Trends change yearly. Here’s four of the most popular ones for 2012.
COLOUR:
2011: Grey
Last year we said goodbye to the suburban beiges and honey browns and replaced it with cooler tones like sea glass and pale greys.
2012: Orange
This year its all about being optimistic; happy colours and every shade of orange is topping the list for paint colours. From pale rust to sherbert tangerine, this citrus colour is topping 2012’s list for painted walls.
PATTERNS:
2011: Geometrics
From lattice and chain link inspired patterns, the 1970’s iconic prints dominated just about every fabric and wallpaper choice available. Overused, it must now disappear for another decade in order to return as a high-priced classic again.
2012: Large floral
Flowers are back; they are bright and big and feel modern. Add a large floral print to just a headboard in the bedroom, the back panel of a chair or Euro-sized pillow shams for a burst of colour in the living room this year.
FURNITURE:
2011: Low and deep
Low, deep and lounge-like was all the rage last year for sofas and chairs. For those with enough strength (or a crane) to get out of them you can say goodbye and into something more comfortable.
2012: Curvy and rounded
Traditional style is making a return and curvy lined furniture is feeling most welcome after two decades of square-edged, hotel-inspired furnishings. Look for the classic camel-back shaped sofas and organic shaped side tables to round out your rooms.
UP-CYCLING:
2011: Turning junk into trendy objects.
Last year was great for DIY projects; we painted old dressers trendy colours, wallpapered inside old armoires and upholstered every mid-century modern sofa we could find. Junk got tarted up.
2012: Fine furniture improvement
This year its about investing in good stuff; find an antique chair and upholster it with a cashmere/wool blend fabric, have a custom lampshade made or add lux trims to a set of old velvet drapes. It’s the small investments that will offer up classic style.
WALLPAPER:
2011: Crazy and busy
From large-scale damask patterns to metallic and velvet-flocked geometric patterns, the wallpaper industry did a great thing last year; they got a generation of 20-nothings to fall in love with wallpaper as something new on the décor scene.
2012: Soft and subtle
We’re seeing softer tones and faded looking background colours in the wallpaper this year. Easier to look at, this new look is still on trend with contemporary designs and motifs; just not as harsh to look
at.
FABRIC:
2011: Natural linen
Belgium linen in natural beige/sand tones were being used for everything from upholstery, bedding and draperies. Overused, it’s starting to look cheap and abused.
2012: Linen leftovers
So what do you do with natural linen when its overused? You die it darker and richer in colours to change its look. Deep purple, grey and navy colours will be showing up on our windows and bedding; a nice way to use up that extra stock of linen.
METALLIC:
2011: Brash brass
And just when you thought every nickel-plated door knob, kitchen handle and towel bar was safe; brass enters the room and takes over. For some it border lined on garish and for others it was a scary blast from the 70’s.
2012: French gold
Now that’s more like it; a mixture of silver and gold makes French gold; a soft, warm tone that allows our eyes to adjust to the change from cool metal tones to warm. So Canadian isn’t it?
