Five Trends Impacting Home Exterior Colors and Materials from 2012 – 2015
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – According to national color expert Kate Smith, people have conflicting emotions regarding their homes during these economically challenging times. Homeowners want to embrace their need for change and feel positive about their living space by purchasing new products, while at the same time being financially and environmentally responsible. Smith believes the marketplace is seeing a shift to homeowners looking for items that have high value and a long lifespan.
Smith, president of Sensational Color, says there are some distinct trends emerging that will guide homeowners during the next several years. “People naturally seek newness of colors, products and other items for their home,” says Smith. “However, this is now being balanced by our concern with greater issues than ourselves. Many of us are willing to tame our desire for newness and change in order to make decisions that have a positive impact on the greater good of the environment and our global community.”
In order to meet these conflicting emotions, homeowners are seeking out better quality products with longer life spans. “People are educating themselves more these days on the impact a single purchase will have on themselves and on the environment,” says Smith. “For example, a homeowner may desire real wood shake shingles on a roof, but they understand the lifespan of those roofing shingles is extremely limited. They’re thinking twice about how many trees would need to be harvested to make those wood shingles.
“Instead, that same homeowner is more likely to lean toward selecting a polymer shake roofing tile, like those from DaVinci Roofscapes®. These tiles are man-made, have a 50-year warranty and require minimal long-term maintenance. This becomes a ‘win-win’ choice for the conscientious homeowner.”
Smith has identified several key trends related to exterior home products and colors. These include:
Trend #1 – Living Simply in a Complex World – This trend relates to people moving away from the old question of “what more do we want?” to the question of “would life be better with less?” The desire for a more streamlined life motivates people to select modern technology, products and materials that make our complex lives easier.
Trend #2 – Give Me More “Me Time” – Younger buyers, who once would not be bothered by a home that was anything but brand new, are now changing their home buying strategies. These individuals are embracing older homes that they can personalize by adding newer products that require minimal maintenance. These Internet savvy people are relying on researching the best product options online for their homes. They’re looking for products that help blend the older bones of a home with their modern sensibilities in order to provide a sense of connection to history and their community.
Trend #3 – Rules are Made to be Broken – Today’s homeowners are making their own rules. In the coming years, look for unusual mixing of materials and colors in ways communities haven’t previously seen. Homeowners want their homes to reflect their personalities, but they also want to express themselves on the exterior of the home. Look for attention-getting colors on front doors, a not-so-expected color on window frames and unique blends of color on the roof in the coming years as homeowners put their personal stamp on their homes.
Trend #4 – Naturally Inspired and Improved – Colors and materials that harmonize with the natural surroundings of a home are increasingly important to homeowners. This goal becomes easier for people to achieve as manufacturers continue to introduce products that mimic nature (such as polymer slate roofing tiles). Homeowners are basing their purchasing decisions on their increased understanding that the manufactured products they select will have a longer life span, thus reducing the need for replacement. And, in many situations, these man-made products that look, feel and have natural colors incorporated, require less maintenance and reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Trend #5 – Inside Out Harmony – Homeowners are finding that colors and materials that harmonize with their natural surrounding are increasingly important to them. Regional colors and materials on a home exterior help anchor people to their community, providing a unity within a neighborhood or subdivision. In many cases, homeowners are also bringing the outside indoors by adding plant walls, gardens and water features into the home. On the exterior, they’re adding fire pit areas, and outdoor living and dining room spaces that blur the boundaries of the living both inside and outside the home.
Creating a Stand-Out Home
“During the next several years, having a home exterior that blends in with your neighborhood might say just as much about your personality as having one that stands out because it’s different,” says Smith. “Homes that blend in are not bashful or boring. This trend is being driven by a desire for being respectful and by seeing ourselves as an integral part of a larger group, whether it’s our neighborhood, our community, our region of the world, or even the entire global community.
“Many people still want homes that reflect their individual personalities, but this can be achieved by using materials or colors that blend in regionally, but are a bit different from our neighbors. You won’t be seeing people paint their homes purple or orange, but you may see a homeowner go bold with a single element, like an orange-painted front door or a Vineyard blend of polymer slate roofing tiles overhead.”
To help homeowners understand more about exterior color selections, Smith has partnered with DaVinci Roofscapes to offer the free “FRESH Home Exterior Colors” guide. The easy-to-read 30-page downloadable guide helps homeowners choose color palettes that that complement the exterior of the home and the main features of the house. The DaVinci Color Studio also offers an interactive an interactive advice component with a Smith, the ability to create custom roof blends using any of DaVinci’s 49 roofing colors and a masterpiece gallery showcasing different home styles and exteriors.
For more details on color selection for the home from Kate Smith, visit the Sensational Color.
DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning polymer slate and shake roofing since 1999. The roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit our website.