What "Trendy" Design Decisions Will Look Dated First?

How about giant hooded ranges for apartment dwellers who seldom use them? Most people could get by with a hot plate and a drawer full of menus.

Chocolate brown floors that look like 1970s Contac paper.
And of course those awful smudgy-steel kitchen appliances. But they're probably already there.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how those sheets-of-windows residential buildings' glass facades age.

I think in general we're gonna look back on the gigantic master baths of 2004 and wonder what we were thinking.

Also, in ten years that floor-to-ceiling glass box construction will look of its time.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

+1 on bathroom sink bowls.

I love those hooded ranges which vent outside (lots of frying). I presume apartments for singles wouldn't need the vent where as it might be better for family sized apartments. YMMV depending on cooking style.

I think floor-to-ceiling glass apartments are here to stay b/c they are a cheap method of constuction. The differences might be in how the glass buildings are shaped.

How about amenities? In 10-15 years those swimming pools aren't going to be so appealing when they haven't been maintained to the level they need to be!

I actually kind of like those big hoods. I don't have one now and every time I fry up a steak my apt is like a smokehouse. I am going to put one in soon though. If you don't like to cook, it's a total waste though.

I think the floor-to-ceiling glass apartments do look great. But they are lousy from an energy efficiency perspective - even double and triple paned. What were they thinking?

I also agree as regards the bathroom wash bowls and stainless steel kitchens. Remember avocado green refrigerators?

Granite is on its way out too...

What would replace granite?? I'm one the people that like chocolate floors but I can see getting tired of the color fast.

silestone or quartz. granite is not going out as fast as marble countertops though --i love the look but they stain SOO easily...any drop of wine or vinegar and they are discolored!

1) The bowl bathroom sinks are not only already tiresome to look at but the glass and ceramic ones break easily. 2) Amenities are a challenge to maintain and periodically upgrade/replace and the cost of doing so is going to seriously stress common charges soon after the sponsor stops paying for them during the time of selling new developments. 3) The walls of glass are both energy inefficient and also bring maintenance issues. Who is going to pay to clean them at least once a year? 4) Finally, I think all those open kitchens are going to be less successful in the future. Many of us really prefer a kitchen that can be closed off (think dirty dishes and other post-cooking messes, especially when you have company).

But I love the granite kitchen counters -- I'll never be without them.

I've never cared for stainless appliances & I always say that they are the avocado (colored) appliances of the (very near) future.

I don't know about granite - of all stone surfaces, it's the hardest and densest. And of all the granite colors, black is the densest and hardest of all. So I think polished or honed black granite counters are here to stay for a while.

Unless you expect/want the all white kitchen to come back into fashion, I think SS appliances work well with a variety of colors for kitchens/cabinets/counter tops. I suppose black can work too?

I agree that hoods are, in general, superfluous. More importantly, they are a huge waste of space in cramped NYC kitchens. I would much rather have the over-stove-microwave with built in fan and have more cabinet space too.

I was looking at an apartment a couple weeks back that was across the street from 110 3rd, one of the all-glass buildings. I could watch tv in probably 5 different apartments (it would have been more if it were not a Sunday afternoon) at once. The lack of privacy, barring enormous window treatments, was shocking. Plus, most of the all-glass buildings are plain ugly.

(1) Wolf and Viking ranges.
(2) The pods at Jade.
(3) Layouts with ridiculously small ungraciouws rooms that most new condos have will be as undesireable in a generation as the prewar apartments that lacked kitchens and closets and had to be retrofitted and reconfigured for more modern ways of living.
(4) Coffee makers in the wall
(5) Rain shower heads

Agree with:
- Glass-curtain walls
- Sculptural sinks

Disagree with:
- Stainless-steel appliances. Although they are getting trite, their prevalence in professional kitchens gives them permanent credibility.
- Lavish bathrooms, though I agree that they will need to become more space-efficient.

Julia/RivDrive: Don't rule out Corian. Dupont has introduced some nifty "Terra" colors to compete more effectively with stone:
http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/products/corian/corian_terra_collection.html

Then again, Dupont will win either way, because they're a big player in granite, quartz and everything else too.

Brushed nickel finishes on faucets, light fixtures, etc. . I would rather go would go with chrome or brass.

I am SO in agreement with the pedestal sink comments. Why have a sink if you can't store stuff under it? Also, anything that is that brown and blue color scheme will scream 2007 in a couple years.

You never know though, some retro designs are in again. These are cool but not sure I want one in my kitchen.

http://bigchillfridge.com/site/

The all-glass apartment building design is probably here to stay as this is the way developers get max floor area usage - minimum floor space spent on keeping the elements out. It's really hard for architects to design a totally watertight environment using glass, hence all the problems arising out of glass curtain wall properties.

I agree on with others many things posted previously -- mounted bowl sinks, ridiculously small bedrooms (why did developers think that was a good way to go?), stainless steel, -- but I would add --

'fancy' appliance brands (wait till people have to pay to have them fixed...and for people who don't cook do they really need a Subzero or a Wolff?)

'rod' type hardware for bathroom and kitchen cabinets. I like them but think they're about too ubiquitous at this point and may start to go out.

Don't think chocolate floors will go out so quickly, I think they have a lot of appeal.

"Lounges" - just have a hard time thinking they'll really get used in new dev.

"Spa" amenities - see above.

Breakfast bars, aka dining counters - they're fine but so many of them don't make sense in the space their in and are just plain awkward.

Though pedestal sinks have no storage underneath, they are always elegant and so much better than cruddy cabinets of low quality materials - and if you've got substantial plumbing there you can hardly put stuff in them anyway, IMO.

Other countertop options are: wood, recycled glass (& other materials), soapstone, zinc

excuse me "they're in"

RE: pedestal sinks. They were "in" for a half century or more and are just enjoying a resurgence. They are established enough in the style books that I don't think they are ever really in or out. They just "are." Like a handheld shower. They are popular today, they weren't for 40 years before, and before that they were.

Other things that will SCREAM c.2008: thin, rectangular glass tiles ("jazz" patterns some distributors call them). They are already cliche. How about floor to ceiling little 1"x1" glass tiles in "high end" bathrooms. Nah, that won't seem embarrassingly dated in 5 years. And in 10 years, do you know how many condo kitchens in NYC will have in-wall coffee makers by companies that are out of business or no longer service the broken things?

How about some of those wacky patterned veneers in kitchen cupboards. I've only been looking since December and I am already tired of them!

I think people in Manhattan redo their kitchens and baths every time they buy a place. Even brand new kitchens are ripped out in favor of the new owners taste. This years trends are tomorrows fashion faux pas. But when people are paying one million dollars for studios, they will redo their apartments. I remember my grandmother had a lot of stainless steel in her kitchen that I thought was very dated. Now its back in. It doesn't really matter how you renovate today because you will need to buy a new kitchen or bathroom in 15 years.

Cherry cabinets with dark "granite" counters, kitchen islands, and stainless steel appliances. When you go see 10 apts in a day and all the kitchens look the same, the trend is over.

Don't forget, there will always be new materials to supersede today's favorites. And if you love your outdated kitchen, hold on long enough for it to come back into "fashion."

That said, buy what you love and don't worry about other's think. They can refurb their own homes.

I vote for high-gloss lacquered cabinetry. And I say that as someone who is currently lusting after just such a set of Aster Cucine lacquer kitchen cabinets.

SS appliances have been in style for 20 years now. they were adapted from restaurant style kitchens. although styles will surely change, stainless is a classic look. definitiely those bowl sinks were are and will soon be recognized for, being hideous. I can't understand why anyone liked them in the first place.

second, rectangular sink basins are similarly hideous. they are the vanity cabinets of the late 00's. Also, I personally think granite is ugly. Many kitchens with them look like science classrooms. Also, funky backsplashes and tricked out range hoods are hideous.

And the biggest of all---wine refrigerators. Very soon, people will realize that $2500 for a separate refrigerator just for your wine is pretty fucking dumb.

classics which will never lose style are natural hardwood floors, exposed brick and stainless appliances. that and certain natural stones for the bath.

Oh...oh. I have another one: those tiles with stones set in a clear epoxy-like medium. WTF? You really want to look at that everyday? Maybe in a beach home rented out for vacationers but to live with that stuff?

totallyanonymous - curiously - what is your preferred kitchen countertop?

here's another - i'm not sure this will ever go out of style, but nine times out of ten I'm not a fan of bathrooms that are tiled from head to toe on every wall and floor. Apparently however, lots of people like them. Ocasionaly I'll see one that I like.

laminate parquet floors ...dreadful

Ditto on the wine cooler cabinets; they're unsightly ..... and what's wrong with the friggin' refrigerator???

I'm loving a counter in my aunt's old kitchen. The cabinets are painted white & the counter is covered with bright yellow linoleum & trimmed with a band of stainless steel. A lot of the trendy things in kitchens & baths are just so that we can try to impress each other. I love that yellow linoleum!

about the wine fridges - if you someone who seriously spends on / enjoys wine it makes more sense to store it in a humidity and temperature controlled environment - and a regular fridge isn't. Reg kitchen fridges are perfect for cooling a bottle down to drink, but not great for long term storage. So for those folks, it can totally make sense to have a wine fridge in their apartment. For the rest of people, their own kitchen fridge works fine. Just sayin':-)

drdrd - I can relate. I love retro-ish kitchens - the wooden cabinets with a curved border cut into them (above the sink). And old, big, deep, porcelain sinks - the best!

Don't know if this is a trend per se, but I hate it -- kitchens that don't have full back splashes. Ugh. They are a pain to clean and look sloppy.

I"m not a big fan of counter tops with "flecks" or "streaks" in them. I hadn't even thought of so many of these- the hoods, wine coolers, breakfast bars. In combination, they do scream 2007. I still like stainless though. And hardwood floors. I can't see them going the way of parquet.

Clear glass door fridges. why the christ do I need that?

and double decker washer/dryers. man they are ugly.

Fun thread! After reading a lot of the "back and forth" arguments (ridiculous, I might add), this is a refreshing and fun thread.

+1 on those bathroom sinks - they may look nice, though when space is at a premium, you need a place to put your toothbrush, soap, etc.!

I like the ranges - helpful if you cook a lot, and I like the large windows, though I do think energy concerns will curtail use of this design.

one "trend" I've seen in new construction is poorly installed floorboards and trim. Would it be so difficult to make sure it is cut properly, aligned and installed evenly?

And the soon-to-be MOST outmoded must-have Manhattan apartment accessory of recent years -- children!!!

(just kidding)

Just turn on HGTV and all those things that they promoting are on the way out.

Those ridiculous all-travertine bathrooms. They were ugly when the trend first began, and they are even uglier now that they're fast becoming passe.

i think travertine is great for a bath. what would you rather have, italian marble?

One thing I can't stand that I wish would go away is the open kitchen/lack of a separate dining room. The long narrow Manhattan kitchen was bad, but the new open kitchen is not so great either. All of the new construction has it - blech!!

I think the sectional sofa in front of the TV in a wall unit will be on the outs soon. I wonder if salon-style seating (where chairs are set up facing each other) in living rooms will be back in vogue soon? Do people miss conversing with others now that we're in front of screens all day long? I see some sort of cultural shift coming soon. Our parents generation saw the living room converted to a "TV room". Will our generation see the "TV room" converted back to a living room? Will we start to cherish face-to-face communication?

mrsblogs: what indication do you see that television screens are on the demise as focal points? DVR, Tivo, game systems, movies on demand, Netflix, 2,000,000 cable channels... you think we'll be looking at TV screens LESS? Not so sure you have your finger on the pulse of popular culture trends.

As pervasive as tv/media is, I can see a shift - although I doubt the "tv room" will become extinct. Rather than eliminating the tv, I think that we will simply see it becoming less of a focal point in the room.

Amity -- I hated open kitchens too -- I figured it means your kitchen always has to look "perfect" -- and then I went on vacation to the Caribbean and stayed in a condo with an open kitchen for a week. There are advantages to being able to talk to whoever is in the living room while you're doing dishes, food prep etc.

I still like the kitchen I have in my prewar (where I can close the door on my dirty dishes in the sink) better, but I don't hate the open plan design the way I used to.

mrsblogs, I disagree with your "screens" point. If anything, we are seeing screens in new places -- like refrigerators and bathroom mirrors.

I think they're here to stay for awhile.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

It appears we're heading into the long-predicted "New Austerity". Bring it on!! I work in real estate, so I may be inundated with more of the above than most folks, but still - here's to an end of the designer tiles (do I really need to know what brand of bathroom tile you're using?) and creepy amenities (billiards, anyone?). Mostly, I look forward to people sheepishly removing the word "luxury" from their advertising. Has a word ever been more stripped of its meaning?

Travertine! Anybody ever watched "flip this house"? they use travertine EVERYWHERE - hilarious.

Floor to ceiling glass windows. Drive by any glass building in the City and you will see the shades drawn. Buildings that provide some privacy never go out of style.

tina24hr - thank you, I have long lamented the ridiculous usage of "luxury".

zinc and other fugly cladding on exteriors. Horrible.

Right on, MrsBuffet---travertine sucks ass. Travertine bathrooms are ugly, oppressive, and boring.

Oh, and here's another for the list: Brazilian cherry wood floors, especially veneers. Today it screams "tacky condo"; tomorrow it'll just be tired.

Oh, and those ridiculous new-agey sinks that vaguely resemble toidy bowls sitting like turds on top of the tacky travertine bathroom counter. Talk about ugly and soon-to-be-dated. Blech.

I agree. Next time I read "exotic brazilian wood floors" I'll scream. Who do they think they're are fooling?
What abot the "yoga room" and the "pet salon". The word cabanna also makes me feel stupid. Because what this objects do is treating the buyers like wannabe-drones attracted by pre-digested imaginary coolness.

ugh, my english-as a second-language again. These objects- is treat us-

I have some additions since this thread started. I don't like pinkish marble covering the whole bathroom, too much recessed lighting nor bowls of granny smith apples (fake or otherwise).

Currently on the market:
"Valcucine Kitchen wrapped entirely in Artematic Vitrum Glass; Mafi Austrian Imported White Oak Flooring in 6" Wide Plank 8'; High Painted Solid Wood Doors Throughout; Calacatta Gold Marble Flooring; White Venetian Marmorino Plaster Walls; Cantilevered Teak Vanity and Solid Teak Countertop; Energy Efficient Heating and A/C Systems; Bosch Axxis Washer/Dryer; Exclusive York Street Swipe-Card Activated Entry Onsite Concierge Service; 24/7 Doorman; Outdoor Heated Swimming Pool; Sundeck; Private Health Club with Cybex Exercise Equipment..."

lol ... priceless

mimi: absolutely right.

today's "yoga room" is tomorrow's deeded storage room - - with a much better value per square foot!

tina24hour -- and that "Swipe-Card Activated Entry"? How will that work in the next blackout?

hrdnitlr - Yes - storage is much better!

Wishhouse--thanks for mentioning recessed lighting. I have NEVER understood the appeal in that--they are just ugly. And the lighting they cast is terrible.

I've seen some beautiful pre-ware apartments junked up with recessed lighting--why anyone would drop a 9-ft ceiling by roughly a foot to installed crummy-looking high-hats is completely beyond me.

How about those new black brick condo buildings? The bricks look dirty and faded already and they have only been using them for a few years...what will they look like in 15 years from now?

And kudos to adding to the list: "Luxury" condo. Enough already we get it!!!

http://www.cartoonbank.com/item/123691

two words. zip cars.

Hope you didn't bet the farm on Zipcars.

Columbiacounty visited an apartment with a window in the shower, but that was apparently outdated by the time he saw it.

Agree on raised washbowls, glass curtainwalls, ginormous ensuite baths, and chocolate floors. Glass tile will be dated, too. I think granite counters, subway tiles, pedestal sinks (for powder rooms), and wood floors will stay in favor. Families and people who cook a lot tend to prefer open kitchens so they can keep an eye on the kids and participate in conversation while cooking/cleaning up, so there will always be buyers for the open kitchen.

I also agree about the glass curtainwalls. Lately I have been seeing lots of recessed lighting placed in otherwise high ceiling-ed pre-war apartments and felt it looked like a regrettable decision. It will always read as "modern", which isn't always flexible. Bamboo flooring, engineered flooring in general, granite counters, white white white kitchens.

granite shouldn't stain if you get it sealed

wtf IS the deal with huuuge bathrooms--with space so precious, multi million dollar apts with huuge bathrooms and 11 x 12 mbr's make no sense to me---i had a huge master bath in my last condo--had an absurd forever bathtub in it which i never used--had i stayed past 2007 i would have ripped it and put a home office in its place, and still had a perfectly acceptable master bathroom--

raised washbowls---what gives?

>wtf
>huuuge
>what gives

How many people would allow yikes to be alone in a room with a teenager or pre-teen?

https://www.getcatsmeow.com/

>How many people would allow yikes to be alone in a room with a teenager or pre-teen?

Choice of vocabulary aside, the hyper-bathroomization of modern dwellings is something that drives me nuts. They get bigger and they get more numerous; there are houses in the suburbs where each bedroom has its own bathroom. Do people really like cleaning all that bathroom space? Will there be a "peak" when the ratio of bathrooms to residents surpasses 1:1 before people see how wasteful it is? Give me a tiny bathroom and more living space, please.

Engineered wood floors. They're just awful. Especially the beveled planks. They scream "FAKE!" louder than Beyonce's hair extensions. Go with either real hardwood or stick with linoleum.

Open kitchens. Dreadful. But developers have done a good job fooling buyers into thinking they're getting more space than they really are; if that kitchen was actually closed, you'd be left with only an 8-foot-wide living room. That little breakfast bar/half-wall helps buyers forget that they don't really have a "kitchen", but rather appliances in their living rooms.

Granite countertops, especially dark-colored countertops. Very impractical and unforgiving. Just knocking over a glass turns into a dangerous mess.

Glass-curtain wall buildings. NO privacy. Impossible to arrange furniture, particularly bookcases. And forget about hanging any kind of wall art.

Those long-narrow glass tiles in a range of muddy-green colors. Just a few years ago they looked spiffy and new, and now even the rubes on Househunters say "dated."

I don't agree with the open kitchen, it is so nice to be able to cook and talk to your friends at the same time. See this thread, people predicting the end of the open kitchen 4 years ago already. If you look at apt plans these days, kitchen is still almost always opened. Even in the very high end listings. I come from Europe where most kitchens are separated, dozens of years ago it used to be the room for the maids, the dirty room that you would hide and never show your guests, but people no longer live the same and when renovations come, it has become common to make it opened, or if not possible due to the plan, at least to make it a livable space. It is a much more meaningful feature that the color of the fridge or the type of the sinks and it is not a matter of trend, but functionality.

Engineered wood floors ? I really can never tell the difference... How do you notice ? Engineered floors are the only ones compatible with radiant heat though.

I totally agree with the glass towers... They already look so 1995-2005... Developers and marketers sell you the big view, but for obvious privacy reasons, curtains are always down... Just look up when you see a glass tower residential building, it is almost comic. Sometimes the curtains are even down on the listing pictures, you are not very likely to have them opened once you live in them!

"it is so nice to be able to cook and talk to your friends at the same time."

Why not just cook ahead of time?

***

"Engineered wood floors ? I really can never tell the difference... How do you notice ?" Real hardwood doesn't have those horrible beveled edges. Also, one really can just *tell* ... just like one can spot a fake fur from a mile away.

And radiant heat is so expensively prohibitive for most apartments, so I really don't see that as a factor.

"Why not just cook ahead of time?"

>because it s just pleasant and convivial to cook, discuss and drink wine with your friends. Cooking in advance ? If you come home at 7pm and your friend does too, you simply can't... Plus lots of things need to be made just before being served. Concerning that, I don't see a downward trend in the US and it has become trendier and trendier in Europe.

" just like one can spot a fake fur from a mile away."

>I was with a friend in the floor shop recently, he is renovating everything. It was absolutely impossible to tell the difference of the two versions. If the edges are the same (and they were), I can't see how you can notice the difference, that is why I was asking. Unless you have infrared vision of course. But also these were 20+ dollars/sf. Radiant heat can be expensive, but it is still much nicer, and won't work with real.
Only advantage is that it enables lots of sanding, engineered can be limited to a couple of times. But after 10 years you might want to change the floors anyways so I don't see it as a factor.

I think open kitchens are here to stay. Just put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher as you accumulate them. Even better, your dinner guests are more likely to help you bringing them back to the sink or into dishwasher with open kitchen. Not so hard to wipe your countertops after cooking. Takes 5 minutes at most. In addition, open kitchens make your living room feel more spacious. Who wants to labor in the kitchen like a maid without the social interaction and the feel of openness.

"Just put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher as you accumulate them."

Why not just ring a dinner bell for the roaches?

***

"Even better, your dinner guests are more likely to help you bringing them back to the sink or into dishwasher with open kitchen."

Making your guests clean up? Who does this??

***

"Who wants to labor in the kitchen like a maid without the social interaction and the feel of openness."

How about ... a maid??

If you can afford a million dollar apartment in Manhattan, you can afford to hire someone to cook and clean for you.

Matt, I am scratching my head. Would the dishes in the sink attack more roaches or in the dishwasher. Assume most of us rinse after using the dishes before leaving in the sink or putting in the dishwasher. Most guest offer to bring their dishes back to sink if your kitchen is open.

If you live in a clean building you won't have roaches because you put your dishes in the dishwasher... And I don't see the relation with on open/closed kitchen, it is just how dirty you are.

For the maid home.. That is what I was saying, people no longer live the same. I could afford a maid to cook, but I don't want anybody in my home when I am just having a nice dinner with friends!

And if your friends don't help you clean the table (by themselves, of course you don't ask them to clean), then you have deeper questions to answer than if a closed/open kitchen is better suited for you (the theme of this post being whether it looks dated or not btw)

Tourist, Well said.

How many times do we need to remind you folks that Matt lives in Washington Heights? There are no roaches in Washington Heights! We don't have open kitchens in Washington Heights! Our apartments don't have windows in Washington Heights!

>Our apartments don't have windows in Washington Heights!

Not even windows in the shower?

"If you live in a clean building you won't have roaches because you put your dishes in the dishwasher"

Yes, you absolutely will. Ask any exterminator.

***

"I could afford a maid to cook, but I don't want anybody in my home when I am just having a nice dinner with friends!"

In other words, you really CAN'T afford a maid.

I assure you I can... It is just a pain to have someone home!

Open kitchens work for those people for some, but if the kitchen isn't spotless not so good. It can make an apartment feel bigger. For these reasons, mixed feeling.

It CAN make the apartment "feel" bigger.

And often it HAS to, as I mentioned above, because often the living room and kitchen would be ridiculously small if not for the "open" layout.

I also think the open kitchen is contributing to America's obesity crisis.

There was a recent article about that, somewhere. With an open kitchen, food is never out of sight, out of mind. The refrigerator is always beckoning.

Exactly. And it's not just being able to see the fridge; with an open kitchen, you're essentially "living" in the kitchen now, as opposed to purposely having to go into the kitchen for food.

Gee, didn't the pilgrims and pioneers invent the "open concept"? The kitchen flowed into the dining room, which flowed into the living room. Come to think of it, they extended the open concept to include the bedrooms until the had enough time and materials to add a sleeping loft or separate bedroom.

Well, whenever you have to kill and harvest your meals every day, the open kitchen makes sense.

People were less obese when they had to hike uphill both ways to and from the non-open kitchen. In C0lumbia C0unty, same applies with the outhouse.

The out house -- that's the subject of this whole thread!