Trend Lightly

As a designer, I sometimes struggle with ways to keep my projects looking current without caving to the design trends that will later serve to "date" a home years down the line.  My goal is always something fresh that keeps with the times, but I also strive for results that are classic and enduring.

This can be a challenge when you know your industry well.   We often look to the pages of magazines like Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home and Veranda to observe what evolution and advancements the design world is adopting month to month…but unfortunately, it's these same pages that often set the trends in design as well.  The trick is to be able to determine which trends are passing and which are here to stay.  Granted, many of  these trends are cyclical, meaning they'll be "in" for a few years, but they'll also return a decade or so from now with another round of impact.   The true test is to shuffle through all of what is being done, and take from it some classic elements that feel fresh now, but will never go out of style.  

Here are a few (dare I say) trends that have worked themselves into our firm's recent designs, but are definitely not at risk of feeling so "2000 Something" years down the road. 

TEXTURED WALL TREATMENTS

Whether you achieve texture with stone, tile or wallpaper – bringing texture to the wall will always feel luxurious. 

SCULPTURAL LIGHTING

Combining the function of lighting with artistic visual interest creates high drama in a space.   Form + function = FAB!

RUSTIC ASIAN ARTIFACTS

Incorporating a rustic sense of history and old worldliness just strengthens the timelessness of a design.

GRAPHIC FLORAL WALLPAPER

A nod to the traditional with a movement toward the modern makes for a lovely timeless statement.

 CLASSIC MODERN PIECES

These tried-and-true pieces have already proven they "ain't goin' nowhere" and it's for good reason.   Using one or two in a project today pays tribute to how modern furniture can feel even though it was designed decades ago.

SALON-STYLE ART WALL

Salon-style, verb:  Based on the 'Salon de Paris' exhibition of 1725 where paintings were hung floor-to-ceiling and on every available inch of space.

If you are selective with the way you incorporate trends, and if you always use them sparingly, the results can be wonderful.  Both current, and classic is the goal, and in my opinion, that goal is perfectly achieved in the examples above.

Until next time, be sure and trend lightly!

Submitted by Marita Simmons