by lauraadmin | Jan 30, 2018 | NOC
January is one of my least favorite months. It is long, cold and by the end of the month I am starting to realize that my zeal for achieving my resolutions is starting to wane :0 One of the only reasons I like January, is the excitement in seeing the new trends in home design. Some people have an aversion to trends (even the word itself launches some into a soliloquy on how style should be timeless, blah blah blah. I have a blog post saved up just for this topic).
In the beginning of January everyone is throwing out his or her predictions for the new trends. However, by the end of January, the Industry Influencers have spoken and the trends have been set. Here are some of my favorite trends forecasted for 2018:
New Year, New Trends
ABSTRACT FLORALS
I love abstract anything! I love when it is left to the individual to interpret what he or she is seeing; I feel that it makes an object more interesting. This is how I feel about abstract floral prints. The subject is timeless, but its expression is more modern. This is why pairing an abstract floral with geometric patterns look so rich.
VINTAGE DECOR
Using vintage items in a more modern space will be all the rage for 2018. This has been one of my favorite and most satisfying additions in my projects with clients. Using vintage elements takes the “newness” out of a recently redesigned room. It gives the room a more curated feel, as if the room unfolded over time. I LOVE this vintage Parisian Salon Mirror from Wisteria. It adds the perfect dose of history and glamour to this dining room.
WHITE PAINTED ROOMS
Fall 2017 was all about the jewel-tones and rich velvet. 2018 is calling for a “palette cleanser” of whites. White painted rooms are by far one of the hardest to get right, but when done right, they take a room to a whole new level! There are so many undertones to white that choosing the best white for your room is based on SO MANY factors: the direction the room faces, the tones of other elements in the room, light sources in the room, etc…. Enlisting an expert really is key to getting this color done right! Here are some of my favorite white paint colors:
CURVY FURNITURE
Like the addition of vintage elements, you will see a lot of curvy furniture in 2018! We have had a long run of minimalist decor. Modern Farmhouse is a trend with very square edges and clean lines; a very no frills look. Love it or hate it, this trend is on the decline. Curvy, more ornate furniture will be big for 2018. The KEY to getting this look right, is using only ONE piece in a room. Using more than this, will put you over into the “overly traditional” category. If that’s your thing, great; otherwise, stick with using just one piece of furniture in this style.
NON-STAINLESS APPLIANCES
Hallelujah to the end of the stainless trend! While I think stainless appliances were a nice addition to kitchen design, like granite counters, they have had their run! It is time to add color and different finishes to kitchen appliances!
This GORGEOUS Le Cornue stove is such a work of art! The black finish and mixed metals are so stunning and such a statement piece, that I can’t imagine this stove ever going out of style! Since I think mixing appliance materials is a definite “design-do” (limit to a max of two finishes) I think having all stainless or all black appliances and mixing in a stove like this would be beyond stunning!
GOLD DECOR
Gold metal has been big for the last 5 years. Industry Influencers have predicted that it will continue to be “the metal” for another 10 years. I still have a lot of clients that are hesitant to embrace this trend. However, the clients that have made the leap have never turned back! Gold gives a warmth and richness that chrome just can’t achieve! While I like chrome, it conveys a completely different look. Builders are still using chrome for their spec houses (and a lot are still using granite :0 )
If you are going to choose a metal, choose gold or brass. If you are still unsure, at least choose pieces that are mixed metal pieces. For a few years now, mixing metals in kitchens and bathrooms has been popular. I love the way it looks to mix! You won’t regret choosing gold or brass over chrome.
I hope you enjoyed my trend forecast for 2018. Let me know if there are any trends I’ve missed.
xo
Laurie
by lauraadmin | Jan 20, 2016 | NOC
While temperatures dip below freezing in the Northeast, writing a post on warm paint color palettes could not have come at a better time! Dreaming of sun, sand and all things warm is a nice respite from this frigid weather. This might be my longest post yet; so, buckle up, Babydolls!
I find that warm colors are more tricky to work with and harder to pair with other warm colors. The undertones of warm colors vary so greatly making it difficult to find other colors that marry well with them. That being said, there are a few tips I like to use when pairing these colors together. But first, let’s start with some color palettes and pictures that illustrate these palettes before I launch into my tips. As a caveat, most computer screens and the screens of hand-held devices are all calibrated very differently. This great effects the way these colors are viewed. Please take paint chips home or buy paint samples to try out in the space you are looking to use them (viewing them during both the day and night) to ensure the color is right for you.
The colors below are colors we all know and love with a few updates. Those who follow fashion know that when trends emerge from past trends, they are always tweaked to make them more current; paint colors are no different.
As I stated in my last post on this topic, try to use a dark, medium and light colors in each room adding a pop of color for interest and depth. The palette I highlighted below features Springfield Tan, Yosemite Sand, Rustic Taupe, Nightfall and Cork. A nice combination to use might be to have Springfield Tan on the walls, Yosemite Sand on the ceiling (this would look amazing), Rustic Taupe and Nightfall as your accent color and Cork as your pop.
The room below features sand colored walls with white trimmed box molding and pops of yellow and black. Unless you have a high threshold for color and contrast, it is a good idea to limit your pop of yellow to accent and accessories that can easily be swapped out. Yellow is one of the hardest colors to work with; therefore, when it comes to yellow, muted is best. In my opinion, pastel yellow only belongs in a nursery.
Image via Houzz
Here is a palette using a medium tone beige, a deep brown, cream and cherry red as an accent color. I love this bright, almost pink pop of red. This is a beautiful and more current red than was used 10 years ago. It is bright and saturated, yet still refined. In designing a room using these colors, I would use the medium color, Baja Dunes on the walls; the dark and light color, Fallen timber and muslin, as accents and Rose Parade as the pop of color. The dining room below is a very dramatic use of these colors. This designer chose to paint the walls a very deep shade of brown, with white moldings, trim and mirror. The pop of cherry red is used only on the upholstery, area rug and wall decor.
Image via Houzz – Tobi Fairley Interior Design
The deep brown (almost black) walls looks so rich with this shade of cherry red!
My last palette using warm colors features a color that a lot of people are afraid of: Orange. I can understand one’s hesitation to use this color. When searching through Designer portfolios for images using orange, I found more badly designed rooms using this color, than I did of rooms that used orange successfully. I have a few tips just for this color alone. When using the right shade of orange, in the right places, this color can add a fun pop or add a warm, comforting vibe to your space. The palette below features a crisp white, White Dove; a light beige, Manchester Tan; a rich brown, Brown Horse and a saturated orange, Pumpkin Spice.
Tips for using orange: Use orange in a space that gets a lot of natural light. I would also suggest limiting this color to one wall. Orange is a secondary color, it is a blend of red and yellow. Choose an orange that has more red than yellow in it. Therefore, I would opt for a medium to deep shade of orange over a lighter shade of this color. In addition, when incorporating metals with orange, I would suggest using gold over silver.
The rooms below use this color as an accent color to add depth to the space. They both limit this color to strategically placed pops of orange. The first room uses a deep dramatic brown for the wall color, adding a deep orange throw at the bottom of the bed and orange Hermes boxes on the nightstands. The second room uses a lighter wall color with orange as the accent on the rug and upholstery. Most importantly, the designers of both rooms kept the intensity of the orange (deep and rich for the first, rich and bright for the second), consistent with the other colors in the room.
Image via Houzz-Gary McBournie Inc.
Image via Houzz
Below are my pairings for those of you who like things a little bolder 🙂 These palettes are deep and dramatic. There is much less variation in the intensity of the colors used in these spaces. This palette features Sherwin Williams paints.
Bold Color Pairing-Sherwin Williams
Image via Houzz- Salins Group
Image via Houzz – Leigh Olive Mowry-Olive Interiors
Image via Pinterest – Blogspot
In the image below, I love how this designer created drama using the same color intensity for all colors. Although this room is too dramatic for most people, it is really well done! Green is a versatile color in that it plays well with both silver and gold.
Image via Pinterest – Studio M Interiors
This last room illustrates a classic black, white and red palette. This palette will never go out of style. However, this is a fresh interpretation that I love. Most elements in this room are kept light and bright. The use of black on the window grills adds a dramatic and upscale element. It is as though this designer used kohl eyeliner to line the “eyes” of this room. The designer showed restraint in leaving the window treatments simple to highlight this feature. The red chairs are a perfect use of dramatic symmetry. I am loving this dining room right down to the blown glass orb chandelier!
Image via Houzz-Spinnaker Development
Ok, here are a few tips on warm paint pairings:
- According to House Beautiful, warm colors are best used in south and east facing rooms. South and east facing light is warm and will enhance warm paint colors. To determine what direction your room faces, you can download a compass app on your phone. Be sure to keep your phone (or compass) flat for most accurate results.
- As a general rule of thumb, gold is the best metals to use when accessorizing rooms using warm colors.
- Be cognizant of the type of light you are using in a room with warm paint. Florescent light bulbs (never recommended) emit a very blue green light and will completely change the way your paint looks at night. Incandescent light (most light bulbs) If you have nothing better to do, you can click here for more info on this topic 🙂
I will wrap this post up by expressing my deep appreciation for all of your kind, enthusiastic and supportive feedback. I appreciate each and every comment and private message I have received. This blog is a labor of love, and it is my hope that I am able to lessen the frustration and challenges that arise in home design. Your feedback is immensely helpful and lets me know what you are interested in reading about. Keep the suggestions coming 🙂
xo Laurie
by lauraadmin | Jan 11, 2016 | NOC
Picking paint colors has always been the number one request I get as a designer. People get very nervous committing to a color from 1×2 paint chip. It is also nerve-wracking knowing that the same color can look very different in two different homes, during different times of the day or whether it is on sheet rock or plaster. In addition, choosing a palette for one’s home where one room flows seamlessly to the next, while having each room still maintain its own identity can be challenging. One’s threshold for color also plays a role in what color one chooses.
Below are the color trend reports for 2016 from the three largest paint companies; Benjamin Moore, Behr and Sherwin Williams.
Below is the 2016 paint palette for Benjamin Moore:
The Benjamin Moore palette is my favorite of all three palettes. I love the muted quality in this whole palette. Most of these colors have gray and black undertones. Also, the colors in the palette on the right share similar color values and intensity. Therefore, it will be very easy to mix and match these colors.
Below is the 2016 paint palette for Behr:
Behr 2016 Paint Palette
The Behr palette has a very deep and moody tone to it. I would use this palette in rooms that get a lot of natural light, or in rooms with very high ceilings. I love the Charcoal Plum, Opus, Black Pearl, Pagoda and Fifth Olive-nue in this palette.
Here are Sherwin Williams’ Paint Trend Palettes for 2016:
My personal favorites are the entire Pura Vida Palette, as well as the Naval and Backdrop from the Nouveau Narrative palette. I think Sherwin Williams was hedging their bets a bit by including just about every color under the sun this year 😉
All three palettes feature colors that are very muted and have gray and black undertones. After many years of beige and gray, this is a very safe way to get people to dip their toe back in the “color pond”.
However, by far, the overwhelming consensus is that 2016 is White’s year to shine!! White, and all of its shades is being touted at the “it’ color. Benjamin Moore listed its Simply White as the Color Of The Year for 2016, and Sherwin Williams listed Alabaster as their Color Of The Year for 2016
My interpretation of these color trend palettes is that people will keep their walls light and bright (think anything in the Pura Vida palette) and use the bolder colors as accents on walls, furniture, pillows and accessories. I think bold colored painted furniture in hues of fuchsia, yellow and blue will be big for the next few years.
The pictures below illustrate the look of light bright walls with bold accents, beautifully.
Image via The Fab Guide
Image via Popsugar
Image via Maria Barros
Next up is paint color pairings for walls, accent walls, furniture and MORE!!!…….stay tuned!!!
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations for future posts.
xo Laurie
