2019 Is Shaping Up to Be a Great Year for Many Design Trends in Real Estate.
San Antonio is the City on the Rise and the Hill Country is the gateway to the good life. We’ve seen the Euro-Texan trend explode throughout the Hill Country. Then came Texas Transitional, boasting a modern fresh flair with clean lines and a greyer/whiter palette. Clean lines and a Modern feel are still sought after and gray hardwood or wood look tile floors are getting a lot of attention. We are seeing mixtures of metals in fixtures with pewter and gunmetal hardware being the most popular.
While a neutral palate is trendy, color in the kitchen- cabinets especially accenting the 90% white/10% color rule of 2018. Looking for color options? Hunter greens (think more grayed) are big and Living Coral is actually Pantone’s color of the year. Splashes of color or color accents that really stand out against a neutral palette are the 2019 mantra.
If 2018 was the year of the Tech Centric home, then 2019 is shaping up with designers favoring local artists and businesses for home furnishings with more natural materials, like oxidized wood. There is a definite trend toward more authentic hand-crafted pieces and a boho vibe with curves. White and gray marble is still popular in 2019 and luxurious master retreats are still a must. Expect to see a mix of vintage and modern, curved furnishings, and a general softer line in 2019. Still a clean palate but with a more organic feel with punches of color.
Key changes in the 2018 tax law and inflated prices on both the East and West Coast stalled the Luxury Market last quarter even in Texas. Some slowing in national homes sales may occur but strong business/consumer confidence in the economy should see the Luxury Market revive in 2019. While San Antonio and the Hill Country never experience the highs and lows that other areas in Texas do, we experience steady home sales with slight appreciation and our home prices stall rather than plummet when the rest of the country is suffering from over-inflated prices. Currently, homes under $300,000 are in short supply and always are, but the trend in Luxury buyers is for fully furnished, ready to move in homes for the 2nd and 3rd home buyer market.
Buyers are paying top prices for homes that reflect the current trend in materials and color choice. Golden hued Old World homes in the hotter areas of the IH-10 corridor and further out into the Hill Country are getting passed over for the newer properties. Sellers do well to rethink the look of their home if they wish to sell and a great decorator can help them reimagine their estates to reflect the current design trends that buyers crave. Kitchens and baths are two spaces that a seller can always spend money and see a great return on their investment and a change of color makes an old house look new. Homes with the heavy appeal of Old World and Euro-Texan left in their original splendor do sell but they take longer and go at a deep discount.
2019 is an exciting year with an invitation to reinvent how you see your home and how you live in it. Move in ready is appealing to buyers of all price ranges with groomed outdoor spaces. Television has dramatically changed the way we live, what buyers expect of homes, and how home-owners see their homes. Your home is “your castle” no matter what the size, style, or value.
