During
unsettling economic times, people tend to get "back to basics" by
cocooning more with their families, avoiding high-ticket expenditures and
looking for ways to repurpose and re-use existing items. Next year's home
decorating trends clearly reflect this comfort-focused and cost-conscious
mentality by emphasizing soothing color palettes, natural materials,
environmentally friendly products, and "old made new again"
furnishings, wall murals and textiles.
Leading trend experts and interior designers across the
country offer these top home decor trends for 2010:
Color our world: Ask almost any designer, and you'll hear that gray is the
"new brown." gray mixes well with brown, taupe, light lilac, light
green and yellow, and many wood furnishes now have a gray wash or gray
undertone added to them and the resilience of such strong hues as bright
orange, bright green and magenta.
Designers also see color being used to bring comfort,
harmony and serenity home. They envision silver gray, lilac, purples and
off-white being especially popular in 2010. Inspired by the fashion industry,
they also note endless possibilities of metallic bronze, gold and silver
accented with berry rich colors like plum and red-based purples for interior
designs.
Let there be light: For the past few years, consumers have opted for ultra
energy-efficient LED lighting as a way to save money on energy-related costs
and make their homes more environmentally friendly. LED lighting will continue
to build in momentum, with LED under-cabinet fixtures and LED rail lights will
take "being green" to a higher, more stylish level.
Homeowners are making big statements with simple changes, by
investing in eye-catching lighting fixtures such as elongated linear
chandeliers that complement rectangle-shaped dining room tables, kitchen
islands and the long farmhouse kitchen tables currently in vogue.
Add "wow" to walls: Due to their versatility and affordability, wall murals will
continue to be a popular way to transform the look and feel of any room in the
house. Fueled by economic conditions that have inspired consumers to use
decorative wall murals as a cost-effective way to give their living areas a
fresh look, these relatively small changes can make huge, personal statements
in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and home offices. Envision bold
geometric patterns, edgy, urban graphics and Asian-inspired prints being
especially hot in 2010, with nature and travel scenes remaining perennial
favorites.
The fabric of our lives: Textiles will take their cues from natural materials such as
felt, cork and even tree bark. Pattern on pattern will be increasingly popular,
with homeowners intentionally mismatching products to allow endless
possibilities of blends and textures. There also are more fabrics combining
durability with style - once relegated to crushable chenille and fragile silks
- as they become more available in manmade and natural fabrics for use in
upholstery and drapery-weight materials.
Fabrics will host a "big party" of large graphic
prints and floral patterns this year with dark navy backgrounds mixed with bold
patterns in lavender, mint green and sea foam, as well as plum backgrounds
mixed with strong floral patterns in red and pink. Turquoise mixed with
tangerine will also be trendy.
Fun, functional furniture: Furniture being comfortable and functional, yet elegant -
reflecting consumers' continued need for a refuge in which to relax and escape
their busy lives. Furnishings will be a more eclectic mix of neo-classic, Asian
and art deco styles, by incorporating mirrored furniture, chinoiserie, bamboo,
and vintage furniture. There is a juxtaposition of old-world formal and casual
lifestyle with refurbished European overstuffed club chairs, arm chairs,
two-seater settees and ottomans showing up everywhere from cottages and country
homes to urban lofts.
Transitional to contemporary collections will still dominate
in 2010. Maple and alder will remain popular cost-efficient wood choices, with
bamboo appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. Clean lines and
classic style will be in; excessive ornamentation will be out.
Go for the green: Unlike Kermit the Frog's song, it is easy being green as
more and more Americans are turning to eco-friendly design options. Everything
has been going "eco" as more attention is drawn to "green"
products. Design will be leaning toward nature in the use of sustainable
products such as bamboo, as well as fresh products introduced using recycled
glass, reclaimed wood and manufacturing byproducts. There is also a trend
toward "eco luxury," blending sophisticated products with
environmental benefits to create an air of elegant sustainability.
Au naturel: Predicted is an increased interest in repurposing items
found in nature, such as using bleached-out branches as art sculptures, an old
worn tree stump as a coffee table base or a console table and teak branches
assembled as a screen or room divider. Also foreseen are baskets, bowls and
planters made from blocks or chunks of unusual woods.
Radical rugs: Echoing the trend in fabrics, envision rugs inspired with
outrageously large graphics and bold combinations of colors such as aqua, lime,
medium greens and white. Due to the ongoing popularity of hardwood floors, a
comeback in area rugs is seen with heavily patterned rugs with bold prints and
geometric patterns becoming the focus point of many living rooms.
