By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Just in time for back-to-school, Zillow Digs announced the top three closet organization trends for fall 2015 — and the three biggest fads to ditch. The results were published today in the Zillow Digs Home Trend Forecast, a one-of-a-kind report based on a survey of leading interior designers and an analysis of the most popular photos on Zillow Digs.
Looking to get organized this fall? Check out the season’s biggest closet trends below.
Top closet trends for 2015
- Transparent storage materials. Transparent storage materials such as frosted doors and see-through drawers will gain popularity among homeowners and in big-box stores this year. “Closets, especially bedroom closets, are becoming more like clothing exhibitions to display purchases more as collections, making transparent materials key,” says Nina Magon, Zillow Digs designer and principal of Contour Interior Design.
- Split or his-and-hers finishes. Split closets with contrasting finishes and color palates will become all the rage, especially in bedrooms. Expect to see a rise in warm white paint tones and metallic accents contrasted with dark wood or leather finishes for a clean, but personalized, look.
- Spotlight lighting. Predicted to become the go-to closet lighting solution this year, directed lighting or spotlights are both functional and stylish. Spotlights also help create the boutique-like ambiance that so many homeowners are gravitating to in their closet spaces.
Three fads to replace
- Behind-door storage. Hiding everything behind a small closed door is a thing of the past. Expect to see homeowners experimenting with large sliding doors and curtains, or even expanding closets into a larger space to better showcase and find their favorite items.
- Basic setups. Homeowners will want to go beyond the “closet in a box” arrangement and add their own custom touches or creative flair to organization spaces. Designers anticipate wire racking mixed with woven baskets or custom wood finishes to grow in popularity this year.
- Dark closets. Closets with minimal lighting or heavy doors that keep natural light out are quickly headed out of style. With the rise of transparent materials, homeowners will want an accessible closet where they can easily find belongings and enjoy how they’re displayed.
Avoiding disputes altogether is one of the easiest ways to avoid a nasty legal battle. A common scenario in disputes between neighbors involves one of nature’s most majestic beauties: trees.
It may sound too simple to be true, but many lawsuits have ensued when a tree — which may have started out as a wee sapling — evolves into a problematic and potentially dangerous behemoth straddling the boundary line. In this scenario, neighbors are encouraged to negotiate ownership in writing at the first sign the tree might become a problem.
One of the quickest ways to escalate a conflict is to try and trim a tree back to the property line, which can cause unnecessary damage. If the boundary line — and resulting tree ownership — is unclear, ordering a new survey of the property might be the best way to avoid problems before they start.
