Design trends this year bring vivid color, texture, and panache to home decor. From fabrics to furniture, interior decorating styles in 2014 incorporate modern touches mixed with classic elegance to create bold new looks that stand the test of time. It doesn’t take a lot to transform a room using a few of these trends, and the effect can be dramatic.
1. Bold, Vivid Colors
Whether it’s an accent piece, throw pillows, wall color or window treatments, bright, saturated colors are being used to create fresh spaces that banish the beige. Pantone’s color of the year, Radiant Orchid, a captivating, magical, enigmatic purple, is just one example. Other hot colors include tangerine, ochre, emerald and turquoise. These colors are not pastel — they are vibrant, with deep tones. The key is to define just how much color you want and to use it in a way that gives your room a fresh look without overpowering everything else.
2. Glamorous Fabrics
From metallic upholstery to pleats and hide hair, furniture is getting a glamorous makeover this year. Classic dining chairs and unique statement pieces are being upholstered with copper or silver-toned fabric to give them a luxurious look and feel. Furniture designers are trading leather for hide hair on signature pieces, and adding refined pleats to chairs and sofas.
3. Outdoor Pieces that Feel Like You’re Indoors
Outdoor fabrics have also undergone a revolution, and combined with modern patio furniture styling, new outdoor furniture options create luxurious outdoor living possibilities. This is not the patio set of your parents’ generation. These outdoor pieces let you entertain effortlessly and comfortably under the open skies with all the style you’re used to in the living room.
4. Lighter-Toned Woods
Maybe as a reaction to all the dark woods we’ve been seeing in furniture for so long, lighter, honey-color woods such as walnut, oak, and cherry are looking fresh, especially when combined with bold wall colors and exotic fabrics. Don’t be afraid to mix woods. When done thoughtfully, and with the right color palette, it can be pulled off.
5. Bright Kitchens
One of the more expensive design trends this year is the revitalized kitchen. Homeowners are choosing elaborate custom cabinetry painted in rich gemstone colors, and accented with gleaming brass or chrome, all lit by unusual lighting fixtures to make a dramatic statement about their home’s central style. Using composite surfaces that mimic malachite, agate, and other exotic semi-precious stones, designers are creating jewel-like countertops and backsplashes.
You don’t need to be an interior decorator to incorporate some or all of these trends into your home decor. You just need a little imagination and an idea of what you’d like to accomplish with your new design. Brightening up a room can be done so easily with a little bit of color, some accent pieces, new lamps, maybe a new focal furniture piece or new window treatments. Talk to your favorite furniture store owner who can be a wealth of tips and advice on how to redesign your space.
