With a new year just around the bend, we’ve decided to take a look back through the (long!) months of 2020 and pull out the main trends in home building that we found dominated the scene. At Rollo Developments, we’ve often found that home design trends can be driven by many factors, including fashion and the economy, but it turns out that pandemics can influence these trends too!

A new take on the kitchen island

Traditional kitchen islands tend to be a lot less comfortable to eat at than a dining table, as they require counter height stools that can be difficult to maneuver and they are rarely child-friendly. A new take on the kitchen island has seen many homeowners choose to have a bespoke multi-level countertop made that incorporates seating for a regular dining table. This new trend is excellent because it doesn’t compromise on the kitchen being the heart of the home, allowing the family to still congregate as normal but interact with the space in a much more efficient way. 

Mixing the old with the new

We found that many of our clients this year were over the ‘one-stop-shop’ design, where every piece of furniture and decor is sourced from the same place. Whilst this approach to interior design may create a really cohesive look, it doesn’t allow any room for originality or unique ideas. Instead, people are taking the design of their homes to the next level by becoming comfortable with mixing and matching the old with the new and even purchasing locally made souvenirs while on their travels to help tell the story of who they are and what makes them tick! 

Having bespoke furniture made specifically for your home is a great way to act on this trend, making your home perfectly yours with unique aspects reserved perfectly for your space.  

Environmentally-friendly fireplaces 

With the UK making great strides towards the ‘green industrial revolution’, many homeowners have recently been opting for environmentally-friendly fireplaces that can save energy to replace their current less efficient models. Whilst they lack the mesmerizing real flame effect, and may not heat a room in the same way as a more traditional fireplace type, an electric fire is 100% efficient. There are no fumes with an electric fire, and they can also use renewable energy to run.

The models can be installed with tremendous ease and require no necessary ventilation to be built in alongside it, making them the more cost-effective option too. They can be integrated into built-in furniture, which our expert Timbex team are capable of manufacturing, or used in conjunction with a marble fireplace surround. Many models are decorative, stand-alone pieces that can be simply placed in any room of the house. 

Dark painted doors

Painting an interior door in a rich color adds warmth and character to any space. Paired with great hardware, a dark door can also provide an artistic element for the room. Perhaps it’s partly due to the way this past year has gone, but we have found people are increasingly adventurous with the colours they’re choosing for their internal doors, and we love it! 

Furniture with European-inspired details

Furniture with European-inspired detailing has been majorly trending throughout this past year, especially when it came to bespoke furniture being made to order. German and Italian influences appeared to be really strong, featuring in the sloping arms of couches, metal legs, and more. We even saw some traditional, mainstream furniture brands embracing the trend as well as homeowners, offering European silhouettes and features for the first time in a long time.

New year, new home design

If you’re looking to renovate your home in the year to come, get in touch with the team that has all the expertise you need at Rollo Developments. We’re a leading name in Edinburgh renovations, so don’t take the risk of trying to do your refurbishment yourself – hiring a specialist contractor will give you the peace of mind you deserve to have as we enter 2021.  

Get in touch with our professional team today and let us help you turn your vision into reality.