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What's hot and what's not in interior
design?
Look at these ideas to help you establish a unique design signature
for your home.
Kitchens:
Tip One: Think beyond the backsplash when installing the accent
tile. Instead, splurge by covering an entire cabinetry wall with the
backsplash material. This works well above a cook top with a modern
hood, or over the sink area.
Tip Two: Clean up the countertop edge. Formal ogee edges are
fading in popularity and being replaced with simple contemporary edges
such as a pencil or eased edge. If you can afford it, thicken the edge
of an island counter top to a full 2 ¼ inches to make the whole
kitchen feel more expensive. Also, move beyond granite and look
instead at some of the more progressive countertop materials such as
engineered stone, recycled glass, stainless steel and concrete.
Tip Three: Find furniture-grade upgrades to elevate your
cabinetry. A bland production kitchen can look semi-custom with simple
changes. Skip a standard toe kick when designing desks, island fronts,
and built-in hutches, and use a furniture base instead. Compound the
crown molding with a small frieze on the top of the cabinets, and
leave no room between the ceiling and top of the cabinetry. Also,
varying cabinet heights is a dated, “don’t.” The cleaner the
better—and try contemporary cabinet pulls or knobs even if your
kitchen leans traditional.
Living Areas:
Tip Four: Wall cladding gives character and substance to the
most affordable spaces. Try a textured stone or tile on an entire
fireplace wall. Painted brick is back. And wide, v-groove panel
molding can add vintage charm to foyers, dining rooms, and fireplace
walls.
Tip Five: Create memorable transition between spaces. You’ve
seen good ideas like this before—but can you get creative about where
they occur in the plan? Try a vintage door when you least expect it.
Tip Six: Create signature, “found” spaces. Tuck shelves under a
stairway. Find a way to put a reading alcove/window seat at the top of
a stair landing. Design a walk-in pantry to die for with a mini-mosaic
floor, pendant lighting custom shelving and storage on the door. Make
your fireplace a standout by using one of the new horizontal and
rectilinear fireboxes.
Tip Seven: Stop buying the bronze, pseudo-Mediterranean
lighting. Look instead at simple, large shade fixtures, simple rustic
wood chandeliers, and even woven wicker fixtures. Think young and
fresh with your light fixture choices—the whole house will look
fresher.
Tip Eight: Embrace contrast. Walls are getting lighter and
floors are getting darker. Trim is a little bit of both, but I see
trending toward darker trim and lighter walls. Picture an ebony floor
with crisp white walls and stained trim.
Bathrooms:
Tip Nine: Free-standing tubs are back, back, back. Get creative
and ground the walls and floors surrounding the tub with contrasting
materials to highlight the splurge of a free-standing tub.
Tip Ten: No more bar lights above the unfinished mirror. Spend
the money to frame your mirror with cabinetry or millwork, and make
sure there is no left over drywall at the top. Locate simple sconces
within the mirror to highlight your buyers’ faces. And add enough
recessed cans to make the bath sparkle.
So be a little daring. Think retro-contemporary. Try some new eco
materials. Remember, gaudy excess is gone. In its place are authentic
interiors with character features and less square footage.
Find
a Flagler -
Palm Design Professional |