When it comes to renovating the home, most homeowners have difficulty describing the style that they want. With the amount of jargon and the subtle difference between the styles, you'd have to be an architecture historian to tell them apart. The following are brief descriptions of the most popular interior design styles meant to give you an edge in choosing and talking about the styles you like.

Make the most of the space you’ve got

If you’re a trend watcher and can’t wait to know what’s on the design horizon for 2012, here are a few of the evolving shifts occurring within Canada and the US pertaining to home design, which are making our living spaces more practical than aspirational. These trends apply not only to new homes, but more extensive renovation projects.

Here are a couple of storage ideas that were included in multiple “Best of K|BIS” lists. If you’re in need of additional storage in your kitchen, they’re definitely worth a look!

In some cases where it is not possible to enlarge the footprint of the kitchen, not much can be directly done about the counter space. There are, however, options that make the sink a more functional component that helps extend the available workspace.

Though I love cleaner, more contemporary lines, many of my clients prefer something more transitional or traditional. In the past, I’ve had difficulty finding non-contemporary faucets for vessel sinks, both in single and 8″ centre spread options, at reasonable price points. This year’s K|BIS provided multiple options.

The introduction of jewels into the bathroom happened long ago. Many manufacturers now offer faucets that feature crystals and/or gems. And hardware has long been a way to dress up and customize cabinetry.

Delta’s Fuse™ series of kitchen faucets introduces a burst of colour in an unexpected place. The split-finish pull-down faucet comes in cracked pepper (black), snowflake white, or chilli pepper (red).

The industrial look of stainless steel has been in kitchens for quite some time. But the look is rather consistent, showcasing the standard silver tones of the steel. Oios Metals has introduced a much wider palette for use throughout the home, relying on recycled steel to create unique – and sustainable – applications made entirely within the US.

Universal Design (UD) is definitely something I’ve explored before on multiple occasions. Despite that, I think its important to begin by noting that UD is not just about accessibility and using ADA-approved products. Rather UD is about creating environments that can be used by as many people as possible.

The Elevance rising wall tub is a fabulous alternative to the plethora of walk-in tubs currently on the market. Rather than walking in, sitting down, and waiting for an exceedingly deep tub to fill, the Elevance fills within 3-5 minutes and invites you to sit with ease at chair height.