Happy New Year - Our Top 5 Trend Predictions for 2010

Thank you to our loyal clients, partners and readers for another successful year at Good Home Construction. We could not have done it without your support and encouragement!

Now, on to 2010…what do we predict for this year? With the current economic and financial crisis we are still in, we predict:

1. Growth in Remodeling - We predict a continuous upward trend in remodeling of existing homes. As more and more people stay put, people have decided to make use of their current space and remodel what they have.

2. More Re-Use – To save money and the environment, more people are seeing if they can reuse what they already have. That means seeing if existing cabinets, hardware, etc. can be part of the renovation or remodeling projects. For example, if kitchen cabinet boxes are still in great shape and the layout still works, why spend all this money to get new ones, see if they can be refaced for a fraction of what it would cost to replace them completely.

Photo Credit: Remix Atlanta

3. Choosing Safe, Domestic Products – With news of imported building products being toxic, more and more people are being extremely cautious of things coming from overseas. We are seeing a trend of people asking where a product is coming from, and believe it or not, people are willing to pay more if they know it is coming from somewhere here in the United States and has followed safe manufacturing practices.

Photo Credit: Deviant Art

4. More Universal Design – With recent economic times, multiple generations are finding themselves moving in together into one household. This has fueled people to start looking at ways to accommodate different needs and uses for different generations and capabilities.

Photo Credit: Vienna Univ. of Technology

5. More Color - People are figuring that they will probably be in their current homes much linger than originally expected; therefore they have opted to make their dream projects come true. So, instead of being color-shy and opting for neutrals (for resale appeal), they are choosing their favorite colors. This includes colored tile, cabinets, fixtures, etc. One particular trend we're seeing is colored kitchen cabinets - in yellow, sage green, red, blue, and even black.

Photo Credit: Calfinder

Photo Credit: Gaia Interiors