Home Decor is a Work in Progress, Houzz Survey Finds

When it comes to decor, most homes are a work in progress, with homeowners reporting that they are slightly more than halfway to achieving their vision for their home on average, according to the Houzz Decorating Trends Survey of more than 1,700 Houzz users in the U.S. and Canada who are in the midst of, or are planning, a decorating project. Houzz (www.houzz.com) with 66 percent of homeowners having recently decorated the same room they are currently tackling. In fact, 21 percent are redecorating just two years later, and 45 percent after five years.

Personal taste (84 percent) and comfort (75 percent) are the biggest drivers of decorating decisions. Just 15 percent of homeowners say incorporating the latest trends is a priority, though trendiness was surprisingly cited by a greater percentage of men, with one quarter saying trends impact their decorating decisions. Whether by choice or by necessity, men are more likely to be influenced by their significant other’s taste than women (43 percent versus 20 percent, respectively).

Younger homeowners are more likely to make bold decor choices, like adorning their walls with wallpaper, a choice most popular among those under 35 years old (17 percent), and least popular among the 65 and older crowd at just three percent. The under 35 crowd are also 50 percent more likely than their older counterparts to decorate with color schemes characterized as “bright and colorful.”

The bold choices of younger homeowners carry into upholstery and bedding fabrics as well; while homeowners of all ages are choosing classic patterns like solids (64 percent), stripes (25 percent) and florals (22 percent), homeowners under 45 are two and a half times more likely to use chevron patterns than those 45 and older (15 percent versus six percent, respectively).

Additional findings include:

• Master bedroom as living room: Three-in-five homeowners are including seating in their master bedroom (60 percent). Nearly one-in-ten are

• Le dining room quotidien: Nearly half of homeowners are using their dining room daily (45 percent) and another 26 percent are using it weekly. Rectangular dining tables (62 percent) with dark wood (38 percent) or glass (25 percent) and seating for six are most popular.

• TV creep: In addition to the usual popular living spaces, televisions are showing up in 16 percent of dining rooms. Homeowners are just as likely to include a TV in their kids’ room as a reading nook (both 35 percent).

• Hints of color: Accent walls remain popular throughout the house, but are most likely to appear in the home office (57 percent), kid’s room (55 percent) or master bedroom (52 percent). Urban dwellers are more likely to have accent walls (54 percent) than homeowners in suburban (42 percent) and rural (41 percent) neighborhoods.

“For most, decorating a home is an ongoing effort. People like to invest in things that last, but continue to update their decor as they discover new items they love, and that add to the comfort and enjoyment of the home by their family,” said Liza Hausman, VP of Community for Houzz. “Working with an interior designer or other professional can help people enjoy their homes more, creating spaces that are not only beautiful, but also specifically suited to their lifestyle.”

You can download the full Houzz Decorating Trends Study report at: http://info.houzz.com/rs/houzz/images/HouzzDecoratingStudy.pdf. PR