Luxury Home Trends for 2018

by Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

Trend 1: Wallpaper is back

With digitally printed paper being produced by small boutique wallpaper companies, gone are the days of wallpaper being something only found in your grandmother’s guest bedroom. Wallpaper is back, and it is better and bolder than ever!
What’s even better is with all the new wallpaper options available to today’s consumer, you never have to be stuck with just one style. Thanks to options such as vinyl, strippable or peelable wallpaper, it’s easier than ever to mix things up when you get bit by the design bug. 
Some of our favorite wallpaper trends right now include a marble pattern on one wall for an elegant and classy focal point, or a wallpaper with a metallic sheen or pattern to it to really open up a room.
If a patterned wall isn’t your thing, consider using wallpaper as an accent to a cubby or the back of a bookshelf.

TREND 2: LET YOUR LIGHTS SHINE

Don’t be afraid to be creative with your lighting! Designers have always held a certain fascination with a unique lighting solution, and nothing has changed on that front! A well placed lamp could make a room, and the current lighting trend is leaning a little more vintage. 
With Edison and exposed bulbs making a comeback in recent years, they have become a near necessity in any rustic or modern design. 
According to Elizabeth Mayhew, the Today Show Style Expert and Designer, retro lighting not only can add interest to your home but vintage lighting was often better made.

TREND 3: WOOD WASHES

Cerused wood is a type of wood wash, where a white pigment is used to fill in and really highlight the grain lines of woods, such as heavily grained oak. The technique used today uses nontoxic waxes which have a whitening effect on the woods. 
Another popular wood washing trend, white washed shiplap, has steadily been on the rise from its continued use by Fixer Upper star, Joanna Gaines. Though shiplap has traditionally been found on the outside of homes, today it is being brought inside to create a bright and airy, luxurious rustic feel.

Trend 4: Fantastic Florals

The infamous Miranda Priestly once said, “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking,” and while it may seem obvious given the warm days outside, florals are really where it’s at right now! Whether it be bold floral prints or abstract floral patterns in wall art or furniture patterns, florals make the perfect accent to any room.
“When used as curtains or on walls, this bold-scale pattern doesn’t shy away from making a statement,” said Birgit Kline of Birgit Kline Interiors, “the risk is worth the reward.”