When designing your new home, two rooms offering the best return on investment are the bathroom and kitchen. These are the rooms most likely to impress homebuyers and offer greatest potential for homemakers to add ‘feel good’ touches.

Trends for 2019 reflect homeowners’ expectations of style and functionality.

Bigger, brighter bathrooms

More than a washroom, the bathroom is the place to beautify and relax. Move towards bigger and brighter. Opt for home designs that offer larger bathrooms. Or if the budget won’t stretch, create an illusion of bigger space by using larger floor tiles and simplifying cabinets to create minimalist style. Make greater use of linen cupboards outside the bathroom to store larger items that are not needed every day in the bathroom.

‘Wet rooms’ are fashionable, with tub and shower in one open area separating the water space from the rest of the room. The centrepiece is the tub, with standalone high-design or claw-foot freestanding most popular. Double-trough basins are elegantly replacing the twin basin vanity. Old-style or newer brass, chrome, nickel and copper tapware is in.

Vintage or Soft

Decor tastes range from daring to warm. Introduce vintage with tapware and classic mirror designs coupled with patterned tiles; or a neutral tone with timber vanity and white basin creating a sleek Scandinavian style.

Ceramic, marble accent and terrazzo tiling choices are hugely popular, varying in shape, pattern, embossing and colour. Patchwork or hand-painted feature tiles bring originality.

Small luxuries should never be neglected. Introduce marble in trays and soap dishes, and hi-tech with built-in mirror lighting, motion detecting faucets and automatic temperature regulators. Heated rails dry towels and warm the room in winter. Potted greenery complements the decor.

Less clutter, more colour

Eliminating overhead cupboards and adding a butler’s pantry is in vogue. Large, practical storage drawers are replacing lower cupboards.

A colour revolution is occurring, with white cabinets being replaced by blue, green, chestnut and fruitwood. Timber, black and white, colors and gold joined by sage green are becoming popular accents. Black is trumping grey, bringing contrast and elegance.

Stainless steel is making way for rich-hues, high-style cooktops, hoods, stoves and ovens – a trend that’s not going away. Watch for sinks in bright metallics, hammered finishes, intricate details and gold.

Keeping Well

‘Wellness’ concepts transforming kitchen design are:

· Recycled, sustainable and ultra hygienic materials
· Layouts encouraging social interaction and relationships
· Visibility and easy access to chilled foods
· Produce grown in the kitchen.

Getting Started

Consult a professional and experiment with colour and texture. Consider what makes you happy, relaxed and feeds your wellbeing, then create. Treat your bathroom and kitchen like the living rooms they really are.

To build your home, consider land at developments such as Torhaven, Deebing Heights.

With beautiful parklands, and elevated lots to capture breezes and views, you’ll love living at Torhaven.