10 Home Design Trends on the Rise.

1. Wood Cabinets Amid Painted Cabinets
It’s hard to say if white cabinets will ever fall from the top spot in homeowner choices. More than 40 percent of renovating homeowners choose white cabinets, according to recent Houzz research.
One way designers are keeping white kitchens interesting is by introducing other finishes to help break up the expanse of white cabinetry and add warmth, texture and interest. A great way to do that is by adding just a few beautiful wood drawers, as designer Jennifer Stuart has done in this Massachusetts kitchen.

Here, vertical wood pullouts flanking the range help offset the white cabinets and complement the range hood.

2. Shower Ledges Instead of Niches
Everyone needs a place in a shower for soap and shampoo bottles, and a niche does an adequate job. But niches are somewhat difficult to handle from a design and construction perspective, because they have to be recessed between wall studs. This requires extra planning and preparation. Meanwhile, you have to consider what you will use to tile the interior of the niche and how you will finish off its edges. That’s a lot of work for a small area that sometimes isn’t even big enough to hold large bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

A shower ledge is much more straightforward and requires a build-out of only a few inches into the shower space. Run it along the length of your shower stall, as designer Katy Popple did here, and you’ve got tons of space for shower essentials. Cap it with a piece of your bathroom vanity countertop material and call it a day.

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In this Singapore bathroom, the top of a Carrara-marble-wrapped build-out for a mounted toilet extends into the shower to act as a roomy shower ledge.

The deep tub ledge here provides plenty of space for bathing necessities.

And here, double ledges thoughtfully serve the bathtub and the shower.

3. Dining Rooms With Personality

A few years ago, some people were warning of the end of the dining room. But that never happened. In fact, quite the opposite. While many family meals are had at informal spots near or in the kitchen, dining rooms are thriving for special occasions. And that specialness opens up opportunities to inject lots of personality through color, pattern, lighting and more that might not fit within the context of the style found elsewhere in the home.
In this New York dining room by Bennett Leifer Interiors, grasscloth wallpaper is a textural backdrop for playfully patterned chairs, a glossy saturated blue buffet, vibrant artwork and a statement-making light fixture.

4. A Seat in the Bathroom That’s Not the Toilet
Designer Kristine Tyler of Treefrog Design recently remarked how nice it is to have a place in a bathroom for sitting that’s not the toilet. She designed a bench that runs from an armoire into the shower stall in the bathroom seen here, giving the homeowners a seat outside of the shower as well as in it.
Whether for brushing teeth, taking off house slippers or just idling away on the internet before work, almost every homeowner could benefit from having a place to relax in the bathroom.
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A built-in isn’t the only option. A pair of teak stools can be moved inside and out of a shower for a versatile seating option.

5. Tiled Bathtub Aprons
Tile is a great, affordable material that adds design points to a bathroom, and ordering a few extra square feet of tile likely won’t sink the budget. That’s why many homeowners and designers are choosing to wrap the tub apron in tile or another material. The amount of tile needed to cover this minimal surface area isn’t much, but the payoff is big.

Here, white beveled subway tile on the walls and tub apron help create a cohesive design while adding a bit of shimmer and texture.

Light pink subway tiles have a similar effect in this London bathroom.

Dvira Interiors used mini marble mosaic tile on every surface in this Toronto bathroom to help integrate all the angles.

Tile isn’t the only option. Designer Clara Jung of Banner Day Interiors applied a custom wood apron to help make this small bathroom stand out.

7. Double Floating Vanities
Many of the bathrooms featured in the 10 most popular bathroom photos recently uploaded to Houzz include double floating vanities. And it’s easy to see why.

Floating a vanity frees up floor space to give the appearance of more room, and makes cleaning the floor easier than with a furniture-style vanity with legs that can trap dust.

8. Colorful Laundry Rooms
Designers have long championed making laundry rooms enjoyable spaces to be in. After all, if you’re going to do a tedious chore, you might as well be in a pleasant atmosphere.

But lately designers and homeowners seem to be taking that idea even further. They’re introducing energizing colors, patterns and features to transform these spaces into enjoyable rooms, making them lively, cheerful and a bit quirky.

In this laundry room by Alison Kandler Interior Design, a green French door (Southfield Green by Benjamin Moore), a periwinkle backsplash tile and colorful accessories perk up washday.

In this Los Angeles casita by New Generation Home Improvements, blue appliances, blue doors, a red sink and vibrant wallpaper create fun bohemian style in a compact space.

Bright floral wallpaper and a coordinating sink skirt join colorful pottery to jazz up this Minnesota laundry room by Acacia Architects.

9. Fully Wrapped Powder Rooms
Going for bold style in a powder room is nothing new. Designers tend to like to go a little wild in these small spaces often used by guests. One way to go big or go home is by wrapping the entire powder room in a feature wallpaper or other material.
In this popular powder room, designer Kimberlee Gorsline of Kimberlee Marie Interior Design wrapped all the walls in white shiplap to create a textured backdrop for a mint green vanity and patterned ceramic floor tile.

Designer Kelly Rogers got funkier with a jungle-theme wallpaper in this Boston powder room.

And designer Ann Lowengart created a moody yet inviting atmosphere with large-print floral wallpaper in this San Francisco powder room.

10. Painted Interior Front Doors

Everyone knows that a painted exterior front door offers great curb appeal and a stylish first impression for guests. But you shouldn’t forget about viewing the front door from inside your home, or about the experience of walking out through the front door.
Painting the interior of the front door creates a striking feature, so it’s no surprise that entryways with interior painted front doors are in many of the most popular entryway photos recently uploaded to Houzz.
Here, a rich blue-green front door complements inset floor tile.

In Laguna Beach, California, a Dutch door painted a glossy navy (Novelty Navy by Dunn-Edwards Paints) is teamed with beachy accessories for a relaxed feel.

And here, a black front door offers contrast with the white walls.