Part 1 –What’s In and What’s Out in 2025
Once again it is a brand-new year and a time when we discover what trends are going to remain strong and what new trends will replace the old. Just like the past few years, the biggest trend seems to be that inflation has people focusing on staying home more and using any extra funds on improving their homes…their biggest investment.
A positive trend continues with the cookie cutter style out and individual expression in your home design highly encouraged. If you like colour … this is another year that encourages you to introduce it into your home and show off your uniqueness!
So, what is expected to be trending this year and what is the new normal? Well, let’s look at that.
Colours:
Just as they have in the past, the colour trends change year to year and even throughout the seasons. Designers pick certain colour that are intended to provide a refresh to our fashion style and our home decor. And each year we have the option to express ourselves using these trendy colours or choose whatever colour we like.
Afterall, trends are just that…trends! Your individualism means you can choose any colour that inspires you and elicits your best emotions.
Here are just a few of the colours of 2025:
- The Pantone colour for 2025 is Mocha Mousse; a warm brown tone that induces feelings of comfort by looking exactly like its name. It reminds one of coffee and chocolate combined. A luxurious colour that despite the richness is a neutral with a multitude of complimentary colours to inspire your creativity.
- Benjamin Moore’s colour for 2025 is Cinnamon Slate; a blend of warm plum and brown creating a calm.
- Sherwin Williams’ colour for 2025 is a colour capsule not a single colour which includes Grounded, Sun-bleached, Rain Cloud, Malabar, Clove, Chartreuse, Bosc Pear, White Snow, Mauve Finery.
Soft black tones in all the right places can add a sense of sophisticated elegance or drama to any room, which continues the trend from 2024.
Technology – The Smart Home:
Incorporating technologies into your home, is not a trend anymore, it is a must have for many people that are renovating or building.
AI is a topic of news on a daily basis and is certainly becoming part of most people’s daily lives. The new smart home can incorporate technology that suits an individual homeowner’s needs…but it is not just one size fits all.
People can incorporate as much or as little technology that they want in their homes, but generally speaking we are seeing technology as a desired element in most new homes and renovations. While building codes and regulation have made energy efficiency and reduction of carbon footprints a priority, these additional technologies can further assist with energy savings, convenience, and home security.
Some options for a smart home may include the following:
- smart thermostats,
- smart switches/outlets,
- smart door locks,
- security doorbells,
- in home security systems,
- interior and exterior security cameras,
- touchless faucets,
- automatic window coverings,
- entertainment systems,
- robotic vacuums,
- sprinkler systems,
- smart appliances (e.g. fridges, washing machines, dishwashers, coffee machines etc.)
- artificial intelligence gadgets.
As with any smart devices, it is imperative for the homeowner to ensure that they have security protocols in place to protect the features that they choose to incorporate in their smart design and that those security protocols are kept up to date.
The Home Office:
Working from home for many has undergone changes in the last several years, but working remotely in some capacity is still part of many employees’ lives now in 2025. Which means that the home office is not really a temporary space anymore; it has become a permanent integral part of many homes.
It is not just any room … it is the room where you work and spend a good portion of your day. So, this room should be designed to meet your individual needs and comfort to do your job effectively.
When designing a home office it’s important to consider elements such as the location and number of outlets, lighting, computers, internet, desk, electronics, organized filing and storage, and security. In addition, it is also imperative to incorporate ergonomics, privacy/sound proofing/reduction, suitable colours that energize and inspire, and even some sort of significant wall art or an appropriate background wall (stone, brick, textured wallpaper) for video calls, if applicable.
And while trends change with colours, art and images … you should make your design choices based on what will promote your best productivity. Spaces that are light and bright and uncluttered are often the basis for the best workspaces.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU):
For the last two years cities and towns have adjusted their by-laws and zoning to allow some properties to have ADUs as a way to ease the housing shortage. In 2025, we will likely see a continued demand for both rental units and multi-generational living options.
With inflation as it has been and a shortage of affordable housing and spaces for senior living, there is a growing need to renovate existing homes or build new homes with options for separate living spaces for a nanny, an elderly parent/parents, adult children, and even their families.
Adapting an existing home or adding an ADU could provide an opportunity for privacy and independent living for a family member that will be in close proximity on your property but still allow for some needed privacy. An ADU may assist multi-generational families to share costs, provide care, support or childcare and create a level of peace of mind.
But an ADU does not have to be used for family, it could simply allow a homeowner to establish a rental unit and supplemental income or create joint home ownership living with friends. If you are considering an ADU, you will need to contact your city or town’s building and zoning departments to discuss the applicable by-laws, and any restrictions that may apply.
You may even want to check with Federal/Provincial and Municipal Governments to see if they are offering any grants, loans, or rebates that you may qualify for when building an ADU.
Outdoor Rooms:
The outdoor living space is still on trend for 2025 and has become a must have for many. Although it is suggested that travel seems to have returned to pre-pandemic levels, generally high prices and interest rates have continued the demand for an outdoor sanctuary in one’s own backyard.
Investing in your own personal property may be money well spent and can transport you to your own mini-staycation destination at the end of every workday.
Outdoor living spaces are unique to every homeowner. Some are looking for a naturalized picturesque setting that is harmonious with their environment, while others may be looking to recreate a mini version of their favourite tropical resort, or even a contemporary formal entertaining space designed with crisp lines and low maintenance plantings or artificial turf. Designs for backyard spaces may include one or more of the following:
- outdoor living room
- outdoor kitchen, bar and/or dining area,
- pool and/or hot tub/spa retreat,
- mini put course or putting green,
- three-season rooms with retractable glass wall systems,
- game space or activity center,
- garden rooms or greenhouses,
- multilevel deck spaces,
- or even reclaiming an outbuilding/shed/garage for an outdoor escape, a yoga studio, a home office, a kid’s retreat, or a luxury lounge.
By adding the following to your design, you may be able to extend the use of your space throughout the seasons or improve its efficiency or desired atmosphere:
- Cover a deck or patio with a full roof,
- Add a pergola with a retractable awning,
- Close up a space by adding a gazebo or cabana,
- Add an outdoor shower or a bathroom in the cabana,
- Warm an area up with an outdoor fireplace or firepit or patio heaters,
- Add privacy fencing/screens/walls to not only preserve privacy but to block the wind,
- Add a pond or water feature for a soothing atmosphere,
It is important that Niagara Region homeowners’ keep in mind the change of seasons experienced in this area versus the tropics when making choices for their outdoor rooms. For example, while palm trees may thrive in the summer and turn your backyard into a tropical retreat, you would likely need to store them indoors for the winter or replace them the next year. Not all plants can survive Niagara winters.
Exterior façade facelifts:
Still a renovating trend in 2025 in the Niagara Region, is the exterior facelift due to the current age of many homes in the area. As with just about everything, exterior housing elements also have a shelf life, not to mention the need for curb appeal. Many aging homes now need repairs to the exterior elements such as roofs, siding, fascia, pillars, windows, etc., the walkways or driveway, and patio/porch/deck living spaces. Updating a home’s ‘curb appeal’ is done for a variety of reasons including the need for repairs or replacement of a particular element or elements, a desire to have a different style house without moving, or to increase the resale value of the home before moving. Whatever the reason, exterior renovations/facelifts are trending still in 2025.
Quality Exterior Materials:
Continuing in 2025 typical pressure treated or cedar wood decks are still popular, but there has been a shift to options that have a longer life expectancy, including composite decking, aluminum decking, Ipe, etc. or changing a deck into a patio with stone steps and a concrete or stone surface. It’s important for homeowners to understand the pros and cons of each product in their particular environment before making their design selection.
With the costs rising in so many ways, homeowners appear to be looking for longevity, flexibility for use, and a more luxurious looking outdoor space to increase the value of their property. In addition, with increasing storm activity, there are insurance rate factors to consider when choosing roofing and exterior materials. Some insurance companies are calculating replacement costs/percentages differently for shingled roofs vs metal roofing and other materials that are more resistant to the elements than shingles tend to be.
While the price of some of these elements may be higher at the time of installation, homeowners seem to be giving more consideration to the cost of re-doing elements again much sooner due to a lesser ‘shelf life’ and the ever-increasing costs down the road.
Remodeling vs. Building New:
It appears to be simply a sign of our times that with rising interest rates, along with a shortage of homes in desirable locations, homeowners are turning to renovating their existing homes to create the home of their dreams. Whether they renovate the interior, the exterior or build an addition or ADU, the current trend seems to indicate that remodeling is the answer for many homeowners.
Perhaps they just love their current neighbourhood and can’t bear to leave their friends and neighbours. Maybe, it is because of the school district or proximity to their work, favourite restaurants or family members. They may be renovating to accommodate a phase of life, or to create a supplemental rental income to help with rising mortgage rates. Whatever the reasoning, 2025 appears to be continuing a trend of renovating over moving at the present time.
While we discuss trends every year, it is important to understand that trends are just that…trends; they can change in an instant or last for years. Remember that it is your home and if you are renovating, consider your individual style and a balance between form and function. While you should not renovate your home for the next potential homeowner, you may want to consider that your selections may limit the buyer pool that your home will appeal to down the road.
If you are looking to renovate or add on to your existing home, call us at Vanderzalm Construction Inc. (905)562-4463 or (905)684-5823. We look forward to working with you to make your existing home your dream home!