IN McKeesport Spring 2018 | Page 16

M ixed materials, textures and technology are just a few of the major home trends in 2018. Homeowners are foregoing selling and updating their current homes with fresh ideas and innovative technologies. Thinking of upgrading a room or two? Check out 2018’s trends in home features and furnishings. SMART HOME The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to a growing network of devices that allows objects to connect and exchange data. These devices are increasing at a rapid pace throughout many industries. Wearables allow consumers to track their steps and keep a closer eye on their fitness, and connected cars are equipped with internet access to send information to manufacturers or, as seen on the streets of Pittsburgh, to drive themselves. The smart home is one of the most popular and accessible markets for IoT application. • Everything is connected: This can include heating and cooling your home, turning on a light with a simple command, locking your front door from work, even checking to see if you have milk in the refrigerator from the grocery store. These are all features that make up a smart home. The list continues to grow, with ways to track and monitor everything in your home. Devices are learning how you live—when you get up and when you leave for work—and can adjust room temperatures, turn off lights and safeguard your home. All of which can be monitored from your smart device. • Energy tracking devices: These devices connect to your electricity meter to monitor how much energy you’re using, from tracking appliance usage to providing recommendations on how to save on energy. If cutting down on bills is on your list for 2018, a household monitor or individual appliance monitor may be just what you need. • Residential electric vehicle charging stations: Growing in popularity, hybrid and electric vehicles need somewhere to charge up before hitting the open road. These charging stations are accessible at home, allowing you to charge from a typical household socket. With advancing technologies, higher voltage charging stations are available to charge a car as much as four times faster than a typical charging station. • Importance of keeping IoT devices secure: IoT devices are growing exponentially, and security features aren’t necessarily keeping up. There are only a few regulatory standards set in place for IoT devices, elevating risk for security breaches. It’s important to always authenticate your devices with unique usernames and passwords. 14 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ icmags.com OUTDOOR Outdoor trends for 2018 are focusing on using nature to nurture. From flower gardens and modern green spaces to reflection pools and water features, outdoor spaces are bringing serenity to your home. Create an outdoor living area that calls you in with cushioned sectionals, accent pillows and outdoor rugs that are inviting and functional. Add a focal piece such as a fireplace or fire pit to add warmth and a relaxing ambiance to the space. • Patios that add style: When choosing your concrete style, less is more. Paving in sections allows you to add interest to the space. Whether it’s using a combination of concrete and grass, or concrete and gravel, add depth and dimension by varying shapes or sizes of concrete sections. • Back decks get a facelift: Decks are getting a lot of love and attention this year with more people wanting to spend their time entertaining outdoors. Add multiple levels to a deck to create separate spaces for dining, cooking, and relaxation. No room for adding on to your deck? Get the same effect by grouping different types of furniture together to create distinction between the spaces. Water features are also making a splash this year. Small whimsical fountains have a calming flow of water to bring serenity to any area. Looking for more? Create your own outdoor spa, with a hot tub integrated into your deck design. • Trends in landscaping: With homeowners spending more time outside, ambiance is important. Whether you have a sprawling lawn or a quaint space for outdoor living, creating a welcoming space can be easy. Smaller areas should make use of multipurpose features, such as container combinations, arranging multiple plants into one pot to add interest and depth. No grass? Add green to the space with a plant wall and succulents, requiring little maintenance and minimal space. Have a lot of space to work with? Think about planting many of the same type of plant to create a community garden. This way you’ll only need to manage one type of plant, rather than tend to the distinct needs of several types. WINDOWS / DOORS Homeowners are veering toward natural, clean looks this year, focusing on bringing the beauty of the outdoors into the home. Bright, airy rooms are trending in all areas of the home, from living rooms to bathrooms—the more natural light, the better. By lowering energy costs and brightening up your day, homeowners are designing with daylight in mind. • Transforming windows to doors: If you’re looking to lighten and brighten up a room, do it with natural light. Adding windows or creating larger, more expansive windows will not only bring in more of the outdoors, but can also change the look of a room. Large windows that were once a custom option are now available in mainstream models, with some that can expand up to 24 feet wide. • Allowing the fresh air in: ‘Tis the season for spring cleaning! When you’re working in the garage this spring, you may find it helpful to have a retractable screen door for the garage. Whether you are doing projects, or using the space as a place to hang out, garage screens keep fresh air in and bugs out. • Smart windows with auto tinting: Gone are the days of having blinds to dust, with the introduction of auto-tinting