The days are shortening, the air is getting crisper, fall is on the way and the holidays and house guests are just around the corner. How about updating your home with the latest trends? Here are four of the hottest home decor trends to consider!
1. Warm Neutrals and Gemstone Colours
Photo Source: Hunter Douglas
Colour is saturated this year. Even neutrals like caramel beige, taupey beige and the like have warmed up. Everyone needs a little brightness though, and that’s why gemstone colours are everywhere. Amethyst purple, citrine gold, emerald green, Pantone’s colour of the year, and garnet red are colours that can be used in various combinations, but also work great as stand-alone.
“If you like it on your neck, fingers or wrists, it will most likely work well in your home,” says Sally Morse, the director of creative services for window fashions manufacturer Hunter Douglas.
To brighten up your interiors, she suggests opting for Pirouette window shadings, which offer rich colour at the window as well as a sheer fabric backing that protects against the sun’s harmful UV rays, while still permitting light and a view.
2. Think Stripes
Photo Source: Maxwell Fabrics – As Seen In Canadian Home Trends Summer 2013
“Circles are out and stripes are in,” says Morse, “and they are trendy in any size.” No matter whether they are thin or wide, two-tone or multicoloured, stripes are chic this year and can be very versatile. Mix them with florals or geometrics, or pair them with Ikats, an Asian weaving technique in which a pattern is created from tie-dyed threads, which are very popular in drapery and upholstery fabrics. Stripes can bring a crisp edge to any room – and can make a narrow window appear wider.
3. Natural Materials and Furnishings
Photo Source: Eileen Marshall
Linens and cotton are in, so are open weaves, where if it is a shirt or sweater, you have to wear something underneath it. If you don’t want to re-upholster, a wool throw in an open weave works well at the foot of the bed or at the end of the sofa.
Painted woods, particularly in grey tones, are very popular as are distressed woods and rubbed finishes. You can easily paint an old work table in subtle grey or get away from a matchy-matchy look in the bedroom by investing in new tables with a vintage look.
4. Embellished Walls
Photo Source: Benjamin Moore
The bedroom is often the last room to be made over in the home. This private space takes a back seat when gathering places such as kitchens and living rooms require immediate attention. And yet, it doesn’t take much to create a dramatic, relaxing bedroom retreat.
This look can be easily created with various painting techniques that make the walls the focal point of the room. Sharon Grech, a colour and design expert at Benjamin Moore, shares her tips on how to bring a unique, embellished look to the bedroom with easy to replicate paint and design techniques:
The New Wallpapering Effect
Wallpaper gives an elegant and lush look, but removing it can become a labour-filled task. One way to get the textured, patterned effect of wallpaper, simply by using paint, is with a patterned paint roller. Start with a warm base coat and then choose a complementary colour to create the painted pattern. The final result will look glamourous and is a cinch to achieve. Patterned paint rollers in varying designs can easily be found online.
Pattern on a Faux-Tin Roof
The bedroom walls don’t always have to be the main focal point. A beautifully patterned ceiling using faux-tin evokes an unexpected, embellished look reminiscent of the Art Deco era. Once applied to the ceiling, they can easily be painted over in a complementary colour to the room, or painted with an antiqued finish for a more traditional look. In this photo, the colour Yukon Sky from the Benjamin Moore Natura line was used on the ceiling to add detail and interest. Grech says Natura is ideal for bedrooms because it contains zero-VOCs and virtually no odour. Homeowners can settle back into their room for a good night’s sleep the same day they paint.
“No matter whether you are applying a new paint technique to the walls or to the ceiling,” she emphasized, “don’t shy away from bold design choices to create a dramatic look in the bedroom.”
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