Celebrate the Kentucky Derby at home with decorative touches that evoke the Bluegrass State.
Drive through Kentucky and you’ll see miles of simple plank fences like this one, marking the boundaries of the thoroughbred farms that blanket the countryside. Fun fact: Traditionally, fences painted white signified wealth — they sent a subtle message that the farm’s owners could afford to repaint every year or two. Natural wood or brown-painted fences were considered a cut below. Who knew?
This split-rail fence is a rustic relative of the plank version. Its rough-hewn profile marries perfectly with the stone barn in the background.
When they’re not filled with crushed ice and bourbon, silver julep cups — the cocktail vehicle of choice at Derby time — turn into household workhorses (yikes, that pun came from nowhere). This trio holds petite bouquets, but you’ll see julep cups used as pencil holders, jewelry catchalls and decorative displays. Bonus points if they bear your monogram in a well-mannered script.
OK, so it’s from a horse show and not a race, but this loving cup certainly belongs in Derby-inspired decor. The julep cup is a small but vital supporting player in the little group of vessels.
When the horses have run for the roses and the lucky winner is draped with the garland, rose bouquets tucked around your house will add to the festive air. This one looks right at home amid a formal china cabinet.
Besides bluegrass, Kentucky is known for one other big B: bourbon. The walls and floors in this space are cloaked in salvaged whisky barrels (just pretend they bear a Wild Turkey or Woodford Reserve logo). Who could get enough of that rich, mellow sheen?
Here’s a gorgeous detail from the whisky barrel wood above. Each plank has its own unique character, so you’re guaranteed a one-of-a-kind look.
What’s the Kentucky Derby without hats? This sweetly simple pink number transitions from head to wall when the race is run. It won’t be the most flamboyant topper in the crowd, but it won’t look garish hanging on the hook, either.
A collection of straw bonnets perched on this rack feels sprightly and spring-fresh enough for Derby day and beyond.
Modern Equestrian Decor Ideas to Flow Seamlessly With Your Home
Utilize Large, Statement Art
Nothing grabs attention like a large print or painting, so why not grab attention with a beautiful horse? When mixed with modern and contemporary touches, this adds some equestrian flair in a very tasteful way.
Bits—they’re not just for riding anymore. There are many creative ways you can use actual snaffle bits or emblems to give your home a touch of equestrian chic.
Don’t be afraid to put out your trophies, picture frames, and horsey trinkets mixed in with your other items. These pieces look great on bookshelves, bar carts, and everywhere in-between.
We canvassed hundreds of professionals to predict the next waves in décor. What’s in: colossal light fixtures and herringbone floors. What’s out: peewee pendants and patterned tiles.
HOT-STYLE HAT TRICK Makhno studio, a firm in Kyiv, Ukraine, combined three of 2022’s interior design trends in a dining room in nearby Kozyn: textured walls, herringbone floors and gargantuan light fixtures.PHOTO: SERHII KADULIN
By Kathryn O’Shea-Evans
IMPERFECTIONISTS, REJOICE. Sean Scherer and other professionals in the realm of aesthetics see interior design embracing flaws in 2022. The founder of curiosity shop Kabinett & Kammer, in Franklin, N.Y., cites a surging interest in chipped and crazed ironstone china as an example. “In the past, people wanted pure white and pristine,” he said. Now his customers are hankering for the opposite—a “timeworn and cozy feel.” Sleek, mass-made items and chilly finishes like glass are being ghosted. Instead, people are gravitating toward handmade finishes, plantlike paint colors and friendly architectural curves. “We are dying for warmth, coziness and colors that make us feel grounded,” said Los Angeles designer Peti Lau, who observes cool tones’ fading fast. Here, the incoming trends that were highlighted most often by the hundreds of designers we polled—as well as those they believe are bowing out.
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES(2)
OUT: Fancy Tile
While hand-painted floor tiles seemed charming not so long ago, the colorful quadrilaterals won’t be a big part of the finishes arsenal in 2022, predicted Charlotte, N.C., interior designer Gray Walker. “The line between indoors and outdoors will continue blurring,” and such ornamentation is too busy to jibe with the simplicity of the natural world, she said. Mosaic floors, too, had their moment, said Brooklyn-based architect Adam Meshberg, “until people started spending more time at home and opted for serene spaces that were easy on the eyes.”
IN: Wood Laid in Patterns
Classic, ornamental herringbone wood floors are zigzagging into interiors, even contemporary ones. The look “adds a timeless, textural touch in modern rooms,” said Sara Cukerbaum, principal designer at Austin, Texas, firm SLIC Design, who has recently employed herringbone in white oak and ebony-stained oak. Ms. Walker appreciates herringbone’s twofer contribution: “You get the beauty of a pattern and the warmth of wood.”
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; F. MARTIN RAMIN/ THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
OUT: Big-Stitch Blankets
Those throws wrought of extremely thick yarn are so commonplace they’ve become aesthetically smothering. “The machine-made, chunky-yarn blankets are more suited for a football stadium than someone’s home,” said Washington, D.C., designer Josh Hildreth, who adds that mass-produced items make a space feel staged rather than lived in.
IN: Well-Woven Wraps
“Hand-loomed blankets are in because of their organic, natural imperfections,” Mr. Hildreth said. “The yarns are typically hand dyed and also have a richness of color.” And those tossed-on coverlets make an impact. “When you think of a room in layers, the outermost layers are what you see first, creating an immediate impression,” he added. Los Angeles design pro Susan Taylor, of Davis Taylor Design, often reaches for the Scottish lamb’s wool weaves of Paulette Rollo (shown), “because they look more artisan and handmade.”
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; MOOOI
OUT: Teensy Pendant Lights
Little dangling lights, even multiples of them, in large rooms have lost their luster for Newport Beach, Calif., designer Raili Clasen. “In spaces with voluminous ceilings, small light fixtures get swallowed up,” she said. Ms. Clasen clusters wee pendants in powder rooms, but in most spaces, fixtures under 36 inches no longer appeal to her. Interior designer Shannon Palmer, in Rancho Mirage, Calif., noted that he still welcomes small pendants made of interestingly blown glass or even rope or raffia, but “clients are leaving the simple, ‘techy’ frosted glass and cable pendants behind.”
IN: Titanic Fixtures
Illumination is no longer a chandelier’s sole reason for being. Designers bring the drama with pieces like the Moooi Random Light II (shown), a fiberglass orb available in diameters up to 41.3 inches. “[Oversized fixtures] become a major art piece and define the personality of the space,” said Ms. Clasen. In the room with which this story begins, Kyiv, Ukraine, architect Serhii Makhno grouped the Khmara ceramic pendants he designed. Besides the direct function of the fixtures, the largest of which is nearly 50 inches across, he said, they create “a wow factor in any interior.”
PHOTOS: ALAMY; JANET MESIC MACKIE
OUT: Boxy Blackened-Steel Frames
In 2021’s trend report, we confidently sent the modern farmhouse style, with its white clapboard and dark window frames, out to pasture. Its trademark blackened-steel details have nevertheless persisted in many forms of design, but Kim Armstrong, a designer in Rockwall, Texas, predicts their inappropriate application will wane. “In my area of Dallas I see so many people with 1960s-1980s brick homes installing windows with black frames,” she said. “It shouldn’t be used in every renovation or new build on the block.”
IN: Bendy Lines
Arches—in both cabinetry and architecture—are rounding the corner to sate our need for “softer lines and more comforting designs,” said Ms. Armstrong. In the Winnetka, Ill., house shown above, designer Mark Lavender emphasized broad hallway arches, which he said give a “great sense of space,” by adorning the surrounding walls in a strict, contrasting grid of plaid. Even in a comparatively calm and simple interior, arches make a statement, said designer Lindye Galloway, of Costa Mesa, Calif., who recently tucked a vaulted niche into a client’s tiled shower wall.
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; 1ST DIBS
OUT: The Reign of Cane
Although Ms. Taylor loves the lightness of the handwoven cabinet-fronts occasionally found on vintage furniture, the island-time material “crescendoed during the pandemic by appearing everywhere.” A little goes a long way. Erin Gates, in Wellesley, Mass., still likes a traditional rattan accent piece here and there but finds the boho “all rattan all the time” approach as faded as an old Hawaiian shirt. “It’s also kind of uncomfortable,” she said of caned seating, “and 2022 is all about finding the blend between comfort and fashion.”
IN: Ribs and Flutes
Those professionals designing luxury residences are adding ribbed-wood detailing to walls, kitchen cabinetry, bathrooms and more, said Mr. Meshberg. (File under “and more” the slatted-beechwood credenza above, by Mexican studio Peca, available at 1stdibs.com. ) Also having a revival: similarly linear fluting, a descendant of the vertical grooves that characterized columns in the better homes and gardens of ancient Rome. Today, fluting introduces visual intrigue “without adding true pattern,” said designer Laetitia Laurent, of Laure Nell Interiors in Boca Raton, Fla. It “strikes that balance of simple yet interesting.”
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; MICHAEL P. H. CLIFFORD
OUT: Routine Mass-Produced Wallpaper
While design experts largely agreed that wallcoverings are still salable, papering rooms with generic “fast fashion” iterations—especially soulless graphic patterns—won’t turn any heads, said designer Kristen Peña, of K Interiors in San Francisco. “Wallpaper isn’t just a substitute for paint anymore,” said Batya Stepelman, a consultant and owner of WallTawk in Denver. “Many people I work with see it as large-format art, and they don’t want the same piece as their neighbor.”
IN: Walls You Want to Touch
Our yen for contact and cocooning has got tactility climbing the walls. Plastered surfaces, like those in the Spanish colonial living room above, which Los Angeles designer Jake Arnold recently revamped, straddles two seemingly opposing aesthetics: Plaster is “very organic, yet rich,” he said. New York designer Lauren Behfarin predicts we’ll see lots of chalky lime wash, with its subtle texture and intrigue. Plaster paint can supply the blotchy optics without the expense of the real trowel-it-on stuff, said Ms. Galloway.
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; CHAIRISH
OUT: Made-to-Order Furniture
Supply-chain snarls are causing exasperating delays when it comes to having anything but in-stock merchandise delivered. “Larger furniture pieces in general seem to have the longest lead times,” said San Antonio, Texas, designer Alison Giese, who has encountered 28-week lead times when ordering upholstered sofas and chairs for clients. “I personally ordered some patio chairs last April, and I just received word that the new expected delivery date is March 2022.”
IN: Ye Olde Goodes
“Antiques are available and sold right off the floor,” enthused Sheldon Harte, of interior design firm Harte Brownlee in Laguna Beach, Calif., one of the many design pros we polled who said that shipping woes associated with new furniture have bolstered their appreciation of vintage pieces. Attic finds qualify, too. “Many clients are digging up family heirlooms and opting to use these in interesting ways,” said New York City designer Tina Ramchandani. “People are craving connections and history.” Alessandra Wood, design historian and VP of style at online design firm Modsy, called out early-American examples and their simple forms as particularly resurgent.
PHOTOS: F. MARTIN RAMIN/ THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
OUT: Banal Blues
The calming color found in dentists’ reception rooms everywhere is “no longer our clients’ go-to,” said Ms. Ramchandani. “Many of my clients have been nervous about using color and were leaning into blues as their way of adding interest to spaces,” she said of the sometimes melancholy, now overly pervasive color. Designers are also moving away from blue-based greys and whites.
IN: Mixed Greens
“The one color our clients are asking for lately is green,” said Betty Brandolino of Fresh Twist Studio in Elmhurst, Ill. Warmer greens like olive won slots in our recent trend reports, but the palette has expanded to include emerald, eucalyptus, jade and teal. “Rich mid-spectrum shades of green bring the outdoors inside,” said Dennese Guadeloupe Rojas, of Interiors by Design in Silver Spring, Md., who singled out colors such as Benjamin Moore’s October Mist [shown above], Valspar’s Garden Flower and Behr’s Sage. How to further intertwine nature and design? “Not just more indoor plants but larger windows and plant-inspired prints,” said New York City designer Laurence Carr.
PHOTOS: ALAMY; CRATE & BARREL
OUT: Glass Tabletops and Buildings
We don’t usually debate architectural trends in our annual design trend report, but anyone who finds the glass-walled world of HBO’s “Succession” off-putting may be glad to hear from New Yorker David West, founding partner of Hill West Architects. “We have passed the apex of the all-glass facade,” he said. The slick glazing has become “somewhat synonymous with mass production and anonymity.” Same goes indoors, Ms. Taylor said, citing how easily glass can break or become marred. And there’s the smudge factor, as anyone with a gummy-fingered toddler or spouse will lament. “Oy,” she said.
IN: Travertine Tabletops
The sandy limestone plays nicely with other, brighter hues. Using travertine, with its naturally irregular color patterns, is also like lugging a bit of the countryside indoors, reports interior designer Lauren Lerner, founder of Living with Lolo, in Cave Creek, Ariz. The stone was a midcentury mainstay that popped up again in the 1980s, Ms. Taylor said. “Its comeback now is largely due to its creamy color, warm feel and organic surface.” In short: It’s back to nature o’clock.
The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
The emphasis on natural and sustainability continues to grow from interior trends from previous years. It’s no wonder that their aesthetics are becoming even more refined and covetable. Moreover, we’re seeing a subtle merge of retro, natural, and zen elements in 2022 interior design trends. In addition, the importance of setting up home offices and keeping clean spaces play a substantial role in favored looks
1. 70’s Retro Kickback
A touch of retro is more than enough to spruce up a home. Gentle suggestions of burnt orange, moss greens, and other warm neutrals brighten up-and-coming interiors. Make a pass at your local flea market for these pops of color and patterns, or reupholster a vintage couch.
How to Find and Save on Vintage Furniture & Home Decor Trends 2022
Loving the retro interior design trend is one thing, but finding the piece perfect for your place is another. Here are quick tips on securing a vintage touch before the year is out.
Routinely visit local antique stores, fairs, and markets. Perseverance is key to finding what you’re looking for at the price that suits you.
Look for lesser-known brands. Popular names tend to cost more and be harder to acquire. Get to know alternatives by researching the style or item you want.
Buy vintage furniture online. That said, stick to trusted websites, like 1st Dibs or Chairish, to avoid the risk that comes with online shopping.
Attend an estate sale or antique auction with a friend. You’ll need to visit more than one event to make sure you can spot swollen prices.
2. 2022 Interior Design Trends With Nature
Go the extra mile with your nature-inspired design next year and bring authentic greenery into your home. Plants will not only complement your natural woods and warm browns, but they will also purify the air. Besides, seeing your blooms grow brings a deep sense of fulfillment and joy.
Best Plants for Pulling Off the Green Interior Design Trend
Remember to do your research before buying your favorite plants. Some will simply do better and are easier to care for than others. Here is the best greenery for interior design:
Sweetheart Plant: A versatile climber that is happy in semi to full-shaded rooms.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree: Hardy and beautiful bushy trees that need sunny rooms and weekly watering.
Monstera: A large family of plants with unique cut-out-shaped leaves that thrive in low-light interiors.
Palm: Another family with a wide variety of big and small plants that flourish in partial sun.
Snake Plant: Rumored to absorb negativity, this plant prospers in indirect sunlight and with infrequent watering.
3. Multifunctional Spaces
Single-use spaces seem to be a thing of the past. In the light of architectural strides and design, we expect interior design trends in 2022 to feature nifty ideas on multifunctional rooms. Make the most of every nook and cranny with clean and innovative room-dividing tactics.
There is a multitude of opportunities within any given room. Often many miss these by forgetting about the vertical space your room offers. Shelving, ladders, and platforms can open various doors and even function as room dividers.
4. Zen Interiors
Showcasing sustainable living in interiors serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it elevates the ingenious and environmentally-friendly design. This can encourage others to look to eco alternatives for their own homes. On the other, it’s a reflection of a clear and undistracted mind.
Light wood, clean lines, and floating surfaces set the tone for zen-living. These spaces lean toward a less-is-more approach while keeping decor organic and natural. To this end, plants are often included for a calming aesthetic.
5. Minimalism Remains
Minimalism done right enhances the livability of a space despite featuring fewer creature comforts. By highlighting the central purpose of a room it’s easy to focus on basic day-to-day needs and chores. That said, decluttering must be a core habit in such a home.
To achieve a simplistic look, stick to one or two main materials for furniture, like wood or steel, and limit ornamentation. You can introduce visual interest through different textures and contrasting surfaces.
6. Home Office Interior Design Trends 2022
There is a heightened interest in creating the ideal home office. From a roomy space with everything you need to a fold-away desk in a living room, home offices come in all shapes and sizes. But whatever the look, the aim is to make your space work for you. So when designing your own office, keep in mind that functionality, practicality, and aesthetics are equally important.
5 Things to Consider for a Home Office
Whatever the style, shape, and size, your home office will need a few basics to be a productive space. So when you incorporating the office trend into your design, also be mindful of the following points.
Location: Ideally, a workspace should be in a quiet area of your home. If a whole room is not an option, a foldaway desk in a guestroom can work just as well.
Equipment: Be sure to include everything you need to work efficiently without indulging in things that’ll only clutter your space.
Storage: A home office needs to be organized and sufficient storage will help keep things neat and in their place. Choose pretty containers that can double as decor.
Color: Opt for colors that calm and focus the mind, like subtle blues, greens, and neutrals. And avoid very bright hues that are energizing as they can lead to restlessness.
Decor: Keep decoration to a minimum to stay focused. You can include wall art, striking shelving, plants, and fun rugs to save space.
As new forms of design take flight, organic shapes and tactile surfaces are becoming more popular. Again, we see home decor trends in 2022 will have sustainability at their core.
Thank you Decorilla for providing this great information!
Call me if you need any design tips or remodeling!!
New products built on recent trends with lots of black, striking details, polished rustic style and bold curves
High Point Market was back in full swing this week in North Carolina, with furniture and accessory makers presenting their latest products under the theme “Remix, Refresh, Reimagine.” Designers and manufacturers continued to build on trends from recent years, with products featuring organic materials, botanical prints and Art Deco inspirations. But the spring 2021 market (June 5-9) also was marked by dramatic black artwork and furnishings, attention to details, a polished rustic sensibility and bold, whimsical curves. Here is a virtual look at some highlights
1. Black Is the New Black
Black was big at the market, following the trend of dark and moody rooms. One impactful way designers bring in dark tones is through artwork. While botanical prints in their natural colors had trended at the past few markets, this year these prints were rendered in black, with strong contrast from creams and whites.
“Sedum I + II”: Susan Hable for
This large woodcut-like piece has the organic look of tree rings, with a black-and-white palette that will bring compelling contrast to a room.
“Tree Rings II”: Angela Harris collection for Paragon.This piece in honed Negro Marquina marble can serve as sculpture as well as table. For those who want a lighter looks, it’s also available in white marble.
Cubist table: Thomas Pheasant for McGuire
This minimalist black console can add drama to an entryway, living room or dining room.
Hump console table: TOV Furniture
Caned furniture and details have been trending at recent markets, usually mixed with light-colored wood. But this year, makers featured caning mixed with black for more dramatic contrast.
Sierra Noir desk: TOV Furniture
Like desks, bars have gotten a lot more use in the home during the past year. This bar’s cabinet doors are a mix of black vellum with inset blackened brass circular details. The inside offers an elegant surprise with verre églomisé on the back, illuminated by LED lighting strips.
Gins drink cabinet: Julian Chicheste
r
Black also featured prominently in patterns and mixed with other materials. This entertainment center from Hooker Furniture features black in a mix of mango wood and inlaid bone.
2. All About That Base
Sometimes a dining table base is just a dining table base that’s purely functional. But in 2021, eye-catching bases were all over the market.
Aqueducts and Brutalist architecture inspired the limestone-colored concrete base of this dining table from Casa Ispirata.An hourglass was the inspiration for this dining table base by Paolo Vernier for Midj. The table’s name is Clessidra, Italian for hourglass. The base is composed of two conical shapes and is available in solid or two-tone steel or in wood. The top is available in a crystal ceramic or wood finish.
This dining table is a great example of the table base trend and the trend toward polished rustic style. Hand-forged in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, it has an unexpected asymmetrical trio of metal legs that stand atop a tiered base. Woodworkers in the same factory hand-plane the top, which is available in maple or walnut.
Biscayne dining table: Charleston Forge
3. Polished Rustic Style
Interest in handcrafted looks has grown, and furniture designers have responded with pieces that combine old-world craftsmanship with elegant and modern twists. The result, polished rustic style, sounds like an oxymoron but is a successful pairing of handmade elements with sophisticated and surprising details.
This piece, made in Mexico, has a beautifully crafted wood chest floating atop surprisingly funky legs. The legs come in white, black, red or orange. The pulls are leather with an aluminum detail, and there’s a handy flip-up charging station inside.
With such high demand for home offices in the past year, it was interesting to see how furniture designers approached desk design. Furniture maker and designer Skylar Morgan wanted to bring the old-fashioned writing desk back in a modern way. This walnut desk has beautifully mitered corners and intricate joinery, with drawers that are handsomely accented in black belting leather.
Scribe desk: Skylar Morgan
Jeremy Kamiya designs and crafts furniture in a style he calls “modern craft.” To add to the challenge, he makes his solid wood furniture without nails, screws or stains. He crafted this piece using mortise and tenon joinery and finished it with hand-rubbed oil and wax.
Shelf of Drawers: Kamiya Furniture
This bunk bed looks like something a creative and talented carpenter might have worked up for their own kids. The light wood gives it an elevated and simple Scandinavian look, while its architectural sensibility adds the fun appeal of a fort.
Scandinavian House bunk bed: Sweedi collection, South Shore Furniture
Interior designer Lauren Clement of Lauren Nicole Designs recently teamed up with Charleston Forge to create a line of furniture. This console table mixes a hefty chunk of wood with equestrian-inspired hand-forged metal legs.
Paddock Chairside console: Charleston Forge
4. Bold Curves
After years of clean, straight lines dominating, curves have been making a comeback. Adding curves in a room will make it feel more welcoming and comfortable.
The styles of curvy sofas seen at the market ranged from amorphous to structured. The oak back of McGuire Furniture’s Kimono sofa falls into the structured category with its wood back, adorned with caning and oak blossom details.
Art Deco style continued to influence trends in updated ways. TOV Furniture’s Hump collection features pieces with strong curves that nod to Art Deco architecture but with chunky minimalist lines.
TOV Furniture These soft, round swivel chairs are minimalist yet have loads of personality. They’re upholstered in bouclé, a textile that’s been trending for the past few years.
Lucas swivel chair: Urbia
These curvaceous chairs are hefty, but at the same time their open backs give them a light feel. They also have a sexy 1970s sensibility.
Cascade collection: Hooker Furniture
The bench, coffee table and loveseat here have curves that add a dash of whimsy to a space. The asymmetry of the table and loveseat marks another a trend seen this spring.
There’s an interesting play between the wooden base and the tall, curved silhouette of this woven outdoor chair.
Outdoor chair: JANUS et Cie
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I am grateful to be back with a new “Top 5” post today especially because we will be seeing some incredible white modern farmhouse exteriors. This is, without doubt, the most popular exterior style we are seeing at the moment and it’s easy to see why so many homeowners are choosing this type of home.
You can get the modern farmhouse look on the exterior of a home by adding white siding, black accents such as front door, trim and, of course, the popular black windows. These elements are often combined with board and batten, brick and metal roof.
Now, go ahead and find a comfy place to sit and get ready to see some beautiful modern farmhouses. Make sure to click the links provided under each photo so you can see the full house tours and know all details and sources.
1: Off-white Modern Farmhouse Exterior
This off-white modern farmhouse features current and yet timeless architectural details. Siding is a combination of James Hardie, board and batten, and lap siding. Paint color is Valspar Cream Delight. Design: @plankandpillow
2: Small Lot White Modern Farmhouse
You certainly don’t need to live in the country to have the modern farmhouse of your dreams. This “small lot modern farmhouse” is a great example that an urban farmhouse can fit in any type of neighborhood! Builder: @mhousedevelopment: @stofferphotographyinteriors
What can be better than a white modern farmhouse with wrap-around porch? This home is stunning from every angle! The white siding paint color is Paint color is Sherwin Williams Snowbound. Builder: wilson_design_construction : Laurey Glenn Photography.
4: White Modern Farmhouse with Painted Brick Exterior
This home is what dreams are made of! If you haven’t seen the complete house tour, you really need to! The painted brick siding paint color is “Extra White by Sherwin Williams Extra White”. Design: @chrissymarieblog
This modern farmhouse not only features a gorgeous white exterior with black accents but the interiors are also incredibly fresh and inspiring. The board and batten siding is James Hardie Arctic White. Builder: @timbertrailshomes: @stofferphotographyinteriors
Home Trends for 2021: Maximizing Multifunctional Spaces Sustainably
Who isn’t ready to leave 2020 behind? After all the challenges we’ve faced and continue to confront, we’re pumped for a fresh start in 2021. Still, the difficulties posed by 2020 have also presented us with possibilities and opportunities to change how we work, relax, and play—changes that benefit ourselves and our communities, and the planet.
Our homes also became much more than places to gather with family or hang our hats after a long day. The house was suddenly the workplace, school, gym, yoga studio, and more. Perhaps no other room got more use, or become more multifunctional, than the living room. So, as we enter a new year, let’s talk about how to maximize our hybrid living spaces sustainably.
During the first COVID lockdown, living rooms, kitchen islands, and dining tables were deployed as places for virtual learning, Zoom meetings, and workspaces. Family members vied for quiet spots in which to take care of business. Designers figured out how to create peaceful work zones using sound-absorbing fabric. Earbuds and headphones became necessary, as did carving out places to take a meeting, unfurl the yoga mat, or study for class.
Taking cues from minimalism and tiny homes and how furnishings serve multiple purposes in these places is critical as we move into 2021. Ideas include:
A small work table that pulls down from a wall
A dining table that folds into a bench or desk, and
Storage that hides office or art supplies
All of these can ease the strain of using a single room for different purposes. Some furniture can be folded into compact shapes when not in use. You can then slip it underneath a bed or behind a couch. When shopping for multipurpose sustainable furniture, consider materials like bamboo, cork, and FSC-certified wood. If you’re buying upholstered furniture, select sustainable textiles to eliminate off-gassing, chemical residue. Some companies, like Steelcase, even offset the carbon associated with their manufacturing.
Designers are also predicting that furniture styles will trend toward the soft, rounded, and overstuffed once again, as families continue to spend most of their time safely at home. Alessandra Wood, vice president of style at Modsy, told Insider that people want to add layers of comfort while maintaining functionality to their spaces.
Vintage Dresser. Photo Credit: Post Design Co
Reuse, Recycle
Several trend forecasters in the interior design industry are advocating that homeowners look to vintage, antique, salvage, and consignment shops for one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect their personality and style. Hooray for upcycling! According to Sampleboard, for instance, sustainability in the home now taps into the domain of paints, objects, and materials. They go on to say that the industry is exploring different production technologies and promoting recycling. That the growing popularity of vintage furniture and decor with Millennials is helping move the needle forward.
Used furnishings also often come with provenance, or a story, that makes them unique. They add authenticity and a sense of history to your home décor while allowing for personalization and experimentation. Alessandra Wood told Insider that this style is called “Grandmillenial” and described it as “eco-friendly” as well as affordable.
Upcycled Headboards. Photo Credit: Reloved Home Designs
Searching for the perfect piece at a local antique or consignment shop also provides a sense of adventure and discovery. And, this purchase supports the community in which you live. Similarly, finding a multifunctional table or bench handcrafted by a local maker from recycled materials infuses your living room with a whole new level of creativity.
Double Workspace Under Stairs. Photo Credit: Moretti Interior Designs
Renewing and Renovating
The pandemic lockdown also inspired homeowners to take on renovation projects that may have been long overdue. Basements became home offices, gyms, even extra bedrooms. Homeowners connected and moved living areas outdoors, creating kitchens, dining areas, play spaces, living and gathering, and even offices outdoors. Homeowners also transformed underused spaces under the stairs, next to laundry areas, even pantries into a home office or study area.
To keep these innovative spaces sustainable—while keeping the family healthy and happy, and utility bills to a minimum—requires an environmental mindset. For example, if starting a new project in 2021, insist on local and low-carbon-footprint and energy-efficient construction materials, as well as options for recycling construction waste. Bring the outdoors and natural daylight in by replacing windows and doors with energy-efficient alternatives. Use LEDs in light fixtures that provide supplemental illumination for such tasks as reading, studying, or working.
Natural Rug. Photo Credit: Organic Weave
Choose sustainable flooring and rugs made from non-toxic materials. If walls need painting, or you’re thinking of changing a wall color to highlight a specific area in your living space, choose low- or no-VOC paints. Milk paint is another sustainable option. Paint companies are also addressing homeowners’ desires for non-toxic paints and colors that reflect the warmth and grounded-ness of nature. Color palettes for 2021 include earth-toned pigments, bright floral hues, and calm, quiet tones.
Fishbone Cactus. Photo Credit: Tonic Blooms
Bring the Outside In
Bringing nature inside the living room, especially in cold climates where the winter days can be long and dreary, is a great strategy. It not only benefits our mental health but helps keep our indoor air clean and fresh. After spending so much of 2020 isolated from others in our homes, the benefits of bringing nature inside have become quite obvious.
Jason Chongue, from The Plant Society, commented that plants transform the atmosphere of our indoor spaces effortlessly and inexpensively. According to House Beautiful, house plants trending in 2021 include Fishbone Cactus, Velvet Calathea, and Snake Plant.
Photo Credit: BloomingTables
Consider finding a spot near a window for an indoor garden. Research the best indoor plants for purifying indoor air—such as spider plants, chrysanthemums, and areca palms. Succulents are still popular and low-maintenance. BloomingTables is a multifunctional, space-saving option for growing succulents, and you can use the glass top to display décor.
Incorporating biophilic design into your living areas not only brings you closer to nature. Plants create a natural habitat-like sanctuary in the privacy of your homes. Indoor plants can also provide a green “fence” or “wall” between a home-office space and the kids’ study or school space.
Samsung TV. Photo Credit: Amazon
Energy-Efficient Televisions
Bingeing via our screens has never been as popular as in 2020. TVs are an essential component of many living spaces, and they do wear out. Homeowners in the market for a new TV should look for LEDs and OLEDs, which run electrically for as little as $9.06 and $17.87 per year, respectively. Also, make sure to look for ENERGY STAR Certified options. If every homeowner in the United States used an ENERGY STAR TV, annual greenhouse gas emissions would decrease by an astounding 9 billion pounds.
Hybrid and Healthy Living Spaces
In 2021, our living areas will continue to function as multipurpose, hybrid spaces. The living room is where we gather with our COVID safe-bubbles, help the kids with online learning, work from home, practice yoga or lift weights, and entertain ourselves. Keeping happy and healthy and our living spaces fresh and clean and comfortable will help us enter the new year with eyes firmly looking toward a more sustainable future.
Thank you to Camille LeFevre and Rise magazine for the great information
From the Wall Street Journal…Cozy Comfort With a Soul…
National Design Trends 2020
The continuing prediction of the demise of gray 🙂
Wall Street Journal “polled” 100 designers regarding trends for 2020
The Top 6 Interior-Design Trends for 2020
Oval furniture is making sharp angles seem passe. The reign of white Carrara is giving way to many-colored marble. We canvassed over 100 décor pros to bring you the design trends that are winning—and waning
Even if chain-retailer prices are tolerable, it’s become less appealing to buy a bed or dresser thinking you’ll replace it in a few years. “Longevity is in, throwaway culture is out,” said Shea Soucie, co-founder of Soucie Horner, a design and architecture firm in Chicago. The toll that disposable furniture takes on the environment has people looking at revitalizing old pieces, noted Richmond, Va., designer Sara Hillery, “especially those with meaning.” Said Rome-based designer Achille Salvagni, “No one wants to inherit that IKEA coffee table.”
IN: Pieces Worth Keeping
Discerning Americans are turning to furniture with soul, like this Custom Rift Sawn Oak Dresser made for Sunday Shop by New Orleans workshop Doorman (below). “There is a palpable shift toward collecting fewer but better things that represent shared experiences through real craftsmanship,” said Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Italian brand Poltrona Frau. Also gaining value: the history inherent in antiques and hand-me-downs. Said Elizabeth Lowrey, of Boston’s Elkus Manfredi Architects, “If it’s meaningful, find a place for it.”
OUT: Bleached and Whitewashed Floors
Blanched wood surfaces, a hallmark of Scandinavian and Modern Farmhouse styles, are fading. “Clients worry that it will be too identifiable as ‘a look’ from this period and not stand the test of time,” said San Francisco designer Kendall Wilkinson. Also taking a powder: the flooring materials that were part of the gray wave of the past five years. “Gray woods have been reigning supreme for years, but we’re seeing a shift to warmer palettes,” said Glencoe, Ill., designer Andrea Goldman.
IN: Warm Woods Underfoot
People want rooms that are a bit more cozy, with richer, darker colors, noted Jenna Rochon, co-founder of Transition State design in Los Angeles. On the floor, that translates to walnut, mahogany and dark oak. New York designer Young Huh also noted a tendency toward “finishes with old-world charm.” Honey-toned species like oak and maple contribute to a casual vibe, said Ms. Goldman, “but since they pair nicely with warmer hues, the final look is not as faded out” as that of bleached wood.
OUT: Gray…Again!
Yes, we confidently reported last year that the ubiquitous gray that charcoaled homes inside and out in 2018 was past its prime. Designers had tired of the sooty shade, but apparently the public hadn’t. “As we close out the decade, the ‘cool gray everything’ style is finally (and thankfully) out for good,” ventured Laura Muller, owner and principal designer of Four Point Design Build. Designer and artist Barry Lantz in Carmel, Ind., despaired of gray, “It’s like a gloomy winter day all year.”
IN: Earth Tones
Four of the 16 colors in Farrow & Ball’s new Colour by Nature line are green. Home Depot’s Behr paint declared its Back to Nature green (right, bottom) their 2020 color of the year. Joa Studholme, color curator at Farrow & Ball, credits the verdant trend to environmental awareness, while many of the polled designers mentioned olive green as part of an earthy, organic palette that includes chocolate brown, camel, deep reds, ocher and burnt orange.
Ms. Huh told us that hard, cold, “all-masculine spaces” are tired. Mr. Salvagni believes 2020 is the year to shake, “the tyranny of the straight line,” as seen in this particularly tyrannical acrylic desk. Sara Hillery observed that the rise of linearity coincided with the flourishing of Facebook and Instagram. “Images of stark, modern rooms flooded social media, and furniture followed suit with the rise of track arms and square frames,” said the Richmond, Va., designer.
IN: Softer Living
“Moving away from the geometric shapes of the recent past, there was a strong emergence of softened corners, round legs, curved backs,” said Denise Morrison, a designer in Newport Beach, Calif., who reports that many vendors have introduced oval tables. She points to the Skate Oval Dining Table by Tracey Boyd, Four Hands Collection, (below )The trend can also be seen as a backlash to oppressive masculinity. “We’re embracing the feminine touches and a soupçon of the romantic,” said Ms. Huh.
OUT: Colorless Stone
You know Carrara and Calacatta marble. They’re frequently mispronounced—even by people who can afford whole kitchen islands of them—as “Carrera” and “Calcutta.” Chicago designer Kate Taylor identified it as “veiny white marble” when she opined that it had reached its peak of popularity. “White and gray marble had a very long and full life, but with oversaturation comes monotony,” agreed fellow-Chicagoan Donna Mondi. “It can still have a part in your story, just don’t count on it to be the lead.”
IN: Multicolored Marble
Taking uneventful white stone’s place? Ms. Taylor points to multicolored geological wonders like the marble at right, which New York’s ABC Stone calls Opera D’Arte. Also crowding out Carrara and Calacatta are man-made materials, said Ms. Goldman. “We’re seeing clients select porcelain and techno quartz over natural stone, even in high-end homes, thanks to the practicality and durability of it.” Said Miami architect Kobi Karp of engineered stone, “It can mimic high-end materials at an attainable price.”
OUT: White Slipcovers
“For a long time, [washable] cotton slipcovers were our best bet for white upholstery, so that it would not be destroyed by stains,” said Caitie Smithe, a designer with Chicago’s Walter E. Smithe. New York’s Vicente Wolf enumerated their shortcomings: “Cotton slipcovers are super high maintenance. They shrink, fade, stain and need to be pressed.” Added Four Point Design Build’s Ms. Muller, “Slipcovers also typically have a loose, casual—almost sloppy—fit, which over time and several washings, become a ‘misfit.’”
IN: White Sofas
Ms. Smithe predicts that in 2020, the gray-upholstery trend will be replaced by white upholstery, driven by advances in performance fabric. “The technology has created options that are as soft and stylish as a ‘regular’ non-performance fabric without a difference in price,” she said, “and they repel stains better than ever.” Said designer Jenny Madden, of Hoboken, N.J., “Now that performance fabrics…include textures as soft as chenille, why do upholstery any other way?”
Thank you to: Catherine Romano
WOLFORD NAMED #1 IN LOUISVILLE AND KENTUCKY!
We are proud to be noted as THE BEST contractor AGAIN in Louisville and Kentucky by
When it comes to kitchen design, we have seen so many trends come and go in the last few years, but one that has been going strong for some time now (and will continue to be seen in 2020) is a combination of painted (or in this case, sprayed) cabinets accentuated with natural wood. In fact, natural wood cabinets should be the hottest trend in the new year and that goes for all spaces in the house, not only kitchens
2020 Kitchen Design Ideas
How I love the feel of this kitchen! It feels spacious and BRIGHT, which is so important in any kitchen.
Walls are “Benjamin Moore Graytint 1611”.
Cabinet Paint Color
The perimeter cabinets are “Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove”. “BM White Dove” is a classic and timeless white paint color, often recommended by cabinet makers and interior designers. The kitchen island and hood are Natural Oak.
The countertops are Calcutta Quartzite.
Range: 48” Wolf range
Cabinet Door Style
Kitchen Cabinet Door Style: Flat panel, shaker style with inner panel slight round-over detail.
Hardwood flooring is 5” Natural Quarter Sawn White Oak with Bona Finish and great for dogs! (Hides scratches!) Did I mention I have the 2 cutest dogs in the world??
For Your Dream Kitchen call me, Martha Wolford@ 502.387.5935!
Two-tone cabinets, vibrant fabric and a frosty backsplash brighten this eat-in kitchen
With two teenage boys going off to college in a few years, this couple didn’t want to break the bank on a kitchen renovation. However, they were tired of living with the room’s dark and gloomy style. In addition, they wanted a closer connection to their backyard patio, which they had to walk through another room to access. By repurposing what she could and keeping the existing layout intact, interior designer Sabrina Alfin was able to give them a bright, fresh and new-to-them kitchen at about a third of the cost of a complete renovation.
“After” photos by Dean J. Birinyi Photography
Kitchen of the Week Who lives here: A couple and their two teenage boys Location: San Carlos, California Size: 209 square feet (19.5 square meters) Designer:Sabrina Alfin Interiors
BEFORE: While not compact, the previous kitchen looked small and cramped because it was so dark. In addition, the family had to cart food and drinks through another room to their backyard entertainment space. However, their appliances, granite countertops and cabinet bases were in great shape.
“At first they thought they wanted an all-white Shaker kitchen, but I thought that could wind up looking too stark and antiseptic for them — I wanted them to have something more cool updated to reflect them,” Alfin says. So she nudged them toward a two-tone cabinet scheme that injected the room with more color.
AFTER: “My clients liked blue but didn’t want nautical navy or to go too beachy,” Alfin says. Instead, she helped them find a grayish teal that’s updated and sophisticated.
One of the biggest cost savers was refacing rather than replacing the cabinets. The designer added new custom Shaker doors and drawer fronts, updating the classic style with long bar pulls.
Alfin didn’t stop at just blue and white. She knew that her clients loved deep reds and wanted to find a fabric that incorporated those while tying into the teal. She also knew that spicy colors would warm up the blue and white scheme and steer it away from a coastal look.
She had the built-in bench refaced in white, with new drawer fronts and hardware that coordinates with the cabinetry. The eat-in area is an important part of the room, as the family enjoys almost all their meals together in here.
New recessed lighting and vintage-style glass pendants help brighten the room. Framed groups of vintage bottle caps add an eclectic touch. In case you’re wondering, the door leads to the existing pantry.
Chairs: Crate & Barrel; bottle cap artwork: Bed Bath & Beyond; Eastmoreland pendant lights: Rejuvenation
BEFORE: Here’s a glimpse of the original upholstered bench. The family wanted to keep the existing table, and Alfin made it work with new chairs, a refaced bench and new upholstery.
AFTER: “I was looking for fabric that had a lot of visual interest and has the blue in it, and I found a bunch to show them — my clients fell in love with this one,” Alfin says. “It was so much fun to work with them, as they were so willing not to go down the neutral path and to take artistic risks.”
Rowten fabric: No. 4354 in Fiesta, Pindler & Pindler
AFTER: The biggest structural change to the room is the new window over the sink, which opens to the patio. Alfin took out the cabinets flanking the original window, which gave her room for a 7½-foot-wide window. Of the window’s three panes, two slide open to the outdoors, making it easy to pass food and drinks through to the bar counter on the other side.
Another cost saver was preserving the existing granite countertops, but the coordinating granite backsplash had to go. The designer replaced it with classic 6-by-3-inch subway tiles. Next she added a border of 3-by-1-inch frosty glass accent tiles. “We could have gone with just white subway tile, but it would have looked too monolithic,” she says. “We wanted to break it up without too much contrast — we already had that from the two-tone cabinets.”
She also added LED lighting underneath the cabinets. Previously the only source of light on the counters had been from the vent hood.
Arctic White subway tile: Daltile; Frost Iridescent accent tile: Water & Light series, Boyce & Bean
When it comes to refacing cabinets, Alfin says that although finding good-quality paint-grade doors and drawer fronts is important, the key is finding a great painter. She recommends looking for someone who is very detail-oriented.
“They should do good prep work on the cabinet bases first, filling in all the holes,” she says. She also says it’s best if the painter has a spray booth in which to paint the doors and drawer faces before bringing them to the house to install. “It’s not cheap, but it’s still a lot less expensive than buying all new cabinetry,” she says.
marthawolford 
Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A couple and their two teenage boys
Location: San Carlos, California
Size: 209 square feet (19.5 square meters)
Designer: Sabrina Alfin Interiors
BEFORE: While not compact, the previous kitchen looked small and cramped because it was so dark. In addition, the family had to cart food and drinks through another room to their backyard entertainment space. However, their appliances, granite countertops and cabinet bases were in great shape.
“At first they thought they wanted an all-white Shaker kitchen, but I thought that could wind up looking too stark and antiseptic for them — I wanted them to have something more cool updated to reflect them,” Alfin says. So she nudged them toward a two-tone cabinet scheme that injected the room with more color.
Learn more about using two-tone cabinets