Design Trends 2011 - Trend #6 Sparkle and Shine

First let me say, "Happy Birthday Lauri and I love you!" Today is my sister's birthday!

Now back to design...

Lately, I've really been embracing the trend of adding just a little touch of something metallic. A pillow here, a candle there...it gives me a happy feeling inside, like I am fantasy! I have an obsession with mercury glass and now that I have started searching for it, I am seeing it in everywhere, light fixtures, frames, candlesticks and dishes (which of course if faux mercury)!

Remember that old "foil" wallpaper from your grandmother's house? The stuff you may have helped rip off the walls when she redecorated? I do! Well it is BACK! Maybe not all over and definitely not the same colors, but yes metallic and in smaller spaces, in niches or on one statement making wall. The designs are better, the colors are current and you will be seeing it everywhere!

This decor used to be reserved for holiday decorating, but now we're spotting shiny metallics and even sequins year-round, in nearly everything from throw pillows and serving ware to tile and wallpaper. It's a nod to Hollywood Regency and sophistication. You only need a hint of metallic to make a bold, glitz-and-glam statement, so be careful not to overdo it!

Design Trends 2011 - Trend #5 Kitchen Design

As 2011 arrives, a few design trends have emerged into the forefront of kitchen design. Particularly as the economy continues to improve, homeowners are expected to invest more money in their homes through remodeling, rather than buying completely new houses. Here are 5 top predicted trends for kitchen design in 2011:



Cork Flooring



1. Going Green

As we are becoming more aware of the impact their lives have on the environment, they look to more eco-friendly product options. This holds true in kitchens as well. Natural design options, like cork, bamboo, and reclaimed wood are experiencing a surge in interest, as well as decorating essentials like low-VOC paint and varnishes. Eco-friendly appliances like induction cooking and those with an Energy Star rating are continuing to be popular as well.

2. Hidden Surprises

Even while appliances may be increasing in size, new building trends and design technologies can allow them to be essentially hidden within a kitchen behind custom cabinetry. This provides kitchens with all of the regular functionality, but also with a truly seamless appearance that we are just beginning to be seen in kitchen design.

3. Sleek vs. Mod

Although some homewoners may desire to hide their kitchen appliances, another trend for 2011 kitchens is the continuance of the sleek and modern look. Most homeowners will do this with stainless steel appliances, and pair them with a darker wood cabinetry for a sophisticated appearance. A new trend in cabinetry that we’re seeing for 2011, particularly in kitchens with stainless steel appliances, is white cabinets and countertops. This combination creates open and airy kitchens while still retaining full functionality.

4. Multipurpose Room

Speaking of open and airy, kitchens have long been a gathering point for family and friends, especially during the holidays. The increasing number of multipurpose islands being created and installed in kitchens shows that more consumers are both cooking and gathering in their kitchens. Homeowners are also gravitating towards open floorplans, which allows the kitchen to be connected to a living or dining room, and provides even more space to cook and entertain.

5. Pops of Color

While it might feel a bit like a return to the colorful kitchen days of the 1950’s and 1960’s, one of the biggest trends designers are predicting for this season is for kitchens to include whimsical and often unexpected pops of color. Usually, these will come from appliances, like the traditional KitchenAid stand mixer in a bold cherry red hue. If clients express their wishes to include such bright bits of color, consider your material choices in the rest of the kitchen design and you can provide the ideal kitchen experience!

Design Trend 2011 - #4 Hardwood Flooring

Although espresso and dark hardwood floors have been the norm for years, the trend is going towards a little lighter look for the surface you walk on. You will start to see two-tone and gray finishes, like driftwood (I have also seen this finish popping up in furniture as well).  Another trend is faux vintage hardwood flooring that is distressed to provide a convincing, naturally worn appearance. Additionally floor finishes are trending away from the high-gloss, minimal grain look to more natural, unvarnished, waxed finish with higher graining and imperfections.

The eco-friendly woods like bamboo, rubber tree and salvaged wood floors (which can be pricey) are also still all the rage. While green hardwoods don’t always offer the variety you can find in your typical hardwoods, in a town like Austin, Texas, eco-friendly products are starting to slightly outweigh design. Oak hardwood floors will continue to be popular because they are seen as timeless and can be molded to work with a variety of design schemes. Homeowners can install an oak hardwood floor and five years down the road, redecorate their homes without needed to touch the wood.

No matter how you look it is though, hardwood flooring, whether vintage, oak or bamboo, is the #1 flooring choice for most homeowners.

Design Trends 2011 - Trend #2 Vintage, Vintage, Vintage

Not just furniture but art, accessories, dishes, and fabrics too.  Give the new life to old treasures.  If you are lucky you have pieces you have inherited from your grandparents and great grandparents, pieces that you may think are dated or out of style but sometimes just adding a coat of paint and repurposing your treasure is all you need to not only have a conversation piece but also bring some history and maybe even childhood memories into your home. The green buffet shown to the right was my grandmother's.  She actually painted it herself in 1970's (hence the olive green finish) but it fits perfectly into my turquoise and green color scheme, plus people ask me about it all the time, which is great way to remind me of  how special she was to our family!

If you aren’t lucky enough to have family heirlooms, go to flea markets and estate sales.  Look at the shape and lines of the piece not the finish or the fabric, those can be changed.  Not only is it green to buy and reuse vintage furniture but they are usually built better, made of solid wood and much sturdier (I am not sure they knew what particle board was back then!).

Don’t store you grandma’s dishes and only get them out once a year for that prefect occasion, use them, enjoy them, hey if they are really cool, hang them on the wall.  If you have some really unique vintage fabric but don’t have much, have accent pillows made for the sofa or placemats for the dining table. If you have at least 3 yards, you could have an accent chair recovered for your room. 

A lot of the time old artwork looks terrible because it is framed terribly, but don’t let that deter, trash the old frame and pick a frame that is more fitting to the piece of art.  Be creative, think outside the box and if you can’t, let me know and I will do it for you!

Design Trends 2011 - Trend #1 Creating Personal Style

Now that everyone is settling in to 2011, the kids are back in school, you’ve returned to work, you’re holiday décor is put away (hopefully) and everyone is getting back into the swing of things you are probably feeling not only a sense of peace but also a little restlessness. For most people the start of a new year means new beginnings, refreshed work-out schedules and meal plans, and a dedication to realigning yourself, whatever that may mean to you…to me that means looking at my home and giving it a fresh new look. So starting today 1-11-11 and continuing on for the next 11 days I will bring to you the latest trends for 2011 in hopes that it jump starts you to energize yourself with your surroundings…make your home a reflection of you and your family!

Trend #1 - Creating “Personal Style”

As a designer, people always ask me, “What is your style?” and I always answer with, “A little bit of everything…” In 2011 design is pulling away from specific styles like “Rustic”, “Old World”, and “Modern”, and style is becoming much more personalized. Your home shouldn’t look like you went to a furniture store and pointed to a display “room” and said, “I’ll take that whole room!” Your home should consist of treasures collected over time, items handed down, great random finds, and collections from your travels as well as new purchases. The true trick is finding the balance. Like in cooking you need to find the right recipe, a whole house of rustic with one modern acrylic chair just won’t make sense. So mix things up a bit…put your great grandfather’s handmade dining table with modern, upholstered dining chairs.

Additionally, have your home reflect both masculine and feminine elements, don’t alienate anyone. You should have light and dark, old and new, and have it all in equal amounts.

What is your “personal style”?