The lobby and the entrance rooms of your building are places where neighbors are connected, the guests welcomed the guests and the visitors their first impression of what their community is all about. Together with the aesthetics, interior design creates spaces that tell a story, people welcome, understood and feel at home.
Of course, the challenge is to increase a balance between modern trends and more classic looks that do not look out of date in a year or two. After all, what is stylish today may be outdated tomorrow, which is why boards and design committees have to carefully curate elements that increase their buildings and at the same time ensure that they will remain inviting and functional in the coming years. Regardless of whether it is a slim, modern lounge that promotes a conversation, an inspired corner from the middle of the century that exudes charm, or an area developed for creativity for creative work that marries today's trends. The post-pandemic world has also redesigned how we approach design and focus again on comfort, adaptability and emotional well-being. People long for the rooms that feel safe, uplifting and rich.
Which colors, materials and styles define common rooms with apartment buildings? And how can boards make the best decisions to ensure that your community is both stylish and inviting? Let us explore.
A palette for the present and future
One of the most striking recent trends in interior design is the emigration of strong white and cool gray tones to softer, nature -inspired pallets with strategic splashes of rich jewelry tones. According to a report from 2024 by the American Society of Interior Designer (ASID), 65% of interior designers contain warm, earthy tones such as terracotta, deep green and soft beige in their projects. Organic colors are naturally soothing – they arouse us, convey a feeling of stability and combine us again with nature in an increasingly digital world.
Elizabeth S. Vaughan, a designer based in New York, of ground-up up-family houses and renovation work, notes this shift to rich, suge-like tones alongside softer, natural conference minimalism. “The use of bold, jewelry colors returns because designers find the warmth and wealth that these colors offer,” she says. “I love to use the deep colors for seating groups in Lobbies and from amenumations to give them personality. Designers even use jewelers on the walls and soils, many in residential areas. Complete rooms that create space with a single, strong color and atmosphere.”
According to the National Association of Home Builders (Nahb), the biophilic design – the integration of natural elements inside – has also become increasingly popular, with over 70% of the new residential projects such as wood, stone and inner green. In the desire for natural elements, it's not just about aesthetics. It is a reflection of how we want to live. In an era of stress and uncertainty, the people are attracted to rooms that feel nourishing and relaxing – places that enable them to breathe.
Balancing comfort and balancing the durability
This shift in the direction of heat and organic design also influences how multi -family boards and design committees search for ways to bring aesthetics together with functions in high -traffic areas such as lobbies, entry -level halls and common rooms. A 2024 study by the Design Research Society showed that 58% of the designers prefer structured surfaces such as brushed stone, recovered wood and woven fabrics towards cool, high-glossy surfaces. The residents want to deal with their surroundings, structured walls, natural fibers and cozy upholstery elements for upholstery in apartment buildings.
And the trend is not purely visual or tactile; Many communities also include sustainability and opt for recycled and environmentally friendly materials such as cork, bamboo and terrazzo flooring for their durability and lower environmental influences. In seating areas, natural textiles such as wool, linen and organic cotton replace synthetic substances and create breathable, comfortable rooms that invite relaxation.
However, this does not mean that synthetics are completely fits. For furniture and surfaces that are exposed to a lot of wear, they can be indispensable, says Vaughn. “Polyester substances and vinyl fabrics have proven to be well proven for high -traffic areas such as Lobbies and Lounges and look good,” she explains. “These substances were particularly developed to meet high requirements and are tested to prove their portability. One of the measuring standards is a” double role “that represents friction as a person and another when they are.
The shift of the design industry towards more environmentally friendly alternatives has affected how synthetic materials are manufactured and used, adds Vaughan. “Vinyls are more environmentally friendly with harmful hydrocarbons removed, and alternative silicone fabrics that feel smooth are now available and offer both comfort and durability.”
And while the costs for most buildings are of course an important consideration – especially now, since the prices for almost everything are increasing – the durability of materials and moods pays off. “Good design balances aesthetics, durability and budget. [with] Materials that pass the test of time at no unnecessary costs, ”says Karen Jack, owner of Forbes Ergas Design in New York.
Modern minimalism with a soft grade
Minimalism does not go anywhere, but according to professionals, today's version is more personal. A study carried out by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) showed that 60% of homeowners prefer a soft minimalism to strong, ultra-modern designs. This version contains plush textiles, warm neutral and sculptural furniture that compensates for simplicity with comfort. It is about creating rooms that feel calm without feeling sterile.
And “above all, lighting is the most important design element,” notes Jack. “In corridors without natural light, the wrong lighting can boring even the best materials, while the right lighting brings every texture and finishing to life and creates a warm, inviting and polished space.”
Two aesthetics, redesigned
In the middle of the century, the school for design and architecture, which was created between the 1940s and 1970s, influenced by Bauhaus and Scandinavian aesthetics and figures such as Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright, who after the intercept of Mies van Derrends, and not a section of Frank Lloyd. Retro-inspired elements with contemporary updates.
It defines the modern style of the middle of the century by clean, straight lines, straight lines, slim geometric shapes, natural materials, powerful, but earthy pallets as well as the evaluation of shape and functionality alike for the appearance and the feeling that many apartment buildings want to host in their common rooms. Classic silhouettes are paired with living tones, playful patterns and asymmetries and curated details that give the style a fresh look.
The industrial aesthetics with its brick-and-radiation factory atmosphere has also matured and has moved beyond its raw, bearing-like origins. According to the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), 55% of the design professionals, which now recommend, are plush covers, warm lighting and an infusion of green to bring life and softness into rooms that are cornzed or are persistent.
No two equal
Marilyn Sygrove, a multi -family draft prophecy in New York, emphasizes that no two buildings should be treated equally during renovation work. “Every building is unique for us. We listen to boards, design committees and owners to get a precise understanding of what is important for you and your goals.” She explains that well -performed renovation work can create an emotional and financial value and strengthen the identity of a building and a place in a neighborhood.
Sygrove and her team work both in the buildings after the war and in the pre -war period and snap their approach to adapting the unique character of every building. “We find that boards are always looking for timeless designs that are durable and slightly maintained,” she says.
According to Sygrove, the design should reflect the place of a building – place, history and demography. She remembers that they worked on real estate near the Hudson River, where the board and the owners wanted to accept their bank with an elegant, reserved aesthetics. “When measuring the board and the owner, we found that they wanted to accept their very special place in an elegant, refined, permanent picture by paying homage to the color, textures and uniqueness of a NYC Waterfront ownership, and sometimes a building will have a name that strengthens or who wants to be.
Sygrove emphasizes the importance of practical, functional layouts. Sygrove adds: “We do not have our own” house “style. The basis for our design philosophy is practical, functional layouts, the requirements such as package memory, the line of vision of the door person for the building entry for safety reasons and the quality of the materials.
The clarification of the customers about how materials they do through classic design decisions is of central importance for their approach. “Making the best of the customer's budget and clarifying them how materials do they cut off, lead them through classic shapes, materials and works of art, is the basis for what we do,” says sygrove. “It is our obligation to understand the long -term effects of our design work on buildings or complexes of buildings with which we work with.”
I'm looking forward to
A well -designed common room in a multi -family building should be attractive and inviting and functional and durable. It should exceed mere decoration and promote a feeling of belonging and welcomed residents and visitors alike, with calming colors, sustainable materials and targeted layouts weaving together to compensate for elegance and benefits. A well-designed common room not only looks nice to tell a story, builds up community and turns a building into a home. With expert instructions, boards and committees can make thoughtful, permanent decisions that keep their buildings stylish, functional and inviting in the coming years.
Claudia Cataldi is a freelance writer and employee of Cooperator News.