– by Mike & Lisa Dunsmuir –
Celebrating our uniqueness and individuality has now translated into our homes. More and more people will move away from set trends and looks, and are welcoming diversity within their personal spaces. Whew. Finally. For us designers this sends little shivers down our spine as we get to exercise our creativity and think outside the box rather than regurgitating the same look over and over again. So what does this mean to you, really?
For people with tighter budgets (or not), and who like to have a little fun switching out their accents, a white backdrop is very en vogue (check out our latest project – Lucas Avenue – as an example). The biggest shout-out is BEIGE IS HISTORY … whites and grays are the hottest neutrals and will be for some time to come. A couple of favourites of mine are Battenberg and Moonshine from Benjamin Moore. As far as accent colour is concerned, blue is still hot. Every shade, from light ethereal blues to strong saturated colours like peacock and cobalt will continue to appear in home goods and accessories. Consider revitalizing your space with a new coat of paint. Drama can be created with a dark rich wall in saturated colour.
Vintage is back, baby. Traditional looks are also coming back along with a vengeance. The concept of mixing styles will still continue to be popular – emphasizing that need for showcasing personal taste. On that note, expect to see florals and chintzes appearing once again, although in unlikely places. Yes, this doesn’t mean grandma’s tufted floral couch. This means blending those florals with modern touches. Art, accent cushions, area rugs and wallpaper are all great areas to showcase some of your favourite blooms, without breaking the budget.
For a while there, the biggest question was “can I put these chrome thingamajigs with these brushed nickel ones?” Mixing metals is back, including brass! This is part of that personal statement thing. There is no wrong way to go about it (but there still are bad design choices). Metal will appear on everything from furniture to tile this year. A great idea to add a lift to your kitchen would be the addition of a pressed metal backsplash.
If you’re looking to change your space in a big way, 2014 will see major changes in overall design in kitchens especially as wood grain will begin to be popular once again. Open shelving will also be used in place of upper cabinets. White kitchens will continue to be hot; however, dark floors are going to be a memory. In bathrooms, curb-less showers and free-standing tubs will also gain popularity.
For more information visit www.steponedesign.ca.
