Alongside the ebbs and flows of Melbourne’s current property market, we’ve seen an increase in the number of homeowners choosing to stay put and renovate or extend, then sell later. Open Agent looked at some of this year’s most popular reno trends from kitchens and bathrooms to outdoor spaces.

Being the most communal and utilised spaces in the homes, nothing beats a great kitchen and bathroom and when they’re done well, these spaces can also add a ton of value to a property. 

Kitchens are the communal, cosy heart of a home: it’s where we catch up, argue, gather, dine, study, pull up a chair, stuff our faces. A great kitchen layout is functional and streamlined, but also gives us a good space to hang out and chat. Whilst the kitchen can provide a real buzz, bathrooms are our sanctuary—our space to relax, calm down, refresh. 

Open plan kitchens

Gone are the days of kitchens being purely for cooking or storing food. Open plan kitchens are a gathering place for the family, and are a great little spot for entertaining friends.

Kitchen island benches

A multi-functional space for cooking, casual dining, drinking wine and doing homework, kitchen islands featuring durable quartz like Caesarstone, waterfall and dual-material benches have been popular choices in the last few years. 

Kitchen cabinetry

We’re seeing heaps of bespoke, custom-built joinery but if it’s out of your price range, overhead cabinetry and matte black finishes are a sleek alternative.

Butler’s pantry

So popular it’s almost reached must-have status, the Butler’s pantry is like the prep kitchen of a restaurant. An entertainer’s dream, it’s tucked away so it frees up the island bench for when you bring out the cheese and wine to start, contains all the tools you need, you can contain your mess and also swear like Gordon Ramsay without anyone hearing. 

Bathrooms

Are you thinking about updating or adding a new bathroom? If you have the opportunity to give the space a refresh, do it: there’s nothing better than a sparkling, clean bathroom. This year’s wellness trend sees an increase in luxurious, spa- and resort-style bathrooms with double sinks to give everyone room to move, deep, standalone tubs and ceiling showers.

White and grey are classic bathroom palettes, but adding timber, greenery, textured/patterned tiles and ceramic, quartz and porcelain materials adds some extra luxury. 

Interior colour trends

Emerging from the wellness trend is a calm, tranquil palette of soft hues like pinks, blues and greens, as well as the timeless neutrals like greys and beige. Earthy shades like terracotta, eucalyptus, burnt oranges and rusty reds are doing the rounds, as are deep, moody hues like Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Ultraviolet.

Metallics and matte finishes

Brass with a matte finish is this year’s metal of choice (I still love rose-gold, but…). Black tapware is still pretty huge, but brushed graphite and grey stone are also on the rise.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo has definitely left the 70s behind and is now popping up in kitchens, bathrooms and trendy cafes and restaurants all over the place. Composed of a mix of glass, stone, marble, cement and concrete, the mosaic-like material is being used for benchtops, floors and homeware.

Statement ceilings

People are looking up to their fifth wall for a unique spin on their homes. The statement ceiling is an overlooked blank canvas, and there’s plenty of amazing examples out there using paint, wallpaper and timber to add a new dimension to the space. 

Outdoors

Classic creams and greys are still popular for exterior paint jobs, with lots of homeowners adding big, bold statement doors for a bit of interest. Fire pits are becoming more common, with the home entertainer opening up the backyard by creating comfy outdoor spaces around a fire to gather, toast marshmallows, have a sing-along and drink port. 

Sustainability and solar energy are also becoming must-haves with plenty of people installing grey water systems and solar panels and planting native gardens and veggie patches

Source: Open Agent