Every morning, we walk into our closets and peruse the shelves for the outfit that will give us the strength to conquer the day. If you think about it, our clothing truly does make us feel strong, empowered, flirty, sexy, professional or carefree. We dress ourselves for a particular feeling that we are trying to evoke. Decorating your home is very much the same way. We want to surround ourselves with colors, patterns, textures and lines that make us feel good. For example, in our family rooms we tend to decorate for comfort. In a living room, a feeling of formality is typically preferred. In a master bedroom I usually get asked to create a place of serenity and restfulness. I then create a design plan full of colors, textures, fabrics and styles that when all used together evoke a certain feeling for that particular room. You can think of it this way, the stilettos that you stepped into this morning are analogous to the accent pillows placed on your living room sofa. They are the finishing touch!
Since the relationship between decorating yourself and your home are so close, you might expect the trends in each field to also be closely linked. Well, you would be correct! In fact, most interior decorating trends follow the fashion trends set by designers all over the world. For example, large scale prints are going to be everywhere in 2011. In the past, large prints were understated and small geometric prints took center stage. We have come full circle and are back to highlighting the bold prints. Large scale florals, natural scenes featuring birds, bugs and branches, for example, are hot trends to see not only on pillows but on accent chairs, draperies and even bedding. If you flip through any women’s fashion catalog, you will see many blouses, dresses and skirts all featuring these same print styles. It is time to have fun with pattern and let your imagination flow! One pattern in particular that is making a huge comeback is paisley. You will be seeing a lot of this traditional print but look for it in modern, bold colors.
Another design trend that will be important this year is color. The Pantone color of 2011 is…..Honeysuckle! This bright color will be seen throughout the design and fashion industry. You may see a great pair of capri pants or a flirty skirt in this fun color. Honeysuckle adds color to any outfit and looks great on just about every skin tone. It is also a great color to use when decorating your home. Honeysuckle will add life and the element of cheerfulness to any room in your home. For example, this color could be great as a pillow against a white sofa for a fresh, modern look. It could be paired with a chocolate fabric on a pair of draperies or on a chair. Honeysuckle accessories could be brought in to transform a room for the Spring and Summer seasons. The key to using this color is to balance it with other more subdued colors so that it stands out without competing.
Don’t these trends sound great?! Bold patterns, bright colors, now what else is there to consider? Textures and styles. Linen is going to be huge in 2011. Going along with the overall feel of natural fibers and patterns, the use of linen fits right in. Draperies, chairs, accent pillows and bedding are all great places to use linen or even a burlap texture. The look of linen can be very casual and relaxing or it can be dressed up by adding trim or banding to draperies or a great silk throw pillow on a chair. It is a timeless fiber that will be long lasting and will go in a variety of color schemes. A Honeysuckle accent paired with a linen look would be fabulous! As for the style and lines of the pieces in a room, we are seeing more of a sleek, straight lined look. While the transitional style still remains the popular, the trend is more towards the modern and going away from the traditional. The furniture styles are leaning towards more straight and simplistic with the focus being on the color, texture and patterns of the fabric in the room. Again, by looking through most any fashion magazine you will also see these same trends reflected in the designer’s collections. Lots of linen pants, skirts, dresses will be found on the runway for all of the same reasons. This fabric is comfortable, allows you to move in it and can be dressed up or down depending on it’s purpose. As for the lines and style of an ensemble, most pieces are made with clean lines and the accessories dress them up.
As you can see, the design and fashion worlds tend to align in more ways than one. Just as you like to feel complete by the clothes that you wear, the décor of your home is just as important. At the end of the day, you should come home to a space that does exactly what you need it to do. Maybe your sofa needs to act just like your favorite pair of pajamas or your living room needs to function for you on the weekends like your favorite little black dress does for you on a Friday night. Does your home reflect your personal style? I am excited to help you answer this question. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.
