The finalists in Home of the Year 2017 share some important commonalities. Samsung discover the six design trends that hold the key to a winning home
5 design trends from the 2017 Home of the Year finalists
They are all different, built in different parts of the country on budgets small and large, for clients from all walks of life. And yet, during the recent judging for Home of the Year, a few distinct themes emerged. The awards, which Samsung joins this year as a sponsor, give us the opportunity to open the door to the evolving spaces of New Zealand homes.
1. Less is more
All the finalists are beautifully designed and finished – the small moments are as important as the big. Many of the houses had modest footprints and tight plans, which allowed their owners to ‘up-spec’ the finer details of their homes. There are no flabby spaces in any of the finalist homes; they are buildings in which every moment has been carefully considered.
2. Outdoors in
It goes without saying that most New Zealand homes have great access to the outdoors. What’s changed is the quality of space when you get there: fireplaces, outdoor living rooms and courtyards are creating rooms that work as hard as those indoors.
3. Open plan isn’t everything
Many homes we saw had spaces that were separated, either by rooms, dividers or level changes – giving families options for togetherness and retreat.
4. Kitchens as social hubs
Kitchens are still the heart of everything: the old linear kitchen-dining-living layout is on the way out. These days, kitchens are often at the heart of the plan.
5. End of the double garage
Few of our finalists had big garages: some have one or 1.5 – and many of them are used for bikes rather than cars.
