Decorative wooden panel from Gabarró. Many of the second-hand homes sold need some improvement. In some cases a simple facelift is enough and in others you have to completely redo it. In the past year, around 1.8 million renovations (of greater or lesser significance) have been carried out in homes in Spain, around 1% more than in 2023, and the average budget spent by property owners has around 7,000 euros, according to data from the National Association of Ceramic and Construction Materials Distributors (Andimac), which predicts a similar volume of actions for the next year. “By 2024, the reform and rehabilitation sector expected a small percentage drop, finally reversed due, fundamentally, to the better performance of the sale of used housing and the economy,” indicates Sebastián Molinero, its general secretary. According to a report from the employers and Nielsen, the owners who intend to make improvements to their home in the next six months are going to opt for getting their hands on the bathroom and kitchen, followed by the bedrooms and the energy rehabilitation of the home, an aspect that takes every time more strength. On average, the intention of those surveyed is to improve 1.5 spaces. More than half (51.7%) have planned a budget of up to 4,000 euros and only 21.8% estimate that they will spend more than 8,000 euros. Owners who undertake these improvements will find themselves with a range of possibilities. The Habitissimo home platform highlights three basic elements to achieve impact in a home: lighting, flooring and small arrangements. Regarding floor renovation, wood continues to be one of the most requested materials, although in 2025 it will increase in tone . “We continue with oak, but the more tinted tones, between oak and walnut, are beginning to stand out,” says interior designer Pia Capdevila. Wood has also become an option for covering walls, as it provides a touch of warmth and creates ambiances. pleasant thanks to its natural effect. These decorative wooden panels can be installed in any space in the home, even in kitchens and bathrooms. “We can use panels or boards, a simple and economical method; We can use laminates for walls with already prepared slats, with or without a click system; and finally we have the tongue-and-groove method, which consists of using wooden boards to which a series of recesses or machining are made so that they can fit,» they indicate in Gabarró, a company that distributes sawn wood, wooden, bamboo and technological floors. , boards and acrylic stone. Another alternative to decorate the walls of the house are wallpapers with textures and reliefs and, as a novelty, textile upholstery returns, according to Capdevila. This interior designer from Barcelona highlights a taste for organic shapes in pieces of furniture and a touch of retro style in armchairs and chairs. For the most conservative homeowners who do not want to take risks on the walls and opt for a smooth coat of paint, they are The winning horse is light and neutral tones that provide luminosity and spaciousness. Although if it comes to following fashion, Pantone's color of the year 2025 is mocha (shade 17-1230 or Mocha Mousse).
Kitchen with Decocer tiles. Ceramics have long conquered every room in the house, beyond the bathroom and kitchen, thanks to the pieces that simulate wood or natural stone. Looking ahead to the new year, ceramic floors and walls that mix retro styles and digital design and that use red, yellow, blue, purple and fuchsia tones are trending, according to the Spanish Association of Ceramic Tile and Flooring Manufacturers (Ascer ).
Material mix
For María José Gómez, owner of the interior design studio Luzio Studio, nature will continue to be a key element in decoration. She is committed to architectural elements and pieces of furniture that deserve to be recovered and embellished, with accessories that add textures and personality, since she believes that upcycling (recycling) will continue to gain ground in 2025, giving old pieces a second chance. For Gómez, decorative lighting will take on greater relevance, with sculpture-type lamps as protagonists. In bathrooms and kitchens, furniture is opted for that maximizes storage and allows efficient organization. Also for taps with water saving systems or touch sensors. “These features not only reduce consumption, but also add comfort and a touch of luxury,” they say on the home improvement platform Habitissimo. Although if it is a small bathroom, the best option is suspended furniture and toilets and sinks with less depth. It is a good idea to do without a shelf by using the sink itself to place small objects. Works that improve energy efficiency are increasingly in demand. What owners are looking for with these interventions is savings on bills (very important for 65% of consumers), the healthiness of materials (valued by 62%) and thermal comfort (priority for 60%), according to Andimac. Changing the heating is essential to achieve this. Very old boilers tend to be inefficient, both in energy and economic terms. “Replacing them with modern technologies, such as heat pumps, condensing boilers or hybrid systems, not only optimizes energy consumption, but also aligns with sustainability goals,” they maintain in Habitissimo.