Galleries: Trends & Inspirations
A Home to Look Forward To
At this year’s International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas, the latest trends in home design culminated in the show house, which was designed by Marc-Michaels Interior Design. “With the design of the 2014 New American Home, I was hoping to show how simple, bold decisions could create such an emotionally powerful response,” said Marc Thee, lead interior designer. “We wanted to see how much restraint we could use while designing courageously.”
The design team set out to incorporate the five elements: water, metal, earth, fire and wood. Here, the metal mosaic backsplashes and the natural stone island complement dark wooden cabinets
The main kitchen displays the newest trend of having two islands. “Since the kitchen is more open to the living room, we wanted to create more entertainment spaces, so we thought the second island could also act as a dining table,” explained Tara Kaufmann, senior interior detailed designer. “The second was kind of like our feature island. We wanted that to look more like a furniture piece.”
Filled with storage, the first island shows how more kitchens today are getting rid of upper cabinets. Above the island, the hood’s metal strips continue a design feature found throughout the home.
“We were trying to use the color palette that related to the desert surrounding Vegas,” said Rachel Jones, project manager and interior detailing designer. “It still gives you a contemporary feel, but we wanted to make sure it was warm and inviting.”
In the master suite, a view of the Las Vegas strip and the popularity of open layouts inspired this room. “When it came to the bathrooms we really wanted to keep an open flow,” explained Jones. “Our thought was to make it like a high-end resort, where your bedroom and bathroom are open to one another.”
A fireplace wall provides some privacy in the bath, which is inset into the floor slab for a seamless look. Marble mosaic tile adorns the fireplace. “That bathroom is luxurious,” commented Kaufmann. “You may never leave your bedroom.”
While the back of the shower uses glass, a drapery bracket hangs behind the shower for privacy. “This brings on another layer of softness to the bathroom, since there is so much stone and glass everywhere,” said Kaufmann.
The vanity boasts a stone waterfall edge and a raised central portion, which both allow for visual interest.