If you’re in the market for a custom home or ideas for your existing home, keep your eyes out for the latest design trends that have made their way into the most stylish homes of the southwest. Some of these trends focus on bringing convenience to the day-to-day while others celebrate nature by bringing the outside in and vice versa.

Kitchens

Because kitchen cabinetry is much more user-friendly and space efficient than it ever has been, people don’t need as many cabinets to store their kitchenware. Instead of leaving the walls blank, architects have started creating window walls on the exterior wall of the kitchen. It brings in generous amounts of light and with Energy Star windows, there’s no need to worry about heat gain.

Some designers are taking the window wall a step further and installing floor to ceiling movable windows that open onto the patio and the yard. It’s the ultimate in bringing the outdoors in and from November to May, it’s a refreshing way to enjoy the weather and be in the kitchen, too.

White cabinetry is a classic in the Phoenix area, but one of the design trends tones it down a little. Consider cream-colored cabinets instead of white to give the kitchen a light and airy feeling without a vast amount of stark white. The off-white hues blend easily with the other colors and create a softer welcoming feeling since the contrast are more subdued.

Custom Chandler Kitchen with Off-White Cabinets and geometric backsplash
Off-white cabinets and a dynamic backsplash can instantly welcome guests into your kitchen.

Master Bathrooms

The master bathroom is also seeing design trends aimed at convenience. Consider a drying room, for instance, equipped with a towel closet, a seating bench and a floor drain.

If you’d rather let the air outdoors dry you off, consider designing an outdoor space for a freestanding bathtub just off the bathroom in a walled-off area for outdoor bathing. Landscaping or potted plants add to the enjoyment of relaxing in the tub under the stars. Add an electric or gas fireplace for chilly winter nights, and you have the ultimate retreat.

Instead of a vanity cabinet, designers are using console tables with drawers just below the top and a bottom shelf as another freestanding trend that can create a more open feeling in the bathroom. Plumbers run the pipes sideways out the wall and unlike a vanity with plumbing, there is plenty of storage beneath the drawers.

Living Spaces

If you lean toward the more traditional, rest assured that heavier, darker colors for the kitchens and living areas are making a return after decades of light and white. Don’t be afraid to go darker. Designers are also turning to floor products as wall coverings. Instead of painted drywall, consider using natural wood flooring to cover a wall. It adds color, texture and emphasis to a windowless wall.

Bottom Line

The design trends indicate that there’s room for all good ideas in custom homes, especially those that bring the outside in or take you outdoors while enjoying the inside comforts of home. Other ideas focus on getting the most from the space while maintaining convenience and appearance.