Local interior designers anticipate 7 home decorating trends
Aggressive lights, jewel tones, and Moroccan accents.
“Trend is such a dirty word sometimes because you don’t want your home to be ‘trendy,’’’ said Kristen Rivoli of Kristen Rivoli Interior Design.
Nevertheless, there are interior decorating trends, she conceded, and some of them are pretty gorgeous. With fall just around the corner, local interior decorators gave Boston.com a taste of which trends to look for on the horizon.
7 home décor trends to watch:
1. Mixed metals
Rivoli said she’s noticed clients branching out from brushed nickel or brass hardware, instead trying a blend of metals for light fixtures or kitchen and bathroom hardware. She’s seen light fixtures with both gold and silver accents, or a blend of rose gold and copper.
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2. Global design
“There was a really big Moroccan theme for a while and it’s really taken hold,’’ Rivoli said. “It made people look to other ethnic styles, whether it’s Asian or Turkish. People are just looking more globally at styles.’’
Part of the appeal of global touches, Rivoli said, is that they make your life look richly layered, not like a showroom. “It doesn’t look staged, it looks like you’ve just been collecting these things.’’ Whether it’s a throw rug, pillow, or your kitchen tiles, international accents bring warmth to a room.
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3. Jewel tones
Tiffany LeBlanc, owner of LeBlanc Design, said her clients have been experimenting with walls in saturated jewel tones, like darker plums and navy, shying away from the neutral beiges and grays that were long standard.
“People are using [jewel tones] for both the trim and wall color,’’ LeBlanc said. “Which is actually more of a historic trend, but it’s making a comeback.’’
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4. Statement lighting
Aggressive statement lighting is making a comeback in dining rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms, LeBlanc said. “People are taking more risk than they ever have,’’ she added. One of her favorite designers in the lighting biz is New York City’s Stephen Antonson, who creates every piece by hand, mostly with plaster.
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5. Game tables
“In some ways, people are so computer-centric, and there’s no meeting space for families, so many are putting game tables in their family rooms where they can sit and play scrabble or checkers,’’ LeBlanc said. “It’s old school and funny.’’
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6. Statement art
Statement pieces of art are not precious, LeBlanc said, “They’re interesting and edgy. People aren’t doing as many landscapes in oil in heavy gilt frames.’’ Instead, her clients have been interested in blown-up photographs or abstract art in large frames.
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7. “Not your grandma’s’’ wallpaper
“Wallpaper is huge. Huge,’’ LeBlanc said. “It’s not just for dining and powder rooms like it used to be.’’
When it comes to choosing the right wallpaper, she said it often comes down to texture — different cloths and vinyl that are soothing to the homeowner. Some of LeBlanc’s favorite wallpaper companies are Phillip Jeffries, who offers wallpaper in textures like “Bermuda hemp,’’ “woven bamboo,’’ and “chain mail,’’ and Galbraith & Paul, a Philadelphia-based studio with beautiful cloth patterns.
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