Top 5 trends to help you select finishes for your new home By Jane Lockhart ONE OF THE MOST exciting and

stressful times of purchasing a new home from plans is the opportunity to select your own colours and finishes. Many clients hire us to come along with them to the builder’s decor centre for the selection process to make it smooth, fast and current in terms of trends. The word “trend” is a confusing one, as it is often confused with the idea of a fad which is short term and likely to not last more than half a year to a year in length. A trend 66 YPNEXTHOME.CA

is an underlying current within the marketplace that is generally adopted by most people within a certain category whether it is fashion, home decor, interior design or a particular architectural style. It is this information that residential designers are highly attuned to and can provide valuable insight when selecting materials for your new home. Here is a quick guide to trends you may want to consider as you chose materials and finishes for your new house or condo.

1) Solid surface countertops This includes quartz, granite and other materials such as Corian, although it is far less popular than it was a few years ago with the mass variety and colour of quartz products. Solid surface counters are an ongoing trend in kitchens and master bathrooms, particularly, but where possible, adding these to secondary bathrooms and laundry rooms is also popular. Some of the new laminate countertop patterns are pretty nice and can work in less high traffic

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