Furniture design reacts to changing fashions

Interior design, like fashion, is always changing. Styles, materials, furnishings and decor follow trends and seasons. Good interior design should provide flexibility, allowing a home or business owner to remain current in its aesthetic. Interiors expert Elaine Williamson of Elaine Williamson Designs offers this glimpse of what’s currently trending in the design and décor-scape:

Saving the base: For the past few decades, designers have purchased furniture that served one particular style purpose for a specific room. This meant that, as soon as the property owner or manager decided to redecorate a space, all new base furnishings had to be purchased. Lately, however, it’s become popular among designers to purchase a quality piece of furniture that has desirable, style transcendent “bones” with the intent to reupholster it as fashions change, rather than simply discarding it when it’s time to update the look of a room. This trend has resulted in an increase in purchases from domestically-based manufacturers that make quality furnishings built to last.

Dodge disposable decor. Designers are no longer purchasing one-time use “disposable” decor items, be it furniture, rugs, window treatments and decorative items. Instead, they consider a piece’s re-usability in another future design when considering a purchase. This is the most efficient and cost-effective way to make over a room.
Color craze: The world of color has undergone a makeover also, with yellow and gray leading the way. Together, these colors add a level of calm to the feel of a room, while still adding eye-catching pops of color. Gray works well as a base color on upholstered furniture, especially when coupled with another hot trend: espresso-stained wood. Yellow is best used in small bursts, serves as an impactful infusion of excitement in the room. For instance, a yellow throw pillow on a gray sofa can make a stellar statement.

See the Light: Lighting is currently making a huge push in the marketplace. As the design of table lamps have waned and the style of homes have begun to embrace cleaner lines, pendant and other types of overhead lighting are popular choices for making a major design statement. Beautiful materials, special shapes and versatile sizes are all important.
Ground Control: Natural wood floors are also making a major comeback, and other types of types of natural flooring such as travertine, limestone and honed marbles are in high demand. Recyclable flooring, either in wood or carpet, is also in fashion. Currently, consumers are investing in and embracing their home environment.

Simple swaps mean big impact. If you’re searching for a new look for a room, you can build on the baseline furnishings already installed and switch out accessories, including pillows, picture frames, vases, candles, statues, artwork and other portable items. “Interior design and décor trends change with every season,” Elaine notes, “But, with a strategic foundation of baseline elements like furniture and flooring, you can easily keep up with the trends without sacrificing essential style elements of the space.”