Industry Experts Share Hot Design Trends
(ARA) - Ask interior designers and industry experts across the country what
the "hot" trends are in upscale home decorating, and you'd assume
their responses would be as varied as the specialties they represent. Interestingly
enough, they can all be summed up in three neat categories: comfort, customization,
and color.
* Comfort
As in the past few years, the concept of "cocooning," or creating
a comfortable family nest in which to relax and be together, shows no sign of
abating. Americans are more stressed and time-strapped than ever, and welcome
coming home to a soothing, nurturing environment at the end of the day.
According to Refuge owner Sarit Catz, an interior design and home accessory
specialist in Short Hills, N.J., great rooms are increasingly popular because
they fit so well with the modern lifestyle. Casual styles such as country, or
fusions of contemporary/country or European/country, encourage families to kick
back and put their feet on the furniture guilt-free.
"As we seek a more relaxed setting, there's a tendency to meld styles
to create an effortless casual feel," adds Melissa Teisl, of Jewel Box
Frames in Santa Monica, Calif. "Combining traditional character with modern
elements can create an effortless, eclectic environment while allowing us to
remain connected to our home as a sanctuary."
Cantoni designer Alissa Sutton, ASID, sees such decorating staples as oversized
mirrors being used in new, inventive ways. "Rather than hanging them in
their traditional spot over the fireplace, try leaning them against the wall
or hanging them low enough to reflect the items in a room," says Sutton.
"Both techniques make a dramatic statement in a simple, different way,
without compromising the overall comfortable ambiance of the room."
* Customization
As the fashion world so effectively demonstrated with monogrammed wallets
and photo-inspired tote bags, individuality is hotter-than-hot. In upscale homes,
it may range from original custom-made lampshade tassels and cabinet knobs,
to one-of-a-kind designed rugs such as those offered by Tufenkian Carpets.
"Personalization and customization have never been more in demand,"
says Todd Imholte, president of Environmental Graphics, Inc., whose company
has produced high-quality decorative wall murals for the past 35 years. "A
couple may, for example, not only want to have a sunset mural in their family
room -- they want it to be the sunset they saw while on vacation in Hawaii last
summer.
Customization does not need to be a difficult process, either. Imholte adds,
"People can use user-friendly online tools at www.muralsyourway.com to
browse gallery images or create custom designs in sizes specific to their needs."
Susan Zises Green, ASID, of Susan Zises Green, Inc., has also seen a surge
in the use of murals in luxury homes. "I have noticed an increased demand
for wall murals using significant imagery and meaning," she adds. "Designers
are commissioning scenes of specific locations or places with symbolic family
imagery to place more meaning and history into their clients' homes."
* Color
You've seen them at Banana Republic and you'll see them in high-end homes
as well. Bright, bold, fashion-forward colors couldn't be more in -- with retro-inspired
palettes leading the way. Lindley Welch of Dallas' Fabric Factory notes the
recent emergence of grass green and lemon yellow mixed with white, black (or
both) in graphic prints, a trend that "incorporates ?20s glam with ?60s
Valley of the Dolls and ?70s housewife with a modern, contemporary twist,"
she notes.
This retro-?60s feel and return to color is echoed by Jeffrey Dross, trends
expert at Kichler Lighting, who also sees an exciting array of recently ignored
colors such as orange and turquoise attached to cool, but comfortable furnishings
and accessories. Since this vibrant color spectrum can be a new and dramatic
one for many people, designers suggest introducing color gradually with pillows,
throw rugs or accent pieces.
Once you've dipped your foot in the colored water, the possibilities are
truly endless. The new "in your face" color palette, combined with
interesting textures, treatments and accessories, can turn any room in your
house from drab to fab in no time.
Comfort. Customization. Color. When combined with creativity, they allow
any upscale homeowner to create a warm, personal refuge from the outside world.
Courtesy of ARA Content
|
