7 Mostly Affordable Home Trends

By Elisa Jacobs   

Design by Aeneas Eaton

Looking to update your home this year? Whether it’s for you or because you plan to sell, the good news is there’s no singular trend shaping the market. It’s all about customization. “‘Cookie cutter’ is OUT,” says Kathleen Usherwood, a licensed real estate salesperson with Compass. “Homebuyers are seeking houses with charm and style as well as artful and unique details.” The other good news? Most of these trends won’t require the stress and expense of a major renovation. So here are seven ways you can refresh your home while still reflecting your personal style.

1. Styling for Zoom is now a thing

“People who work from home are thinking about what’s behind them on a Zoom meeting—they want it to look nice,” says Katie Paulson, a sales manager and design consultant for California Closets in Westchester. “Most people request a clean and organized look. That could mean anything from a built-in bookshelf with an opening for a large photo or a painting to several shelves of beautifully styled decorative books.”

2. Ceilings are getting a makeover

What if, instead of a boring white ceiling, there were flowers (large or small)? Or wood planks that match your floor? Or a geometric pattern? Or tin (painted or not)?  “We are seeing wallpaper on the ceiling, usually in a bedroom, study, dining room or a ‘quirky’ room,” says Usherwood. “It can be a bold pattern or a small one, but it’s very intentional. We’re also seeing painted ceilings; sometimes they’re a shade off from the walls, and sometimes they’re in a contrasting color.” Any other texture you’d put on your floors or walls is also fair game for the ceiling now.

3. Minimalism has entered the bedroom

“Less is more” has been a design world mantra for years, but bedrooms are going even more minimal now, getting rid of dressers and even bulky nightstands for a more “open” feeling. Which leads us to a very logical question: where do you put your socks, undergarments and pajamas if you no longer have a dresser? “At least 50 percent of the people I work with tell me they want to make their closet more efficient because they’re getting rid of all their bedroom furniture,” Paulson says. “Over the past year, we’ve had a tremendous increase in requests for drawers in closets to hold all the items people once put in their dressers.”

4. When it comes to rugs, you do you

Modern rugs have become more popular over the past two-plus decades, but the pendulum is swinging back toward traditional rugs, which last much longer because they’re handmade. “There are many possibilities with traditional rugs, including floral or geometric designs, rugs with medallions or rugs with a covered field,” says Dennis Dilmaghani, owner of Carpets by Dilmaghani in Brewster. But that doesn’t mean your choices are limited—colors and styles are almost endless. “The best way to decorate is to start with the rug and build your room around it,” Dilmaghani recommends. “When someone comes in with fabric swatches for all their furniture and draperies, it’s the kiss of death; it’s really hard to find a rug that will complement all those colors. But if they pick the rug first and build the colors of the room around it, it works beautifully.”

5. Say goodbye to formality

Sorry, Emily Post, but formal living and dining rooms are officially obsolete. If you still have one, here’s your permission to reinvent those spaces into rooms you’ll actually use. “No one uses their formal living room anymore,” notes Tanya Tochner, owner of ROCKS Jewelry | Gifts | Home Design in Chappaqua and Scarsdale. “And who is having a dinner party where guests move from room to room? People often gather in the kitchen before and after the meal.” And while Tochner notes that some people like to keep their formal dining room for resale value, we’d argue that if no one is using it, why would a potential buyer want it? Tochner and Usherwood say people are turning their formal rooms into offices, entertainment rooms, bars, game rooms or playrooms.

6. Go for gold

If you want to upgrade your kitchen or bathrooms without a major renovation, switching your hardware to brushed gold could do the trick. “These days, I do almost all gold,” says Tochner. “I pair it with warm colors, or even hunter green, which is gorgeous with gold.” But if gold isn’t your thing, Paulson and Usherwood, who agree that brushed gold is trending, say black or brown hardware is also “in.”

7. Create an interesting focal point

In the kitchen, beautiful and colorful (purple, green, blue, red, etc.) ovens from brands like AGA and Viking are still trending, but they aren’t the only wow factor out there. Incorporating stones on counters and walls that feature prominent veins is another way to make a statement.

Distinctive light fixtures, a long-standing kitchen focal point, can now be found in any room of the house. “Lighting designers have gotten so creative with chandeliers and pendants,” says Tochner. “There are so many beautiful organic shapes and artistic sculptures available.” Tara Dietz, owner of Bedford Lighting & Home, agrees. “I am starting to see a lot more statement lighting pieces in bathrooms,” she says. “They’re hanging from the ceiling or integrated into vanity mirrors, and it’s much softer, removing those harsh shadows.”

Usherwood says walls can also be statement pieces. whimsical or “clever” wallpaper patterns in unsuspecting places (like a baby’s room or laundry room), lacquered walls in a dining room or study, and built-in bookcases can all create a beautiful and intriguing focal point. “When people think of built-ins, they associate them with big, heavy, dark wood furniture,” notes Paulson. “But now, we or a contractor can offer so many more options, giving you a very streamlined look.” And finally, make what’s often overlooked the star of the show: the floor, window or crown moldings. According to Usherwood, painting them a bold, contrasting color from the walls is another strong trend.

This article was edited by Julie Schwietert Collazo and fact-checked by Isabella Aranda-Garcia. The photo was purchased from Adobe Stock, but taken by a human.

This article was published in the March/April 2026 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.