Trending in 2016
Which home design trends will be hot this year? Online archicture and design resource Houzz.com recently released its list of seven ascending trends for 2016, including:
1. Colored stainless-steel appliances. Homeowners are going to the dark side, with nearly two-thirds telling Houzz that they would consider black stainless as an alternative to shiny silver.
2. Bathrooms that feel like living spaces. Graphic wallpaper, ornate chandeliers and furniture-like pieces are turning baths into homelike retreats.
3. Outdoor fabric used inside. More homeowners are bringing outdoor fabrics indoors, where their durability makes them ideal for furniture in high-traffic areas.
4. Fireplaces and fire features. Today's fire features offer the ambience without the smell, pollution or hassle of traditional wood-burning fireplaces. Fireplaces are also making a comeback as the focal point in a living room — better than the dark void of a TV screen.
5. Statement mirrors in bathrooms. Mirrored medicine cabinets are yielding to hanging mirrors with wood frames, backlit mirrors or ornate vintage models.
6. The rise of the bidet. Long popular in Europe, bidets are on the rise in American bathrooms, now included in 5 percent of renovated master baths.
7. Modern material mix in the kitchen. White cabinets and granite countertops have dominated kitchens in recent years, but many homeowners are now mixing and matching other modern materials, finishes and colors, such as stainless steel and quartz on countertops, or blue and white for cabinets. Accented with reclaimed wood shelves or ceiling beams, the mix creates an eclectic, modern look.
Dead-of-winter market
Step inside the warmth of Bachman's greenhouse to shop the winter farmers market, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23. The indoor market offers handcrafted goods, produce, bread, meat, cheese and canned goods by growers and craftsman from the Fulton and Kingfield neighborhood markets. Beer and wine will also be for sale. The event is at Bachman's flagship store, 6010 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Call 612-861-7600.
