Getting the best results for the client is always a priority, and this means staying ahead of the curve.
Which trends in residential architecture are gathering momentum at the moment?
To answer this question, we need to look to the ever-stylish, ever-trendsetting luxury interiors of Melbourne.
Victoria’s capital is also something of an interior style epicentre.
To understand what lies around the corner for luxury interiors in Australia and beyond, this is the place to check out.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of six of the architecture styles influencing the homes of the future.
Industrial Revolution
Industrial features are cropping up in some of Melbourne’s most stylish interiors at the moment.
Caught somewhere between the classic and the modern, industrial architectural and design elements represent a strong vintage theme for a residential property.
Burnished copper sink and bathtub features, and metallic-effect wood used for storage units and cupboards, provide a degree of retro, warmth, and comfort to an industrial interior.
Alternatively, some may prefer the shiny, sleek effect provided by more modern materials like chrome.
Think lots of metal and lots of glass. Working bright contrast colours, highlighted with reinforced glass, into the design creates a striking and varied aesthetic.
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Bringing the Inside Outside
The Melbourne climate demands the use of outside spaces, particularly with regard to residential properties.
Some of the key trends in residential architecture are focussed on providing homeowners with a useable, livable outdoor space which represents a continuation of interior themes.
Board sidings for residential properties offer a textured, tactile finish and are a great alternative to a cold and featureless exterior wall, while timber awnings with fixtures for climbing plants create an intimate, homely feel to the outside of a property.
Using securely reinforced custom glass also enables a smooth transition between the interior and exterior design styles.
Remodelled exteriors are growing in popularity as increasing numbers of clients aim to bring the inside outside.
The Rustic Touch
The stark futurism of chrome trimmings and fittings are not for everyone; neither are Steampunk-inspired retro copper touches everyone’s cup of tea.
For every trend, there is an opposite trend – another tide of popular design pulling in the other direction; this time around, it is rustic.
Classic rustic finishes are perennial architectural favourites. Rough wood finishes, exposed stonework, the melding of pleasing natural materials and effects with cosy, old world design elements; the popularity of these touches has never waned.
For an update to a rustic finish, add glass panels in interior spaces to give the impression of a larger space, and frame these panels with rustic elements to create an aesthetic consistency.
Understatement and Sustainability
The call of nature remains strong in Melbourne, and you can expect understated features to feature heavily in residential architecture trends for next year.
Unconventional designs which subtly blend modern aesthetics with timeless, natural materials are rapidly becoming a big deal in Victoria, as are sustainable items which utilise solar energy and other self-contained sources to provide power.
The fact that homeowners are becoming increasingly aware of the impact their behaviour has on the environment is certainly a positive step, and this is a trend which will have a beneficial impact on the world around us.
Architecture which works to partner its natural surroundings, rather than surmount them, will be a big deal in the coming years.
Smart Furnishings
This focus on sustainable residential interiors will extend to all aspects of interior design in the future. Increasingly, homeowners are looking to integrate technology into their interiors to create solutions to problems encountered in everyday life.
These include well-established technological life hacks, like water saving faucets and power limiting electronic features, as well as more recent technological developments, like wireless charging stations.
Even more future-centric technological pieces are available, such as thumbprint recognition on door handles and other areas where restricted access is required.
Discuss specific requirements with your client during your consultation session, and prepare to think outside the box as you marry the triple disciplines of architecture, design and technological innovation in an effort to provide your customer with the interior of their dreams.
Staircase Innovation
What is a staircase for?
Simply for getting from A to B, from downstairs to upstairs and back?
Think again.
Innovative staircase designs are becoming a serious trend in residential architecture, and this is something you need to be aware of when you embark on a project for a client.
It is a big architectural job, but remodelling a staircase can lend a whole new lease of life to a home.
Create a focal point which draws attention when you enter, make a statement with a quirky switchback design, or re-structure the passage between floors altogether using reinforced frameless glass panels.
The time of the purely functional staircase is well and truly over.
Want to understand more about where frameless glass fits into the Melbourne home of tomorrow?
Take a look at our free eBook, The Latest Tips for Frameless Glass in the Luxury Home.
