Feeling bored with beige? Ready to be bold? The hottest trends in home decor (paint colour, furnishings, lighting, accessories) aren't for the faint of heart. From gold and silver trimmed art and mirrors, to oversized lighting, geometric wallpaper designs and red, red, everywhere red, this season's home is a showcase of individuality.
Trevor Compton, sales manager at Christopher Clayton Furniture in West Edmonton, said watching trends in home decor is fine, but since trends change quickly, it's wisest to use hot colours and textures in pillows, lamps and wall colour – items that can be changed out easily without a huge cost.
“Pick what you love and go with it. If you live bold, then you won't be afraid of vibrant art or a red sofa,” Compton said. “We want clients to showcase who they are in the home.”
Reds – burnt apricot, blood red and claret are showing up in fabrics, wallpapers, and even stained woods. The design world is also pushing gold, though Compton said buyers might not be ready to embrace it just yet. “Many of us just got rid of our gold fixtures,” he laughed.
According to Freshome Design and Architecture magazine, gold and brass are on the upswing in kitchens, baths, lamp stands and more. But dazzling golds and sparkling silvers can be seen in all rooms of the house, on wallpapers and over-scale lighting fixtures, in contemporary or traditional decor.
“Today's grand and open showhomes with high ceilings are a perfect setting for these over-scale fixtures – over a dining table, for instance. But Compton said even in smaller homes, a huge mirror in a dining room could have great impact, as long as it's just the one piece.
Compton said this look creates tension, and Freshome magazine calls it glamour – creating mood, interest and character with daring design statements, and interesting (usually metallic) accessories. “You also see layering of pattern on pattern, but as long as you keep the colour palate tight – three colours – it works as a neutral, but with plenty of interest.”
As for grey, called “the new black,” it remains hot on walls, sofas and even wood. Greyed-out woods join brown-grey on woods and walls. Compton said there's also a huge interest in post-war decor (late ’40s, early ’50s), and that's reflected in the aquas and teals – again, bold colours – of that period.
At St. Albert's Seasons Gift Shop, owner Karen Wolsey sees the same trend in the home – teals and reds on winter and Christmas decor, plus varying shades of blue. “It's a retro combination – very ’50s – that has come back throughout the home,” Wolsey said. “The teals, aquas and blues with a grey wall go great.”
Blue is a massive trend this year, according to Freshome magazine, even with different shades of blue backing into each other in the same room – think azure, teal, cobalt, sapphire and navy, it said.
“We truly want people to dig deep and think about what they love,” Compton said. “Do you travel and have a feel for exotic colours and decor? Are you after a relaxed, beachy vibe with soft tone on tone colours?
“Eclectic decorating is exciting and trendy too – it's smart to engage a designer and help pull a look together.”
