What color trends are popular for home decorating?

Are you curious what color trends are popular? Gray tones are big, with splashes of either camel or yellow.

Earth tones (such as green, brown, cinnamon etc) are always a safe bet. Colors found in nature are always a safe bet!

Tone on tone shades are popular because they're soothing and create a calm environment. Metallic and shimmer are big, such as crystal, mercury glass and stainless steel. This photo is from the Bernhardt showroom, which is an amazing furniture line.

This color trend of tone on tone is soothing and timeless.

The photo below shows artwork, in ever popular soothing green/blue tones. This year you'll see a splash of "artichoke hearts" added to the mix (Benjamin Moore). Any colors that feel "spa like", a soothing greenish blue, have always been popular and never seem to go out of style.

This color trend of aqua, soft greens and blues never
seems to go out of style. People ask for it every year.

To know what color trends will be popular in the upcoming year, look at fashion magazines. The colors shown in magazines are often found in furniture, fabrics, rugs and all home decorating projects. 

What does it cost to reupolster my sofa? Is it worth recovering?

Sofa BEFORE reupholstering 

Greensboro NC Reupholstering AFTER 

Are you curious how much it will cost to reupholster your current sofa? Or whether it's worth recovering? Here are 5 tips.

• If your sofa is comfortable & the right size for your room, recovering it will save both precious time & money.  
• Sofas with hardwood frames & coil springs are definately worth recovering! They often have better construction than today's imported frames.
• When you recover, you aren't limited to the small selection of fabrics the sofa manufacturer provides. If you're dealing with a great fabric source, the sky's the limit! You can specify color, durability, texture, etc.  Fabric is easier to select when they'll spread out bolts in the room.
• You can change the look completely through new cushions, or by ommitting the skirt. We left exposed wood legs for this client, which made the room look larger.
• A qualified interior designer can offer ways to add color, texture, or personality to the room, such as this vintage linen fabric and the soft chenille throw.  

Sofa Before room makeover 

This homeowner never liked their fabric (since they chose from the store's very limited fabric options). They did however love the shape & size of the sofa. 

Notice in the room makeover photos how the sofa looks brand new. For hundreds of room makeovers photos & designer room photos check out    http://www.transformingrooms.com

Recovering allows you to decorate on a budget, so you can
add other new items as we did in this room makeover. See the new
cocktail ottoman, window treatments, lamps, & rug. 

sofa after 

How can I incorporate eco friendly green items in my home.

We'd like to share some photos on how to refurbish, reinvent, or recover your furniture! It's fun to create new uses for old furniture, or recover dated furniture. The photos below will astound you.

Yes, it really is the SAME chair! A little creativity and a gorgeous fabric goes a long way! You'll feel great about green living and doing what's good for the environment! 

AFTER (recovered in luxurious chenille)

BEFORE

new uses for old furniture 

Consider a bookcase makeover. Donate books so others can enjoy them.

Think of ways to change your furniture - can you remove the doors? Can you change the appearance by adding mirrors or faux painting? Is there a piece of furniture you rarely use that could become a bar or display area? See the above piece - which is now a functional wine bar.

By thinking of the environment and refurbishing old furniture, you'll create something you can enjoy.
Refurbishing furniture can become a fun family project, and creating something useful (such as the wine bar above) will allow you to make better use of your home.  

What size should art be?

People often ask what size their art should be. They worry that large art and accessories will make the room feel smaller. They'll hang 6 or 7 small items for this very reason. When we bring in a large piece of art,  they'll comment that the room "feels much larger". Perhaps it's because a wall that's full of lots of items can tend to feel cluttered, or perhaps it's because the correct size and scale helps balance the furniture. It is also helpful because tall items will draw the eye up (so the ceilings feel taller).


BEFORE with small art

After with larger art

If your wall is large, know that large art is the best choice. If it especially large, you could add a pair of vertical art pieces (see above photo).

Should I choose a solid fabric or a print for window treatments?




Unique valance in beautiful linen fabric, Oakridge NC

The above valance is in a beautiful linen print, which we were able to recommend because the client's existing sofa, chairs, and rug all blended well with it. 

If you do go with a print on the window treatments, it's important to have the relief that a solid fabric allows. Notice how the king duvet color is solid white, and the chairs are also a solid instead of a print. 

When selecting a fabric with a print, there are numerous things to ask yourself: 

1) Is it possible to find a combination of colors that blend with the combination of colors in your current fabrics or rug?  For example, say your chair fabric is camel, brown and green. The window treatment fabrics that are available might have the wrong combination of colors, (such as camel, brown and turquoise).  Since you did not buy the fabrics at the same time, it might be impossible to find a beautiful coordinate. 

2) Is the size and scale of the print good for the size of the room? Example - a room with tall ceilings might require a large patter repeat.   

3) Is the fabric timeless or trendy? Is it so busy that it demands too much attention? 

A solid is best on the window treatments, because there is so much fabric.
Prints are normally best on small chairs or pillows, so you won't tire of them. 

4) Will you tire of the fabric?  Solid fabrics or tone on tone fabrics are safe options - for the long run. 

A window treatment can be timeless for 15 to 20 years, if you find a fabric that is not trendy, and one with colors that you love.  For more window valance styles, type "valance styles" in the search box.