The Houzz Emerging Winter Trends Report, Part 1

As we start a new year, homeowners are looking for ways to enjoy the winter months, and according to the Houzz Emerging Winter Trends Report, they’re removing the barriers between the home’s interior and exterior areas. “They’re also creating entertainment-focused gathering spaces, optimizing square footage with cleverly concealed rooms, and turning an eye to green color schemes heading into the new year,” Mitchell Parker at Houzz tells me.

These are the first two takeaways from the report, along with insight (and photos) from several top designers.

Greater Connections to the Outdoors

“At Houzz, we’ve seen growing interest among homeowners in opening their homes up to their outdoor spaces and improving their exterior spaces for more functional and entertaining usage, so it’s no surprise that they’d want to enjoy those spaces from the comfort of their interiors all year long,” Parker says. He says that searches for ‘‘bedroom window seats” and “‘living room bay windows” grew nearly 4.5 times and 2.5 times, respectively, while a “four-season room” (up almost 2.5 times) provides an enclosed sanctuary to take in landscapes from floor-to-ceiling windows.

That doesn’t come as a surprise to Heather Mastrangeli, principal designer at Innovatus Design in Downers Grove, IL, who believes that humans are hardwired to crave a connection to the outdoors. “There is much research proving that access to natural daylight improves mental health, and it’s no wonder that clients are seeking ways to connect with the outdoor world.”

And in colder climates, the desire for this type of connection may be even stronger. So, incorporating this trend can make a home more desirable to buyers. “Especially in New York City, not everyone can have their own slice of usable green space, so any way to bring the outside in visually or with a feeling of increased proximity tends to make the living space feel larger – and it makes a buyer feel great,” says Maggie Leigh Marshall of the Barton Barrett Marshall Team at Douglas Elliman in New York.

And although Houzz is seeing an uptick in searches for ways to connect to the outdoors, this isn’t a new trend to Cathy Cherry, founder and principal at Purple Cherry Architects in Annapolis, MD.

“For the past 10+ years, we have seen a focus on design elements such as large bay windows, large expansive glass walls, and screen porches that can be closed in to create four season rooms. The desire for these spaces is most significantly tied to a desire for natural light, for a brightly lit room,” Cherry tells me.

And in warmer climates, the options for bringing the outdoors inside increase significantly. In this West Hollywood project, Manuella Moreira, principal at Manuella Moreira Interiors in Los Angeles, tells me the aim was to seamlessly integrate the living room and outdoor spaces, creating a cohesive flow between them.

“We opted for low-profile furnishings to avoid obstructing the view, and a monochromatic palette.” Using sleek and understated pieces maintained the visual integrity of the space, and also allowed the outdoors to take center space.

Including sectionals was a strategic decision, and Moreira tells me it plays a dual role. “This maximizes seating capacity without compromising aesthetics, resulting in spaces that feel both inviting and warm,” she says. “Our approach successfully fused functionality with aesthetics, ensuring a seamless blend between the spaces, which epitomizes the essence of indoor-outdoor living.”

Entertainment-Focused Gathering Spaces

During the pandemic, Parker says homeowners found new ways to entertain themselves from the comfort of their homes — and some of these activities have become mainstays. “Snuggling up with family and friends during winter gatherings to enjoy films or live sports, for example, may be here to stay, with Houzz searches for ‘family room with TV over fireplace,’ ‘living room with built-in entertainment,’ and ‘small home theater’ increasing nearly 4.5 times, 3.5 times, and 2 times, respectively,” he says. ” In addition, Mitchell tells me that adding a “‘sectional with coffee table,” which spiked 47 times, creates a sociable living space to play games or gather before and after meals.

According to Mastrangeli, homeowners expect a seamless connection between entertainment and their living spaces. “Seamlessly integrating a television over the fireplace or creating a custom built-in for technology has been requested often by our clients.” (TV, audio and home theatre items are also popular housewarming gifts).

For families, Mastrangeli also pairs coffee tables with sectionals to make everyday living easy. “From doing a puzzle, to playing a game, to having a place to rest a beverage, coffee tables are useful and a staple in most homes,” she says.

Entertainment-focused gathering spaces can also be good for resale value. “Everyone wants to believe that once they buy this place, they’re going to entertain, and anything that lends to the idea that it will be easy and comfortable to do in this space, is a huge selling point,” says Lindsay Barton Barrett of the Barton Barrett Marshall Team at Douglas Elliman in New York.

Since many buyers are upgrading their space, it’s always a good idea to show them an idealized lifestyle since they can’t always visualize how they would use a space. “And even buyers who are downsizing don’t want to feel like they won’t be able to have company,” she explains.

In this West Hollywood project, Moreira converted an underutilized bedroom into a small home theater. Her team layered luxurious textures throughout the space to create a cozy and intimate feel. “We enhanced the ceiling by introducing a dark, textured wallpaper to infuse a sense of drama, and velvet wallpaper on the walls for warmth.” To enhance the cozy ambiance, Moreira incorporated a U-shaped sectional with ottomans, upholstered in a combination of velvet and mohair fabrics.

Next, Moreira and her team transformed a closet into a sophisticated bar. “We incorporated a hidden wine fridge behind panels, a leathered quartzite top, antiqued mirror backsplash, and floating wall shelves, to showcase the client's favorite selection of wine and liquor bottles.”

When creating entertainment-focused gathering spaces, don’t forget about the younger members of your family. In this Connecticut project, Moreira was tasked with creating a dedicated entertaining space for a client’s teenage daughter and her friends. “In this space, we chose vibrant colors to infuse a youthful and playful spirit into the space.”

The main sectional was upholstered in a white indoor/outdoor fabric, making it easy to maintain. The teal contrasting welt and vibrant pillows added a playful element to the sectional.

Since the client’s daughter loves sweets, Moreira incorporated an elegant lucite snack cart to showcase her favorite snacks and treats, ensuring convenient access when she’s entertaining friends.

In this project, Cherry combines two trends: a greater connection to the outdoors, and an entertainment-focused gathering space. “There definitely is a movement towards large-scale entertainment spaces, with sectionals coming back into popularity,” she says. Although placing a television over a family room fireplace has been a design trend for more than a decade, Cherry says she’s starting to see the use of ottomans with trays in lieu of coffee tables.

In Part 2, we cover the next two trends in the Houzz Emerging Winter Trends Report.