So the new year is fast approaching and that of course means time for some introspection. Well for me it also means that it is a time to start putting together what I think will be hot for the next year. For me I take what I saw at markets and what manufacturers are showing, listen to me clients and then of course what I love and here is what I think will be hot in the coming year.

I think that people are tired of the  neutral on neutral rooms. I think that you will be seeing lots of pops of color. That doesn’t mean there won’t be neutrals but they are going to be set off with some bright bold color. You will see oranges, deep emerald greens, reds, and pinks. It is not going to be the  muted colors and sea-green. It is going to be fully saturated color. For instance if you have a neutral brown, beige and cream room it can be accented with bright wallpaper in an emerald-green and black tables and metal work for the artwork. It is time to start seeing drama back in the decorating industry. The trend for the soft and subtle, warm cozy room is going away. The elaborate, bold and beautiful is on the rise.

Here are some rooms designed with the pops of color that I am talking about. It is bold and fun and elegant all at the same time.

People want to have fun and show off things other than what everyone has. We are seeing a rise in the faux painting and wallpaper. People are tired of the same old same old. They want to have something different from what everyone else has. I am not saying that you won’t see lots of neutral colors but you are going to see them against bright fully saturated color.

Area rugs are also going to be huge this coming year. First let me say that I have always felt that every room needs an area rug. This is a place that people feel they are saving money on and then wonder why a room doesn’t come together without it. You need the area rug. But also there are so many fun different ones that are really hot now and going to be more so in the coming year. This year is going to be about getting back to life and having fun. People are tired of hearing down news, and they are translating the need to get away from it to their homes. They are bringing in the outside, the tropical, the fun. They are making their homes the vacation spot. And it is seen in the accent pieces and area rugs. Bold patchwork rugs, Moroccan styled ottomans, beaded wall hanging and bold large print wallpaper.

This year is all about fun, color and statement! Enjoy it!

Here is a grown up teen bedroom perfect for that girl that is too cool for pink and purple.

Here is a great bedroom that I call a touch of pink. It is perfect for that glam girl!

You may or may not have realized that we have started working with Project Decor. This is a great website where designers like myself can but together room designs that can be purchased directly from the website. So here are some of the rooms that I have designed that are highly textural.

Great Room with Class.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed and it is full force into the holiday season we are thinking about presents, family and holiday parties. And if your thoughts are on that last one because the parties are going to be at your home you are probably also wondering what to do to spruce up your home quick. Well there are a few things that you can do right away.

The first thing you can do is declutter. When you get rid of all that extra clutter and nick nacks you will make your home feel much larger. Design is about being able to show off the space and it’s function. When you have lots of little things all over the place you hide the great furnishings and your wonderful floor plan. Don’t know what to do with all the stuff you don’t want to get rid of but are taking down while decluttering? Try storage ottomans, baskets and furniture pieces with drawers.

A second thing you can do to give a refreshing to your home before the holiday is new paint. Pick a room like the guest or powder bath and refresh it with new paint. Usually these are small enough that you can do something special like a faux paint or wallpaper that will give you real wow without a big chunk out of your pocket-book. And when your guests are there they will think you redid the whole bathroom not just the paint.

With the holiday season coming I have been thinking more and more about what we expect to see. Well one of the things that for years has always been on TV at this time of year is Oprah’s favorite things. You know the show where she gives away to the audience all of her favorite things for that year. Well I thought that I would take a page from that and talk about my favorite things that apply to interior design. And if I am starting from the ground up lets take about floor coverings first.

So when it comes to the very first thing, the floor, I have to say my favorite floors that we put into homes this year has been the hand scrapped wood flooring. These floors are beautiful and have such great character. I love them whether the home is traditional, craftsman, transitional or even modern. They change the feeling of the space and allow you to go in whatever design style you want.

These are a handful of the beautiful offerings that are out there now. They can be a green product that is a fully reclaimed wood floor or a new wood scraped and beaten up to give it that texture and style.

My next favorite thing that we did this year are woven rugs. Don’t get me wrong I will always love a fantastic hand-knotted rug, but these woven rugs are just fun. They give you the ability to add a touch of playfulness without a major expense. So they can be changed in a few years and not be a major pinch to the pocket book. We did them in solids and in stripes and they really gave a great feeling to all of the rooms.

For furnishings I found some great new companies this year and also leaned heavily on some companies we already had established. For a new company I am in love with Wesley Hall. Every piece sits amazing, the people are fantastic, and it is made here in the USA. For dining I am still completely in love with Canadel. You customize it, they build it and every piece is delivered perfect. All from hardwood solids. For fabrics I am still and probably will always be a Stroheim girl. The fabrics are great quality and the designs are new and fresh. But I do have to say that RM Coco and Duralee have been giving them a run for the money here at our design firm. RM Coco had been coming out with great patterns and colors at affordable prices. And Duralee has those bright fun electric fabrics that are just designed to be the WOW factor.

For windows it has been all about the woven wood shade. We have done them in home after home. The great feature to this product is the top down bottom up. Yes you guessed it you can have either the top down letting in light from the top and keeping privacy or the bottom up allowing as much of the outdoors in as you would like. They are available in so many different colors and textures it is perfect for the space that wants to add function and style at the same time.

For the walls I have been all about texture this year. That means grass-cloths, faux paint and innovative wallpapers. This is such a great place to add another dimension to your space. So this year has been the year of no more white walls with standard orange peal texture. Make it new and different!

And lastly my favorite things in lighting has to be the wood chandeliers. Yes I love the glass and crystal and they will always be fantastic but where we have gone with wood lighting is off the charts. Here are some of my favorites.

So this has been a little bit more inside this designers mind about what I think is just to die for this year.

Here are some new fabrics we got in from Clarke & Clarke this week. The velvet pieces are part of their new collection, Pulse & Rythm.

As an interior designer I am constantly working to try to read people’s minds to know what they want. To get to know how they live so that I can create a home or workspace based on them. And one of the questions that I am constantly asked is what is my style. I usually answer in a playful dodge that my style really doesn’t matter since I am not living/working in their space. But as the question gets asked over and over again I have begun to think about it. And here is the conclusion that I have come to – I love all styles. Impossible you say you must have a favorite. But the reality is that I so appreciate the craftmanship and work that goes into the different pieces that I simply cannot say I am contemporary or traditional or eclectic. I am all of it and I think that it is what allows me to work so well with all different clients and styles.

I love to see the work that goes into a hand-knotted rug. And where is can be a beautiful traditional antique one that makes me scream with joy at the fantastic find. It can be 30 minutes later and a fabulous woven fluffy fabric shag rug is making me melt.

Handknotted Area Rugs

Shag rug made from left over fabrics

Both of these rugs are fabulous to me. They both have the right place for them. And yet there are many times that I love to push the envelope. I love to put an antique area rug into a more modern feeling space so that you see the unexpected. Also these beautiful rugs have been around through all different trends and they still have lasted sometimes they are the perfect reality check. And then to change things up in a traditional home it is great to add these more contemporary touches like the fabric shag rug for that twist. It creates a WOW because it is so unexpected. In a traditional home I would do this in the family or game room to give the space that homey feel. One of my true loves (besides everything design oriented) is furniture. I love the way that it is constructed, and thought about. I love that by changing a finish or fabric you change the feel completely. I love a deep-seated low back tufted squared armed sectional just as much as I love a high-backed wing chair with hand carved turned legs. Each piece is a design from an artisan that thought about how people would use it, sit in it, put their feet on it, or eat at it. It is functional art!