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A trend in home construction and remodeling is worth building in when it passes four questions: does it solve a problem you have, what would it cost to undo, will the building allow it, and who will maintain it. Lists of what is new come out every year. What gets built stays for decades, so the test matters more than the list. Here it is, applied to the ideas that keep returning to those lists.
The four questions
- Does it solve a problem you have? A feature you admired in a photograph is not a need.
- What does it cost to undo? Paint is a weekend. Tile is a demolition. A moved wall is a new renovation.
- Will the building and the city allow it? In an apartment the board consents to alterations, and work on plumbing, gas or structure brings permits.
- Who maintains it? Every surface, device and mechanism has an upkeep cost, in time if not in money.
Open floor plans
Opening the kitchen to the living room solves real problems in a small apartment: darkness and a cramped feel. It is costly to undo and depends on what the wall holds and what the building permits. It passes for many homes, with the cautions about noise and cooking smells that anyone who has lived in one will mention.
Smart home technology
Thermostats, lighting and security you can control from a phone are convenient, and the devices are cheap to swap. The risk is building around one product that is discontinued in five years. Build in the parts that do not date: enough outlets, wiring to the places devices will sit, and standard switch boxes. Then the gadgets can change without opening a wall.
Sustainable materials
Bamboo, reclaimed wood and recycled metal appeal for good reasons and each has its own look. Judge them first as building materials: how hard-wearing they are, how they take water, how they are finished. The most sustainable material in a renovation is the one that does not need replacing. Low-VOC paints and finishes pass the test easily, since they cost little extra and nothing is lost by choosing them.
Bold color and pattern
Color passes when it is put where it can be changed. A statement wall or painted cabinets can be redone. Vibrant tile and colored fixtures are a long commitment; choose them only if the taste is an old one.
Spa bathrooms and wellness rooms
A large walk-in shower in place of a tub nobody uses solves a problem every day. A freestanding tub needs floor area that a small city bathroom does not have, and a filled tub is heavy. Moving the drain or adding fixtures is plumbing work that brings a licensed plumber and, for most bathroom renovations, a permit application. A home gym needs thought about the neighbor below. These ideas pass when the room is big enough and fail when they are squeezed in. See bathroom renovation in NYC.
Rooms with more than one use
A home office that is also a guest room answers a need that is not going away. It is cheap to undo when it is done with built-in furniture and doors, with no walls moved, and no agency has to approve a desk. It passes for nearly everyone.
Custom storage
Built-in cabinets, concealed storage and fitted closets are on every list every year, which tells you they are not a trend at all. Storage made for what you own solves the problem every small home shares and needs almost no upkeep, and installing cabinets is on the Department of Buildings’ list of work that needs no permit. It is the safest money in a renovation.
Minimalism
Clean lines, neutral colors and clear surfaces are less a feature than the result of the item above. A minimalist room is one with enough storage. As a style for the built parts of a home it is a sound default, because plain surroundings suit whatever furniture comes later.
How to use the test
Make your own list of ideas, then put each through the four questions with whoever will design and build the work. A firm that does both can tell you early what an idea costs and whether the building is likely to accept it; that is the case for design and build. For the ideas that have held their place longest, see our piece on home trends that last. For the work itself, see home renovation in NYC and kitchen renovation in NYC.
Have a list of ideas and want to know which are worth building? Call us or send the request form.
Questions people ask
Which remodeling trends are safe to follow?
Those that solve a problem you have and are cheap to reverse or never need reversing: built-in storage, rooms that serve two uses, better lighting and wiring, low-VOC finishes. Be careful with trends that are permanent and purely a matter of taste, such as strongly colored tile and fixtures.
Is smart home technology worth adding during a renovation?
The wiring and outlets are, because they are hard to add later. The devices themselves change quickly, so avoid designing a room around one product. Standard boxes and enough power in the right places let you update the gadgets without construction.