Is GREY still in? Here's What We Think....

We are often asked about trends in home decor and design.  Just the other day at a neighbourhood Christmas party, one of the questions asked was 'Is grey still in?'

Here's what we have to say.


Grey is a neutral so it is never really out.  But what we will say is the cooler greys (so think grey with a blue-purple under tone) is on it's way out.  We are seeing a lean toward the warmer greys.  This is a tone that we love for many reasons.

We love it because it is warm. Who doesn't want a space that feel inviting?



We love it because it works beautifully with neutrals like navy, white and charcoal but also just as well with bolds like yellow and hot pink and even with softer hues like mint and lavender.  It is so versatile!



We love it because it works with all styles of decor.  You can have a warm grey farmhouse kitchen full of reclaimed wood and ages copper touches and an apron sink but you could also have a warm grey living room in a modern minimalist space with open windows, concrete floors and soaring ceilings.  It works with either of these styles plus anything in between.

 


We love it because it is great transitional tone.  So if your home was very warm beige and you want to move into a grey tone for a change, a warm grey is perfect for you - it means you won't have to adjust all of your furniture, it will still work because of the warmth in the new grey tone.



We love it in paint, flooring, furniture, tiles, cabinetry, textiles and more.

 

So to answer the question, yes, grey is still in! Thinking of making a change to grey? Stick to warmer greys that work with your current palette.

Scandinavian Style

Scandinavia has a long heritage of beautiful home furnishings. Scandinavians are renowned for incorporating clean lines, using the color white like total pros, and emphasizing both function and form.

You might think that Scandinavian style is that famous yellow and blue store with 'assemble yourself furniture' that comes in boxes.  but Scandinavian style is more than that!

If you love a clean and minimal look that embraces natural elements, Scandinavian might be your style!

Scandinavian style includes...

1 - Light toned wood.

 

2 - A rug with one pop of colour

 

3 - Lots of white, and white on white

 

4 - When it comes to hardware in the kitchen and bathrooms, simplicity is key.  Clean lines and minimal to no detail.

 

5 - Invest in classics. Scandinavian style is very minimal so you will only have a few decor items, so it's worth investing in them. For example, a glass vase by designer Alvar Aalto

 

6 - Signature 'Scandinavian' pieces that embrace the Scandinavian style like the Tulip Table

 

7 - Gallery walls with a monochrome colour palette.

 

8 - Pendant lighting is essential and an important decor feature in the room.  It is functional but also decorative. Plan the room around it



9 -  Plants.  Streamlined and clean in a simple planter or vase.  But every Scandinavian styled room has a plant.

 

10 - Wood flooring.  Think wider, lighter planks with visible knots and minimal to no gloss.

 

11 - Make a point of having and highlighting the fireplace.  In Scandinavian styled homes, we often see corner fireplaces and furniture plans are often designed around them.

 

12 - Open Shelving.  For functional items like dishes in the kitchen.  It's about easy access and operating effectively.

 
 

2016 Trends for the Home

Believe it or not 2016 is around the corner! And the home fashion trends are already in the works!

What can we expect to see in the new year?

FUR (mixing textures) - Fur (faux) is hot! I find we see this year after year especially in the cooler months but this year it will be everywhere - pillows and throws of course, but rugs and furniture too!



GOLD - We saw a bit of a comeback of gold in 2015 but we will see even more in 2016.  Lighting, plumbing, furniture - Gold is back!





SHINY DETAILS- think edging of furniture and hardware.  Little details that shine! So if you can't hop on the 'solid' gold train try this trend instead.  a little bit of shine can go a long way!




PINK (think pastels)- soft and feminine pink in art, furniture and accessories.  In paint we will see beige-pink walls, too! Often we think pale pink is only for little girls' rooms but it is branching out! It is a great soft feminine touch and it works with neutrals like beige, cream, navy, grey and more.  We love the subtle pastel pink touches in this living room.



BLACK - Black is never out of style but we will see a lot of black across the board this coming year.  furniture, wall paint, accessories, wall paper....oh my!



BLUE (especially navy)- We definitely saw a lot of navy in 2015 but it will remain in the 'trending' category in 2016.  Furniture, accessories and certainly paint - we will see a lot of painted furniture in navy blue and even kitchens. The image below is a great example of painted navy furniture combined with some shiny details



FLORALS (big and bold)- Think oversize big florals in art and accessories.  Still feminine but with a modern twist.




What's great with these up coming trends is that many of them work well together.  Try black and gold, gold and fur, fur and black, navy and gold, gold and pink, pink and navy.....the possibilities are endless

How do you feel about these trends?
Do you see yourself embracing any of them in your rooms?

Spring 2015 Home Decor: What's Trending Right Now

1. Navy. For years, white has been unchallenged as the top color in the kitchen, from paint to cabinetry to tile. But a Zillow Digs forecast -- based on the most popular photos of the one million on the site, as well as designer input -- revealed that 2015 is the year navy inches toward the top spot. The site's design expert, Kerrie Kelly, considers navy's popularity an indicator of the next big thing in years to come: the black kitchen.




 We have also been seeing a lot of Navy Blue outside of the kitchen too.  In various textiles and it has been a popular wall paint colour as well. 

2. Diamond/Gem Shape. "Gem-shaped accents make for an easily upgradable, accessible moment in any room," says designer Nate Berkus. The motif had a showing in his last collection at Target, with those pieces among the first few to sell out. As a result, they're making an even stronger appearance in his Spring 2015 collection. Several seasons ago everyone was wearing a statement necklace to dress up their gray T-shirt -- these accessories offer that same idea, but for a room."





 We also also seeing Gem print in textiles for bedding and accent pillows - diamonds are a girls' best friend, after all!

3. Peacocks. Each month, 20 million people visit Polyvore.com to create shoppable image collages and discover -- and set -- trends. Their data shows that the most-searched décor trend from the past six months is animal accents, led by peacocks and elephants.





We have seen a lot of animal influence in home decorating in recent years.  And if you go to any home decor store you will continue to see this but, yes, peacocks are sprouting up everywhere - accent pillows, art and even crockery.  We saw some beautiful Peacock dishes at a local HomeSense just last week - stunning !

4. Minted.com's artwork and stationery have made their way into over 40 million homes across the world since its 2007 launch. And as this design and art marketplace looks to what's ahead, it's seeing that the states that tend to lead the trends -- California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Massachusetts -- are five times more likely to purchase photography over drawings or paintings.

 

 Photography is a great choice for anyone and any decor style - it is so versatile plus it adds some real sophistication to any space.

5. East Coast vs. West Coast. Orlando Soria, West Coast creative director of Homepolish, an interior design company that's completed over 2,000 projects across the country, has seen two trends established this year on opposite coasts: "West Coast interiors feature a lot more live-edge and rough-hewn wood pieces than the East Coast, where preppy traditionalism and crisp lacquered pieces are more popular."

 

 But don't feel confined by your geographic boundaries when it comes to style.  The West coast 'look' has always been more relaxed and casual - if that's suits your lifestyle, embrace it!

6. Cable- Knit. The highest search volume in Polyvore's bedding category went to cable knit, with faux fur just behind it.



Cable-knit has a hand crafted feel and look about it.  It is cozy and familiar too which is likely why so many of us gravitate to it.  It works with most styles and comes in various colours, it adds great cozy texture to a bedroom or living room.

7. DIY. A Google Trends analysis of the trillions of searches from 2014 found that people are increasingly interested in DIY pallet furniture, with the rapidly rising search term up 50 percent from previous years.







Easy and very affordable projects with a customized spin - who wouldn't want that ?!

Style at Home celebrates their 15th anniversary

Style at Home - one of my go-to magazines for great decor and design ideas, hottest trends, design on a budget and my specialty 'the look for less' is celebrating their 15th anniversary.

Check out their 15 years of covers.  It's really fun to see how home decor has evolved over the years...