Latest trends

Changes in the design world can be slow and in most cases, trends are here for years before they finally surface and catch on. Pairing blues and browns, for instance, took some time before it went mainstream and it’s recently been updated with the tranquil feel of blue and gray. Designers are also updating architectural details like molding or crown by painting them the same color (instead of highlighting them) for a contemporary feel. And we’re seeing several new color trends on the design scene right now - a lot of green, eco friendly fabrics, wild graphic patterns and several self color palettes with muted blues, taupes and grays that are very soft and easy to live in. All in all these trends are very sophisticated and palatable and we’re not seeing colors change from one extreme to the other like they did in the 80’s.

By the same token, the eco trend has hit the ground and gone mainstream faster than anything I’ve ever seen. It started with building materials, but now innovations for turning your home green inside as well as out are really coming around. There’s eco friendly paint, energy efficient lighting and a wide range of green furniture. We’re also starting to see more use with rocks, grass, twigs and other organic, natural materials across the board. Angela Adams, who’s very well recognized for her home furnishings collections, has a fantastic new carpet line that’s made from recycled materials and manufactured in strict adherence to child labor laws. Her patterns also feature the graphic, bold colors we’re seeing a lot of this year.

We’re really excited about discovering interior design companies that are eco conscious and love to support their products when we can. Recently we’ve embarked on a remodel with one of our clients to make their home 100% green using recycled carpet padding, 100% New Zealand wool carpet, eco friendly paint, energy efficient pictures and we’ll be installing dual flush toilets that also promise to leave a lighter footprint on the environment. But eco makeovers are costly, and if it’s not something that fits your budget, there are a number of simple and inexpensive modifications you can make throughout your home. For instance, replacing one light bulb with compact fluorescents takes thousands of cars off the highway. I’ve committed to using energy efficient lighting and have also become much more aware of the lights I leave on in the house. It’s also very easy to watch your water consumption and not leave water running longer than necessary. In addition, I write notes on the back of used envelopes or other bits of paper lying around, instead of using a new pad of paper. Little changes like these are resourceful, easy to implement and help you do your part in respecting the environment.