One of the most popular stones this season, though, fell on the other side of the color spectrum: alabaster. The almost translucent, ethereal off-white stone casts a soft, ambient glow when backlit. Among the standout examples of stone fixtures this spring was this Regina Andrew Bonnie uplight.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
7. Smart Product Features Highly Sought
Renovating homeowners invested in products with both standard and smart technology in 2024, and in fact preferred smart tech in several product categories. The dark green bars in this graphic represent standard products. The light green shows smart products, which refers to technology that can be monitored or controlled from a mobile device (smartphone or tablet), a computer or both.
Light fixtures topped the list of indoor product purchases at 51%, with 38% of renovating homeowners choosing standard and 13% opting for smart versions. TVs followed at 27%, with 16% choosing standard TVs and 11% opting for smart.
Alarms and detectors (14% standard, 12% smart) and thermostats (7% standard, 16% smart) also were in demand. Smart versions led for wireless doorbell cameras (16%), streaming-media players (10%), home assistants (14%) and garage door openers (8%) as well. And among smart security products, homeowners chose wireless door locks (8%), cameras (9%) and motion or other sensors (5%).
Smart security cameras led outdoor tech purchases at 23%, followed by standard outdoor lighting fixtures at 23% (not shown).
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
The 2025 edition of Milan’s Salone del Mobile recently welcomed back the biennial Euroluce lighting exhibition (April 8-13). More than 300 international exhibitors showcased the evolving journey of light through research, innovation and a growing sensitivity to societal change. In our increasingly digital and connected world, light plays a pivotal role, shaping our perception of space, influencing our well-being and impacting sustainability at every level.
The latest products presented at Euroluce were modular, intuitive and easy to install. They were designed to create welcoming spaces and contribute to the holistic well-being of those who inhabit them. There was also a strong focus on sustainability, technological innovation and preserving the increasingly rare art of craftsmanship. Below are eight trends in new lighting products seen at the international trade event.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
This graph shows a generational breakdown of renovation spend by homeowners in 2024. The darker green bars represent a similar overall median spend among seniors ($22,000), baby boomers ($20,000) and Gen Xers ($20,000). Millennials were at the low end with a median spend of $15,000.
The lighter green bars show how in the 90th percentile of spend, Gen X renovators led the pack, allocating up to $150,000 for projects. The other groups had spends between $120,000 and $125,000.
For kitchen remodels specifically, millennials’ median spend increased from $15,000 in 2023 to $20,000 in 2024. Gen Xers saw a 12% drop in median spend, from $25,000 in 2023 to $22,000 in 2024, while baby boomers spent slightly less year over year, dropping from $24,000 in 2023 to $23,000 in 2024. Seniors also scaled back: Their median kitchen remodel spend dropped from $19,000 to $15,000.
Bathroom remodels present a mixed picture. The median spend for seniors nearly doubled, from $8,500 in 2023 to $15,300 in 2024, while the median spend for millennials declined sharply, from $12,000 to $7,500. The median spend for Gen Xers decreased from $15,000 in 2023 to $13,000 in 2024, while baby boomers remained steady year over year at $15,000.
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Whether neutral and calm or boldly colored and shaped, tile choices keep expanding. New tile collections at The International Surface Event (TISE) and at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), both held in Las Vegas earlier this year, displayed eye-catching, statement-making products along with more subdued selections. Tile designers are creating collections that are reflecting handmade and throwback home design trends.
“It kind of focuses on that handcrafted feel,” says Shelly Halbert, director of product design for Marazzi. “We see people are going back to more of the nostalgic, handcrafted, eclectic blends of different types of things in the house. You might have a little bit more traditional, but then you have a pop of art. So we’re seeing a lot of blending.” Here are the latest trends in tile, with some products already out and some arriving later this year.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
LG Signature WashTower
1. Wi-Fi Connectivity and AI Assistance
A growing demand for smarter, more connected appliances throughout the home extends to the laundry room, where washers and dryers that incorporate Wi-Fi connectivity, artificial intelligence and advanced sensors are becoming both standard and more helpful than they seemed in the past. At KBIS this year, most of the biggest players in the laundry game — LG, Samsung, Whirlpool and GE — showed off new or updated machines that used some combination of these technologies to make washing and drying clothes more efficient and foolproof than ever.
The latest LG Signature 29-inch WashTower, pictured here, is a great example of these trends in action. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze fabric types, load size and soil levels, automatically dispensing the correct amount of preloaded detergent and fabric softener and optimizing the wash cycle for better performance. The dryer’s moisture sensor then optimizes the dry cycle to save energy and prevent damage to clothing. The machines can also connect to LG’s ThinQ app, which enables users to adjust settings and start and stop cycles from anywhere, as well as control the machines using voice commands via voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. A hidden bonus is that this connectivity also allows for automatic software updates, so your appliances can evolve and gain new features over time.
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
1. Surfaces That Stand the Test of Time
The theme of this year’s show was Creative Conscience, with the organizers spotlighting materials that fuse functionality, aesthetics and sustainability.
“The theme focuses on the future of materials for the built environment, driven by developments in technology, a heightened focus on sustainability and a deeper understanding of human needs,” said the show’s director, Nickie West.
A number of the brands at the show had this ethos in mind, displaying surfaces that were created sustainably and use technology to ensure they’re durable to avoid waste.
Transformad’s Tmatt super-matte surface collection (pictured) has an anti-fingerprint finish, is scratch-resistant and has self-regenerative properties. It’s also made without the use of solvents to raise its environmentally friendly credentials.
Similarly, Koukos de Lab highlighted its Koukoutsi surfaces, which are made from repurposed eco-waste. The materials are available in various thicknesses and finishes, and are easy to maintain and repair. They can also be refurbished or transformed into new products when they’re no longer needed.
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Bringing some of the health benefits of the wilderness to busy urban lives was another trend seen across the show. The most striking example of this was the Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat balcony garden (pictured) by ssh scapes — Sonia Kamel, Sally Giles and Helier Bowling — and inspired by the wild landscape of the Scottish Cairngorms mountains.
This small urban space was designed for a busy professional couple “who love the outdoors and, in particular, the Cairngorms in Scotland, and want to recreate the environment for daily health benefits on their high-rise city balcony,” according to the RHS.
At the heart of the space was a copper bath perfect for a cold-water dip, which was surrounded by wild planting reminiscent of the grassy heaths, rocky outcrops and mossy glens typical of the area.
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