Defining Style… Again


 

What is the “current design trend?”

In 2010, article after article (in both retail and to-the-trade magazines) designers were contradicting themselves before they even got to penning the final paragraph.  As you read, experts were saying black and white combos are so now.  However, neutrals and earth tones are hotter than they’ve ever been.  Bold colors like hot pink and chartreuse are timely.  But dark green is selling with clients.

Basically, they were saying “anything goes”…

How fun it is to say that you can have almost anything you want and it is current with today’s style trends.  But what about tomorrow?  And here we are 7 years of tomorrows later.  What looks dated or tired to us now?

It’s enough to drive a designer insane, let alone a homeowner trying to update their house to sell (or live in for that matter).  We want to spend our dollars on design that will last.  Black and white combos are still considered a classic.  And while earth tones are still accepted, the brown and tans of 2010 have shifted over to grays.  Bold colors are still hanging around, but for how much longer?

So, adding our voice to all the other experts writing about home design, here is our take on how to focus yourself on a design for your home.

  • Keep the architecture of your home in mind.  If you have a home with a predisposed historical design, then follow it (ie. owners of bungalows could look to 1920’s designs and materials for inspiration). 
  • Then be daring, go to the extreme.  High contrast or minimal contrast.  Stay way from the middle ground or the “safe zone.”  While, it does not need to shout, a home should make a clear statement.  
  • Finally, look for balance.  Some women need to take off a piece of jewelry before they leave the house while others need to put a piece on – designing a room is no different.
  • Look at the way you decorate your home in general and bring that flare into the room through product choice.
  • If a design trend has made its way around a second time, it’s probably a keeper.  For example, subway tile and mission style cabinet doors.
  • When in doubt, white and chrome are always winners for fixtures and faucetry.

If you’re still finding yourself dazed and confused, even with a designer in tow as you visit the Merchandise Mart week after week, take heart.  You can never go wrong with buying design that you like… after all, you live there.  And if anyone asks you to define your home’s style, tell them it’s “eclectic” – after all, it’s all the rage.

February 2017 Stephanie Bullwinkel, CBD 

Imperial Kitchens and Baths, Inc.
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