2017’S HOTTEST DESIGN TRENDS

Happy New Year everyone! Don’t you just love this time of year? We wipe the slate clean and sit down for some intentional goal setting. If design features on your resolutions list, you’ll love my preview of all the latest trends in home décor. Most of them have me really inspired, but some have me scratching my head. 

Pantone’s Greenery. Each year the design world anxiously await this color company’s announcement of its color of the year.  Greenery is a vibrant and cheerful green that borders on electric. I think it’s exciting . . . in small doses. I actually have a very similar color I call green apple in my living room that has that same spirit. But for those of you who know my 30-60-10 rule, I’d keep greenery to 10% in any space. It’s fun in moderation, but a whole room might be dizzying.

Butterflies. This has been top of mind for me for the last six months, so I must be very on trend! There are so many places butterflies are popping up, think upholstery, fabric, wallpaper, and artwork!  When thinking about my resolutions, I love to pick images rather than just phrases that inspire me and I’ve been latching onto an image of a butterfly starting in that cocoon, getting cozy and really marinating in what it wants to do and then breaking free of that chrysalis and soaring. We’re redoing our windows at our storefront in Dobbs Ferry, and I’ve preordered my butterflies on Amazon. Like us on Facebook to see how crazy I go!  

Over the top pattern mixing. If you were thinking about incorporating an Ikat pattern, why not incorporate three Ikat patterns? If you want to play with stripes, why not mix that with the Ikat and bring in three different kinds of stripes? Going heavy on the patterns and steering clear of solids is what 2017 is all about. It’s very visually stimulating and can create a real wow moment, especially on a bed or on a sofa with throw blankets and pillow.

But remember my rule: You can mix as many kinds of patterns as you want, similar or different, as long as the scale of each pattern you mix is different. You can have a small, large, and medium pattern all together, but you can’t have three small patterns. How do you know your pattern’s scale? Grab a measuring tape and measure from where it starts to where it repeats. If the pattern is 4 inches, that’s probably a medium size, and you’ll want to add in one that’s larger and one that’s smaller. So go for it – mix those patterns, just do it a conscious way.

Faux materials. I’m on the fence about this one. If you’ve read my book, you know how much II hate using faux materials. I can’t stand faux sponge wall painting, stone walls, brick, or fireplaces. But, they did get me at faux leather. I love pleather!  When my kids get magic marker all over my dining chairs or smear their pizza-covered hands on the chairs, a wet paper towel and some Dawn is all I need to make them look good as new. I also really like faux marble. Marble is so high maintenance. You have to treat it and seal it, and it stains! But it’s also beautiful, classic, and timeless. So faux marble has my heart because it’s just so practical.

Velvet. Using rich sumptuous velvet textures is so in: for a pillow, for a sofa, for an armchair, even for a headboard. I can really get into velvet, but make sure you’re aware of its drawbacks. It readily shows hand marks, and it’s definitely not the most stain resistant. I’d probably keep it to an armchair or a pillow. It’s also worth looking for a performance velvet like West Elm’s (you can literally take a sponge to it!).

DIY is out; artisans are in. I want to shout this one from the mountaintops. I could not be more on board with this trend! I have been poo-pooing DIY for many years now. Even if you’re particularly crafty, you likely don’t have the proper space and time to truly do it right, so all that effort and the results just don’t show it. You know I’m all about budget finds and affordable interior design, but unless you’re an expert, please don’t paint your furniture or reupholster your sofa. These are better left to an artisan. This is the year of Etsy. I love going there to find people to custom make blinds or pillows for me. So affordable, so many options.  

Black and white print. Zig zag, checkerboard, herringbone, or a delicate stripe – black and white is everywhere. I’m not totally feeling it, but the retailers sure are. That inventory is out there! And my designers have been picking out amazing black and white cowhide rugs and pairing them with geometric pillows – it is popping!  So while I don’t personally respond to this motif in my own home, I love that my team is feeling totally unbound and freed by it.

Raw whites. Speaking of white, there’s no longer a need to be so literal with that stark, lacquered, modern white. Stores are full of “raw” whites that are chalkier, with some depth and imperfections. I love it for a textile, like a blanket or a pillow, or in accessories like vases and centerpiece bowls. But I’d avoid it in furniture where it might not look so fresh. Check out West Elm, Pier1, and Crate & Barrel for a wide selection of pieces.

Tropical motifs. From palm fronds to pineapples, tropical motifs are supposed to be everywhere, but I won’t be incorporating them in my home anytime soon. Nor will I be picking out a palm leaf pillow for my clients unless they’re in Florida!  But there is something fun and whimsical about this, so I’d use it as accents for a party or as seasonal décor exclusively in the summer months.  

Playing with trends and making them your own is a fun way to keeps your décor fun and fresh! Which of these will you be trying out in 2017?