Design Trends to Love
Every year, like with fashion, decorating trends are talked about and we suddenly feel like we need to update our home (or wardrobe). Although I enjoy looking current, I’m not a huge trend follower and if I’m going to go for a trend that I think may be short-lived – I don’t choose to make a heavy investment in them.
Others, that I think will stand the test of time, I will invest in.
Here are some trends for 2024.
Embracing Neutrals
You know (if you’ve been reading my ezines, or following me on social media (Post social media links), that I love a great neutral palette. This doesn’t mean it has to be boring or dull, but neutrals serve as a great backdrop to a room. Color can always be infused with artwork, area rugs, throw blankets, pillows, etc. It’s an affordable way to not get sick of anything too quickly either.
Many people are painting their wall and trim the same color and may change the sheen to an eggshell on the wall to a semi-gloss on the trim. This can be a nice rich look. I just pulled out a gray color based on my entryway wallpaper, for all of my doors and trim, a matte black for the window panes throughout and matched the white from the wallpaper to be the paint color throughout my home. It’s small and keeping to one color is easy on the eye as you move from one room to another.
Incorporating Textures
Bringing different textures into a room (even with a neutral color palette) can add visual interest. For example, I had grasscloth wallpaper in one of my homes and loved the neutral color as well as the look and feel of this on my walls. It helped to set the tone of the Asian inspired and beach vibes I wanted to merge for a Cape Cod condo. Textures come in the form of fabrics for upholstery to tissue holders. Bring texture into your room and home.
Bringing Color into Your Kitchen . . . Cabinets
Two tone cabinets (I did this myself in my kitchen – with black lower and white upper cabinets, then I brought in my brass and glass shelves to bring on the bistro) are having a moment, or mixing wood cabinetry with painted as well. If you’re not sure you’d love this look, start by painting an island and see how you like it. That alone could be a big update for not a lot of money. Other newer colors that are coming into vogue are eggplant or deep purple and all shades of greens. If you love color, your kitchen can be a great place to incorporate it. If you want to be sure to remain classically on trend, you can never go wrong with white and black cabinets (hence my choice).
Painting Wood Walls
Shiplap has been around for a long time and who doesn’t love a great shiplap? Painting wood is such a great idea, especially when the wood is basic, marked up or a 1960’s wood paneling. Paint. That. Wood. I’ve had clients resist painting wainscoting on their walls where natural wood was living. I advised it because the wood was not in the best condition or that interesting. Paint offered a great solution to improving the look of the walls.
Less is More
Editing your items is wise to do periodically. If you’re not sure something is looking good in a space, remove it. I’m constantly moving items in my home. If at some point a piece of furniture or accessory I love but it doesn’t have a home in my home, I’ll offer it to a client or sometimes resell it to one of the many consignment and antique stores I have relationships with. You can do the same thing. I also made the mistake of picking up items I thought I’d need only to learn I had a different need for a space and those items might not work at all. Take your time. Decorating is a process. The less we have, the less there is to maintain, keep track of and we’ll use more of what we do have.
Tip: Remove items that you don’t love and are not using. You’ll be surprised at how much less clutter you’ll have in your space and can start enjoying it!
Come to think of it, as I was writing this I realized these “trends” are also classic choices in decor. Next week, I’ll focus on Design Trends I Could Live Without.
If you’re stumped with a decorating dilemma, feel free to reach out to me directly to set up a time to talk with me. I’m happy to help address a challenge you might be facing in beautifying your own home. I’m at nmichaels@nancymichaels.com – and don’t forget to follow me on social media! Instagram, YouTube and Facebook: @nancymichaelsinteriors