3 Top Architecture Trends For Apartments in 2015

For anyone interested in investing in property or in real estate in general, it is always interesting to look at the latest architectural trends and what is attracting both buyers and tenants within the market.  Even a brief overview of recent brand new and off the plan properties shows that there are 3 key architectural trends that will be dominating the market in 2015.

1. Textures Are The New Black

One of the biggest trends in 2014 was the use of texture and natural finishes in apartments, and this looks likely to continue in brand new developments into the future.  Texture is being used to soften rooms which are traditionally be seen as hard surfaces such as kitchen and bathrooms – this includes rough or patterned wall tiles, the use of render on walls or even bricks rather than smooth painted plasterboard.

Interior design at the moment is also focusing on softer “nature-inspired” materials, with wood being a popular choice for flooring, feature walls, window frames and outside balconies.  While wooden floors have always been somewhat of a controversial feature in apartments because of the noise they can generate, nowadays the floors can be laid with special underlays that can help to reduce the impact of the floorboards.

2.  Eco-Friendly Apartments

Residential projects in Australia have focused more and more on sustainability, thanks to the rise in interest in environmentally friendly buildings and the Green Star environmental rating system created by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) in 2003.  Everything from water and energy efficiency to indoor air quality and landscaping can help to minimise the impact of a development on its surroundings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the property’s running costs.  More and more, however, developers are also realising that buyers will pay a premium for a high quality 5 or 6 star development, and this is being reflected in designs, with water tanks, opening window louvers and smart energy solutions such as solar panels now being included as standard features.

3.  Bringing The Outdoors In

The trend of having more open, outdoor spaces that are integrated into the indoor rooms has been around for a while, however the fashion is set to continue this year with even more of a focus on ways to incorporate the outdoors with the indoors.  Ideas such as vertical kitchen gardens, indoor terraces and even outdoor showers – once the preserve of the very wealthy or cutting edge interior design – have now gone mainstream, and can be found in many property developments currently under planning and construction.  The key to the trend is a combination of flexibility and lifestyle, and offering buyers the most usable space possible within an apartment.  Anyone investing in property should look at developments that feature a combined indoor/outdoor design as it can be highly attractive to a range of people looking to rent including young professionals and empty-nesters.