Decorating Trends

Decorating a home is all about telling a story. It is the story of the people who dwell there, where they vacation, what their hobbies are, where they come from and their family history. The key to any successful story is focusing on the main characters and then setting the “stage” for the lay of their lives. Now we use the word staging for preparing a house for sale, but in reality homes are “staged” at all times to help tell the story. You immediately know a good deal about someone when you enter his or her home And see that “stage” that their lives unfold on.

I was one of 55,000 to attend Americas Mart in Atlanta . We had the opportunity to see what the latest backdrops and stage sets for the story of our lives was being presented. It was amazing and the greatest thing is no matter what you or your client wants to be surrounded by, chances are it was represented!

Everyone always asks first, “What are the hot new colors? The most directional color palettes are:

SIMPLY ELEGANT: Blends of mahogany silvered mink, silvery blues, elegant purples and deep bronzed tones set off by the glint of pale gold, frosty almond and copper.

CLASSIC CHIC : Invokes both neo-classic and newly classic – Gray in both light and Darker tones with sister shade of silver and champagne add sparkle. A mineralized yellow and red combined with cappuccino brown. And of course BLACK & WHITE often used with cappuccino colors.

LUMENS: Include the dazzling water-borne blues, jewel-like emerald or opaline greens, ultra violet, vibrant rose, metallic silver and the piercing clarity of bright white.  Flavored by melon, apricot, strawberry and orange
Mélange is an assortment of shades in the warm fruit flavors. There is a toasty tan, vibrant poppy red, a vivacious yellow and a balancing blue all well grounded with rustic khaki.

AUX NATURALE: A variety of so-called organic colors, especially those that seem to have a bleached quality. The most important shades are creamy whites, sandy beiges, essential tans, taupe’s, gray and mellow browns with subtly shaded roses, lily pad green and the ultimate color of integrity, a denim-like blue.

GRASS ROOTS: Taking a cue from home spun crafts and crafting materials starts with variations on green theme, moves on to mineral blue and carious wood tones that are enhanced by unexpected mixes including grape, rose and terra cotta.

FRESH AIR: Wines meet metallic sheens and smooth resins are coupled with textured leathers. Color combinations are green pesto, vibrant yellow and yellow-greens combining with cyclamen pink, purples and violets, sky blues and snow whites.

LIGHT TOUCH: A soft impression- Classic pastels of aqua’s and greens, pinks and lavenders, powdery blues, sun-tinged yellows and angora whites then infusing them with a touch of champagne, or silvery ray or rosy taupe will keep this pastel palette modern and looking up-to-date.

Having said all that formal explanation lets simplify the color trends...

Vibrant poppy-red, ultra-violet purple, emerald green, Mediterranean blue and vivacious yellow.

In the Red realm, everything from chili pepper red to orange used together. Its favorite companion is green and gold’s.

In the Greens, they are yellow-infused or blue-infused realm rather than the clear greens. Teal, Sage and Aqua are very big, limes and citrines.

The 70’s colors are still strong, aqua / brown and pink/brown and pink/green combinations

AGAIN: Grey – crisp white – brown – purple & pinks – reds & oranges – yellow & brown - green (warm & earthy) – blue & aqua & lilac (the varying shades in the stages of hydrangea blooming) – black & white – pink & green – brown & green – brown & pink- black & cream.