All ten of my “Top Ten Trends for 2010” came true in the last twelve months, so I wanted to try and drink two beers from one bottle and match my predictions here in 2011.  (Click HERE for the 2010 list).

Part of my service as a realtor is being able to accurately predict the future, and while I tend to use this power for good instead of evil, I’d like to share the following ten trends and allow all of my readers to impress their friends and stay ahead of the curve…

#10: Island Homes

When I see this house, one word comes to mind: practicality.

This is such a practical, logical home and it comes with peace of mind and ease of use.

There’s no need for super-adequacies such as electricity, internet, heat, plumbing, or water.

And the basement barely leaks.

It’s easy to get to, and your friends will never get lost trying to find your home – even in the middle of the night. 

#9: Polka Dots – Inside and Out 

We all know that polka dots are essential inside any home.

Whether you have polka-dot carpets, polka-dot, wallpaper, or polka-dot slate tile, every home-owner has polka-dots of some type gracing the inside of his or her home.

Well why not bring that incredible style outside with you?

The home above demonstrates the grace and elegance of the classical bubble-gum dot.  Mr. Hubba Bubba himself could not have designed a more stately home.

In a world where there seems to be less and less originality every day, why not make your home stand out from the pack?

#8: Floral Couch Designs

I look at this photo and I think to myself, “Wow!  What beautiful….umm….couches.”

All I can think to myself is, “Look at those couches!  They’re gorgeous!  How can I get couches like that?  What do I have to do?”

I further think, “The guy who has those two couches is so damn lucky.”

It’s gonna be hard to go home to my couches after seeing these amazing couches…

#7: Open Concept Cabinets

Who needs doors, really?

If you’re comfortable with who you are, what you’re into, and what you own – then why go to all the trouble of hiding your wares?

Take the “bookshelf” theme and apply it to your kitchen!  Leave everything out, for all to see!

Do you have six types of mustard?  Show it off!

Are all your mugs and plates chipped and broken?  Let people see them!

Don’t hide behind your cupboard doors anymore.

#6: Guest Houses

You know when your mother-in-law spends the weekend and she complains that the bed in the guest room isn’t soft enough?

Well, why not just build her a guest-house from scratch?

The one pictured above is totally suitable for your nagging, imposing, superficial mother-in-law.

Just tell her on the phone before she comes down from Quebec City, “Don’t worry, maa, you won’t have to deal with that awful bed in the guest room anymore – I built you an entire guest house!”

#5: More Efficient Staircases

At the ripe old age of thirty, I’m not quite as nimble as I once was.

Tasks like going up and down the stairs are starting to create some wear and tear on my aching old bones, and until now, I wasn’t aware that there were any cost-effective alternatives (since we all know that putting an elevator in your house is just crazy!).

But the stair-slide pictured above is sleek, classy, and incredibly efficient.

The oak design only adds credibility to the “luxury” tag it’s been given.

I don’t know about you – but I’m sold!

#4: Stuff Made From Other Stuff!

I’m a firm believer in the concept of recycling, and I’m more than willing to think outside the box!

That’s why a chandelier made from used Bic pens is number-one on my list of household improvements for 2011.

Not only are we helping to find a secondary use for all that wasted plastic from hundreds of Bic pens, but we’re also convincing some starving “artist” that their “creation” actually is a reason to not look for a real job…

#3: Curtains Made From People

I actually have no clue what to even say for this one…

#2: Moats

Moats are SO hot right now!

What’s old is becoming new again!  You know how there’s a lot of babies being named Betty, Agnes, Mabel, Gertrude, and the like?  Well not just 1920’s names are coming back, because so too are the middle ages!

There’s nothing more reasonable than surrounding your house with water.

Raising and lowering the drawbridge every morning is a totally normal and practical feature of any luxury home.

And just like with the island house above – I don’t think houses with moats have any issues with basement leaking at all.

There’s no building permits or zoning applications required.  Simply rent a back-hoe, or borrow eighteen homeless people and pay them in crackers, then dig a trench around your home and fill it with water.

Yellow lilies are a nice touch…

#1: Stacked Apartments 

Stacked condominium townhouses have been red-hot over the past few years!

Liberty Village (Western Battery, Pirandello, East Liberty Streets), Yonge & Eglinton (Redpath/Lillian Streets), Queen & Bathurst (Carrr St), and even up at Yonge & Sheppard (Everson Drive) have all seen the development of stacked condo townhouses.

Well, in with the old, and out with the new!

Here we see stacked apartments which I think demonstrates a more reasonable price point for today’s young buyer.

The construction is faster, cheaper, and while not quite as durable – I think it’ll serve its purpose.

Don’t just follow the trend; start the trend!