EMERGING TRENDS FOR 2012

Top Trends to Consider

Personal Touches

Trends are moving away from cookie-cutter designs and department store catalogues. Instead, homeowners are starting to have their homes reflect more of their personal style.  There is going to be more mixing of design styles and less adhesion to any one particular style.  One-of-a-kind pieces and personal touches will help homes reflect their owner’s personality and unique lifestyle.  Instead of buying the latest designer decor, trendy homeowners will be creating unique art themselves.

Explosion of Pattern and Colour

Patterned pillows, throws, wall coverings, draperies, and rugs will add dimension and visual interest in homes.  There are so many different patterns and textures available today, the number of options are staggering.  The key is to go with your instinct and have fun!  Explore a fun mix of patterns, just be careful to focus on an appropriate number in a space - too many patterns can look cluttered.

Organic and Handmade Products

Original artwork, framed prints, and photography, as well as homemade accessories for the home give a unique spin to your design.  Check out local farmer’s markets or visit local artisans, such as potters, painters, sculptors, crafters, etc. to find amazing pieces for your home.

More Bold, Less Neutral

The past few years have seen home design playing it safe with colour selection.  Instead of picking neutral colours for your walls and furniture, try experimenting with a more fun and playful colour scheme that makes a big colour statement!  Mix it up with bold reds, blues, purples, yellows, oranges, or greens!  Aim to have at least one “statement” colour to really punch up the design in a room.  If you’re nervous that it will look like a rainbow crashed into your house, choose one main “statement” colour and a couple of softer colours that complement it.

Colours will still reflect inspiration from nature, such as warm, slate-greys, natural greens and browns, beiges, and taupes.  However, these colours will be “punched-up” with bolder colours.

Furnishings

Smaller, simpler-shaped furniture have become increasingly popular.  Overstuffed, oversized, and overwhelming couches, chairs, and sectionals are less desirable from a design standpoint.  Armoires and TV stands are becoming less of a necessity, as flat screens mounted flat to the wall or a great way to both showcase your tv and eliminate unnecessary bulk in a room.

Flooring

The latest trend in flooring is towards more exciting colours and patterns.  Hardwoods come in a multitude of colours with beautiful wood grains. Engineered hardwoods offer the look with high durability.  Laminates and Luxury Vinyl Planking offers an extreme amount of durability, and the science behind these floorings has become fantastic in recent years. The options for colour and texture are endless, and many homeowners are doing double-takes, unsure if the laminate is real material or not. Tile flooring also offers high durability, with the sleek, cool feel of tile.  Concrete flooring can look very modern.  Concrete can be stamped, stained and acid washed to personalize the floor and create a completely unique look.  Both tile flooring and concrete benefit from underfloor heating systems to ward off the cool nature of the material.

Window Treatments

Simple, clean, and elegant is the trend in window treatments.  Thinner materials, simple colour schemes, and strong linear shapes are popular.  No frills, bows, pleats, and patterning should follow a more contemporary aesthetic.  Roll-up treatments, roman shades, and vertical panels are also popular.  Wood blinds create a warm feel.  One of the most practical window treatments for bedrooms are the new technology blackout blinds.  They can often open from both the top and bottom, they offer superior thermal control, and they completely darken a room when closed.

Lighting

The brushed nickel and stainless steel finish will continue to be popular.  Some homeowners will experiment with warmer metals again.  Clean white shades look more modern and have an elegant look.  Cylinders will be abundant, while pleated or conical shades will disappear.  For the living space or kitchen, pendant lighting is very popular, with a lot of variety available in terms of shape, size, and design.  Many homeowners are installing contemporary pot lighting on dimmers.  Pot lights create wonderful mood lighting and fill any space with a beautiful blanket of even, soft lighting.

Green Design Trends

Homeowners are making a point of buying environmentally conscious products.  Green home decor products are emerging on the market and are often made from sustainable resources, are fair trade products, or have been produced in an environmentally considerate way. Check your products... eco-friendly logos should be displayed and advertised clearly.

Outside the Box

A growing trend in home design is a step away from the rectangular box; architectural features such as elaborate crown moldings, wainscoting, large trim, and columns are making a run.  Vaulted ceilings are highly valued for their ability to transform a plain room into an elegant, airy space.  Split-level homes offer a more unique layout and avoid feeling mundane or over-simplified.

Ceilings

After decades of white, textured ceilings, homeowners and businesses are starting to experiment with colour.  Ceilings can be painted to match an accent wall or to complement a colour scheme. Be sure to do your research: ask around at your paint store or talk to a colour expert to determine which colours will offer the effect you want.  Some colours will help make a room feel larger, while others will make the ceiling feel like it’s coming down on top of you.  Paint stores often offer tester cans of flat paint, so try your colours out before committing.

Custom Cabinetry

One of the best upgrades a homeowner can do is to update the kitchen. Be sure to check out Top Trends for Custom Kitchens: CABINETRY for even more information. There are so many cabinet styles to choose from, including flat panel, recessed pane, bevelled edge, beadboard, arched, shaked, and raised panel.  They can also be custom ordered in a variety of materials and colours.  Stainless steel surfacing has been popular with some homeowners.  An elegant look in kitchens has been the inclusion of lighted, glass-panelled cabinets.  Also, one of the latest must-have luxury features in kitchens has been soft-close cabinetry. An easy update for your cabinetry can be as simple as updating the cabinet hardware or painting the cabinet surface.  Check local kitchen and cabinet suppliers or walk through IKEA to get a sense of the latest trends.

You may also be interested in the following:

Kitchen Galleries; Check out Distinct Build's collection of kitchens.

Contemporary Kitchen Renovation; An East Hill home in Vernon gets a major kitchen renovation.