If you’re planning to upgrade your home this season, it pays to know what some of the major trends are. I’m not talking about styles, which come and go, but the enduring priorities that will influence how you and future owners will enjoy your spaces. That’s why I tend to pay attention when a national retailer catering to homeowners releases its trend reports. This week’s post looks at Ferguson, a chain of 250 stores in the US and Canada. I included numerous quotes from designers about what they’re doing with these trends too. Have a look!
Biophilic influences, seen here in leafy wall pattern and natural stone look on countertops,
are a (IMAGE COURTESY OF DELTA AT FERGUSON BATH, KITCHEN & LIGHTING GALLERY)
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BOOK BUZZ
When I was writing Wellness by Design, I called on professionals in the healthcare field for their insights on how your home can support or sabotage your well-being. Functional medicine nurse practitioner Maggie Berghoff was one of the pros who answered the call! I’m happy to share that Maggie has a valuable new book coming out in paperback on October 3. Eat to Treat: The Three-Step Program to Reduce Inflammation, Detoxify Your Life, and Heal Your Body looks like a very helpful addition to your health shelf! These nuggets particularly caught my attention:
How to set up an anti-inflammatory pantry
The ingredients in your daily products to avoid—including how everything from your personal hygiene products to your showerhead could be affecting you
Cutting-edge and easy household remedies you may have overlooked.
(Credit: Atria Books)
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BONUS NUGGET
As I write this, Hurricane Idalia is bearing down on the Gulf Coast. When you read this, it will likely have made landfall. If your power goes out or you have to evacuate, it may be days before you get to it. I hope your household doesn’t sustain any losses. If your property gets damaged, please read this article about home repair scams before hiring anyone. It was written for survivors of an earlier storm, but the information still applies – and can save you lots of stress and money!
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SOCIAL GOLD
Our next Clubhouse will be next Wednesday, 9/6. It’s going to look at designing with steam showers and saunas. If you’ve been curious about these adding one or more of these wellness features to your current (or a future) home, join me and my expert guest moderators for the conversation.
It takes place at 4 pm EST, 1 pm PST (and all the related time zones). Hope you’ll join us. Click the picture or the link below to connect to the conversation (using your smart phone only!).
COMING UP THIS YEAR:
- 8/16 Wellness Design and Allergies
- 9/6 Steam Showers and Saunas
- 9/20 Best New Kitchen Features
What other topics do you want to hear about in the new year? Comment below and let me know.
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PAST CLUBHOUSE RECORDINGS
Here are links to Clubhouse recordings from past sessions.
2023 Recordings:
- 8/16 Wellness Design and Allergies — Recording Link
- 8/2 Back to School Ideas — Recording Link
- 7/19 Designing for Music — Recording Link
- 7/5 Best She Shed Ideas and Trends — Recording Link
- 6/21 Best Man Cave Ideas and Trends — Recording Link
- 5/17 Designing Outdoor Kitchens and Living Spaces — Recording Link
- 5/3 Designing with Water Features (Ponds, Fountains, Water Walls, Etc.) — Recording Link
- 4/5 Top Tile Trends — Recording Link
- 3/15 Wellness Design and Dementia — Recording Link
- 3/1 Best Wellness Products from Design & Construction Week — Recording Link
- 2/15 Designing with Fire Features (Fireplaces, Fire Tables, Fire Pits, Etc.) — Recording Link
- 1/18 Healthy Home Improvements with Best ROI — Recording Link
- 1/4 Creating Home Fitness Rooms — Recording Link
2022 Recordings:
- Find these links on their new archive page!
2021 Recordings:
- Find these links on their new archive page!
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GOLD DUST
Here are some links from around the web to enhance your home, health, safety and life:
- Safety-related: How to reduce mold and prevent it from coming back in your home – Apartment Therapy
- Health-related: Storm preparation – How to keep frozen and refrigerated food safe – AHAM Blog
- Sustainability-related: How to decarbonize your home with the Inflation Reduction Act (savings tips) – HEATMAP Blog
