As millions of North American homeowners look for new ways to spruce up their home sweet home this year, they’re expected to spend more than $10 billion on interior design services.
That’s a lot of money but the truth is today’s décor is about a lot more than just paint swatches and sofa pillows. And designers and consumers are becoming pretty inventive about how they modernize their home’s surroundings.
Here are just a few of the latest trends – and some that are heading out the door:
Less clutter: Call it the Marie Kondo effect but homeowners are deciding to spend more on fewer items that they absolutely love. Gone are busy gallery walls with tons of art and shelves with knickknacks. The key word: edit.
More nature: Maybe it’s our way to reconnect with the outdoors, but today’s décor is reintroducing more natural materials – including wood floors, stone, wool rugs and plants (both real and faux).
Fewer traditional colors: Homeowners are less concerned with choosing predictably masculine or feminine palettes – as Living Coral, Pantone’s Color of the year, attests. Grey hues are also fading away and being replaced by bolder ones – like hunter green and indigo.
More florals: Whether it’s on sofas, headboards or walls, floral patterns have made a comeback – while geometric patterns are on their way out.
Sustainability: Perhaps in response to concerns for our planet’s future, sustainable materials like jute and rice paper are taking precedence over plastics and metals. That said, not-so-sustainable acrylic furniture is growing in popularity as homeowners look for ways to visually unclutter their spaces.
Brass vs. black: The gold-hued metal (as well as faddish rose gold) is now deemed heavy and dated and it’s disappearing as a furniture accent, while black accents – especially in the bathroom – are viewed as high end and modern.
Light woods: Dark stained wood floors and cherry kitchen cabinets, hugely popular at the turn of the century, are being replaced by light birch and oak, which provide a more open and relaxed vibe.
Quartz : Solid white or off-white counters, while clean and modern, seem to have had their day as homeowners and interior designers replace them with marbles and other rich-looking stones.
Mid-century meh: The last two decades saw a massive return to classic styles from the middle of the 20th century. While mid-century furniture’s classic lines and design will always have a special place in any home, today it’s increasingly about mixing up styles to create a more layered and personal look.
Are you in the midst of a home décor transformation? What styles do you gravitate to? Share your two cents with the Shop Talk blog community forum.
Did you know? Pewter and gunmetal
Replacing your kitchen or bathroom hardware? While brass and matte finishes have had their day, pewter and gunmetal are rising in popularity. (Source)
Who makes up all these so called trends anyway ?We all can not rid ourselves of purchases of furniture and items because it is of a trendy color that pops.
I absolutely LOVE decorating since I am an interior designer. Style changes in a blink of an eye. Keeping up with it is a challenge.
I like the fact of decluttering; less is more; and clean lines; I have always liked light woods for cabinets and bedroom head and foot boards; however, my living room is dark painted wood black with colorful pillows and accents on a gray couch and love seat.
Less clutter is my style basic is always best
I live in an old Victorian house. I absolutely hate white cabinets in the kitchen. I use whatever color I want
We are not in the middle of a remodel. We like comfortable, homey décor. We don’t really have a “theme” or style. We just buy what is comfortable for us and suits us.
Interesting reading. Learned alot about today’s new decor!
I’m a person that knows what I like and it doesn’t matter if its the latest style or color. I want my home to feel comfortable, cozy and relaxing.
I have recently put pewter fixtures in my bathrooms. I really like it.
I don’t care what the hipsters and so called experts say Brass is timeless and classic and will be around long after all these fads have come and gone.
I giggle out loud as I read what’s popular, what’s in and what’s on its way out. I am forever changing things in my home. My first home had a red and black room: red walls, black ceiling and black rug. It was perfect! My x-husband manipulated me into painting it beige and selling the house. I regret all of that. I hired professionals to paint: lavender doors, jams and baseboards in my living room; almost robins egg blue in my sitting room; m&m ™ green walls with mint green ceiling and forest green doors, jams and baseboards in my bedroom.
Unfortunately my current kitchen is all white. and in serious need of an accent color on the doors, jams and baseboards.
The blue in my sitting room is just a tad off. You know that one, right? It’s not quite blue enough, it has just a tad too much yellow. This was not the color I chose and it forever frustrates me. Someday I’ll find the original color I chose and re-paint it, The accent color in here is, of course, white. This means, once I can afford it, the accent color in the kitchen will be identical to the pending wall color of the sitting room.
Right now I’m in the middle of a deck re-build. Taking away the pressed and treated wood, which has rotted through because we’re in the Pacific NW and it rains all year. I’m installing the man-made recycled plastic product that will last another 100 years. Ants and termites won’t attack it and nest in it, which saves my walls. Water can’t soak into it so it can’t rot, which also saves my home. I have chosen a nice, neutral gray. Because I plan on painting all the outdoor walls white, with purple accents. Or maybe I’ll go with a darker gray with black accents. That’s a great color combination too. Oh yeah, and I’m building in a ramp instead of stairs for the deck. Thinking ahead.
I have always liked silver color over brass. I have silver color fixtures in all my water areas.
I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t care what is popular. I know what looks good. I know the color combinations that make me feel good mentally. These are what I’ll stick with.
I love the trend towards gunmetal for fixtures. And I’m so happy the Greys are being replaced with more vibrate colors!
Personally, like most homeowners, I ‘gravitate’ to the “Affordable” in my home, could care less about ‘matching’ and just don’t follow trends. The simple fact is furniture is expensive, hand-me-down/arounds are the ‘thing’ (no one says NO to anything that is usable and works).
I have repainted the walls of my home bit by bit (After the children became adults and finally all moved out!) and it’s much lighter, their ‘questionable’ choices are now a just slightly to the grey side of white shades, and I got rid of that abominable ‘popcorn coating’ of the ceiling (it’s just YUCK — loathe popcorn coating or faux finishes — all they do is become dust magnets and fall off in chunks).
I’ve also started replacing the painted mouldings with real wood mouldings that I’ve hand-stained.
Finally, those cabinet pulls/knobs? I actually replaced those with silver ones, samewidth, but higher off the face level of the drawer or door, since being older, my hands do have arthritis in them and I needed that extra space to be able to pull the drawer out!
Love getting the latest cool equipment and technical advanses
I have already taken the survey, please direct me to the rewards.
These are great.cheap DIY changes made to a home that
Can increase price per square foot,It will give a clean openspace..Also., personal objects on walls do contribute to clutter. Am impressed with these changes. Less is
More.
Edit! Simplicity!
I love the living room so but needs pictures on the walls a little bit of greenery
I like taking surveys and helping everybody out
I love the DOLLAR GENERAL IN FRANKENMUTH MI.