Spring has sprung, and for many, that also means it’s time to break out the paint rollers, dust off that measuring tape and start perusing the homeware catalogues.
Looking for ideas to give your digs a fresh look? We asked Margot Austin, senior design editor for Style At Home, and Tara Dalla-Nora, principal designer of the Toronto-based Inner Luxe, about this season’s hottest home design trends.
1 Sunny hues: “I always suggest for spring and summer to do fresh citrus colours, like yellowy-green,” says Dalla-Nora. Shy about putting bold colours on walls? Bright yellows are also popular for accent pieces like vases, pillows and lamps.
2 Textured wallpaper: One of the biggest trends for wallpaper has been grasscloth, “Papers with really natural earthy textures — almost fabrics that are backed with paper,” says Austin. Grasscloth wallpapers are even available in non-neutral colours such as navy or lavender.
3 Light woods: After years of dark woods, home furnishings are seeing the light again with lighter-coloured woods, such as birch and maple. Another tip: “Lighten up your furniture with metals or by having a few occasional glass pieces in there,” says Dalla-Nora.
4 Rough-hewn edge: “I am seeing a really strong trend toward things that look handmade, a little more primitive in construction,” says Austin. Referencing either a factory or an old schoolhouse is a popular look that can be achieved with oversized clocks or large pendant lights that look as though they came off a factory floor.
5 Ethnic-inspired prints: “Ikat prints are quite popular right now, as well as a lot of prints inspired by, say, Indian traditional textile-making, like block prints,” says Austin. Her tip for incorporating prints into your home: Buy a length of fabric, wrap it around a pre-stretched artist’s canvas, and you’ve got a unique piece of art to hang on your walls.
6 Retro with a modern twist: “You don’t want to go too overboard with retro, but adding a couple of retro elements is always really nice,” says Dalla-Nora. She suggests pairing a few pieces of furniture from the ’60s or ’70s with more modern pieces, or using fabrics with a retro geometric pattern.
7 Bring the indoors outdoors: “As Canadians, the first sign of summer, we want to get outside and live outside,” says Austin. She’s seen a rise in fully-furnished spaces in yards, from outdoor kitchens — equipped with fridge and sink — to outdoor fireplaces.
“It also speaks to the trend of really making use of the space you already own,” she adds. “Who needs a cottage if you can make your backyard function as if it’s a retreat?”
