Labels: 2009 trends, color, Interior Design, trends

Why is the living room one of the main rooms to look at when you are assessing your comfort in your home? It is, along with the kitchen, the primary space for entertaining and gathering. It is a hard working room.

In many home layouts the living room is also the front line impression of your home. It creates the atmosphere of welcome that can define the attitudes of the occupants. That is why the interior design of this space is key to a home’s overall impact.

What is the proper title of this space for gathering? There must be more names for this room than any other in the home. The truth is Living Room, Family Room, TV Room, Great Room, or Den are each appropriate titles for this shared living space. Today’s interiors have changed. With the decrease of formality, closed spaces with separate functions have disappeared giving way to less formal, open, multifunctional spaces.

Modern homes in Colorado often have what we call a Great Room, as these spaces tend to open to other rooms, such as the kitchen, and serve as a multifunctional space. Living Room in the traditional sense is often kept as the name for a separate more formal shared space, usually without a TV.

Designing the living space takes careful planning so there is a balance between function and aesthetics. Function is the primary task to be tackled.

The experience and skill of an interior designer can be crucial to help you navigate these tasks and analyze how the parts relate to the whole. We see so many situations where clients have gone out and bought a piece of furniture that looked great in the store but turned out to not fit the space at all. Even if you are on a tight budget or simply a bona-fide “DIYer,” consulting an interior designer before you purchase any furniture or furnishings can help you avoid headaches, make sure you are set going in the right direction for your needs and desires, and actually save you money down the road.

· All the intended uses of the space need to be analyzed.
· How often do you entertain?
· How many people?
· What are the activities that will take place in this room, reading, watching TV, music, computer work, and game playing? What if all of these end up happening at the same time?
· Will there be children and or pets using this space?
· Do you have collections and books that need storage or display space?

The answers to these questions help to determine the furniture, lighting, and materials needed in this space. In addition, space planning and the scale of the items needed is critical.

Aesthetics are also important to the design but are usually considered after the function.

· What is the mood or feeling desired in this space?
· What colors are pleasing?
· How does this room fit with the rest of the home?
· What style themes appeal to you?

There are many choices of materials that come into play. These include fabrics, window coverings, floor coverings, lighting, accessories, and media components. A skilled designer can combine hard and soft materials to provide a balance of surfaces that is most pleasing to the eye.

If you have not changed anything in your living space in the last 8 to 15 years it is time to consider an update. This can be as simple as adding some accent pieces or an accent color.

Consider creating a theme to drive design choices. Time tested themes include Modern, Urban-Contemporary, Asian-Zen, Italian-Tuscan, Mountain Lodge, Arts & Crafts, Victorian, and French. Each of these design styles dictate certain color palettes, materials, and fabrics.

Green design, using eco-friendly materials can easily be incorporated to your living space as well. Natural materials such as sustainable woods, cotton, silk, wool, recycled materials, and bamboo are available in furniture, flooring, window coverings, fabrics, and accessories. These materials are becoming more affordable as they move into the mainstream. LED lighting is another addition to green design that has increasing options to incorporate into your interiors.

As we move more frequently today than in the past, consider the short term and long term commitment to your home. If you are planning on a potential of a move within the next 5 to 6 years, it is advisable to consider a style and materials that will appeal to the majority of people. Use a base of neutrals and layer with accent colors in your accessories. This does not mean go bland or boring. It does mean coordinate and balance your space in calming tones and your work will be done when you put your house on the market.

Labels: Interior Design, living room

Happy Friday!

I thought I would end the week with some of my thoughts on various home and interior design trends for 2009 I have recently seen on the web.

Remember with all trends, everyone is an expert at the time and there are opinions galore at the start of the year. You will find pros and cons to all of them. They are called trends because they come and go so take them with a grain of salt, even mine.

If you are working with a designer, make them part of your planning and discuss them at length to make sure they hold up for your goals (or design matters as we call them). Make changes to your home for the right reasons that work for you. Don't just do them because they are trendy...

Houses designed with both a master and second bedroom on the first floor are becoming more popular

Easy to agree with this one. This solution obviously gives massive flexibility for older people as well as younger families. Two bedroom masters are also more popular as well. With more people staying in their homes longer concepts like universal design and vistability can really extend the useful life of our homes well beyond what it used to be.

Completely separate office space, connected to the house by a hallway or a breezeway is growing in popularity

This makes sense. With more and more telecommuters working from home, people are realizing the importance of keeping the office separate from the living area as much as is feasible. This is to limit the embarrassment of a barking dog during a call and to mimic the separation that naturally occurs when you work at a separate location. Many of us cannot afford a totally separate office space so you have to get creative with your separation. Obviously a second bedroom or basement can be converted into an office. If that is also not applicable you can still create separation with screens, hanging panels of fabric, furniture lay-out, plants, etc.

Kitchens are getting smaller, but they are connected to much larger dining areas, often with a center island

I disagree with this one. With today's open floor plans, the kitchen is as large as adjoining rooms especially with large islands for dining. How can this room get smaller with more seating on a large island? Two work areas are more popular as ever with prep areas with two sinks. Guests are encouraged to get engaged in the cooking not stay out of the kitchen. Society is embracing the kitchen more than ever as a gathering spot. Pieces of furniture and art are brought in to make the kitchen appear more like a living space than a kitchen. Great examples - having furniture in place of cabinetry, cabinetry with legs, integrated appliances that go away like refrigerators, coffee makers, dishwashers, etc.

Oversized family rooms with high ceilings are giving way to smaller, cozier rooms with lower ceilings.

Amen! No doubt high windows in vaulted ceilings look really cool as do weird angled windows. The problem is that once you get past the cool factor you realize that they are highly impractical. The sun beats in relentlessly, privacy is more difficult as is cleaning. So for people buying new homes, it is great that there will be more options with cozier rooms. If you currently have rooms with high ceilings, do not fret there are solutions. Keep in mind though that they will be more expensive than other rooms due to their custom nature. Window treatments can be used to make a space feel much cozier and if placed correctly, lead the eye down to make the ceiling lower. The recent trend of painting ceilings the same as the wall color lends the room a smaller, cozier feeling. Wainscoting and crown moulding can also be used to bring the ceiling down visually.

Home theaters have lost much appeal because people don't want to watch television in a separate area of the home.

Define home theatre....if we are talking about a room solely for TV viewing with rows of seats that is truly isolated from other rooms, then it is true that there are not a lot of folks doing these rooms. There is appeal for a family room, where you can have guests or read, relax, etc. without a TV around. This is not to be confused with the formal living room. Again, this is a room to escape the constant barrage of cell phones, TV, computers, etc...this is a gathering place for family and friends to connect, feel comfortable, relax, and entertain. There is also the appeal for having another room dedicated to gathering the family or friends for TV - movies, football games, a game of Wii, etc. Home theaters are places that you go, sit down, and watch a movie...they don't encourage social interaction.

Increase in smaller renovations

I agree with this one. A few years back people had more capability, or more perceived capability, to major rennovations or just pick up and move when they grew tired of their home. A good side of the poor economy is that it forces people to take a deeper look at their current home. I think many find that with just some basic and pretty affordable "uplifts" they can achieve their comfort and functionality goals in their current home.

Loveseats. A pair or trio is gaining acceptance as the functional way to rearrange a living or family room. People are tired of sitting miles away from others on over-sized sectional sofas.

I agree, it is great to see people starting to get more comfortable creating more intimate areas of their rooms. Unfortunately I have seen, and still see people reluctant to create natural seating areas. They tend to put furniture along the perimeter of rooms which is awkward. I think it is more powerful to float appropriate furniture in the room, so you have more flexibility to create more seating areas.

Non-colors are hot. White on white. Cream on cream. White on cream. You get the idea. It’s almost a layering of the neutrals.

Yes, but I see it more as an ethereal/translucent look, rather than a layering of neutrals.

Blacks, whites, creams and grays are everywhere.

Not quite the only thing we are seeing but it is one color palette that is appealing to people now.

Splashes of colors. In the non-color look, it’s becoming popular to have an accent wall or accent piece that introduces the only splash of color in the room. The splash could be pillows, a piece of art of furniture.

Yes, I like this concept. A piece of furniture may be too expensive. You will get tired of the look so it is better to use something that is more interchangeable as your moods and tastes change like pillows, art, one accent wall, etc - w/o spending too much money.

Faux finishes are out

Maybe. Is this more lexicon and the colors used? People are still into the "washes" to get subtle depth which is essentially a faux finish but not too over the top. People still want to create interesting looks but in a more subtle way.

Kids study areas are in. Imagine a full wall mini-office or extended peninsula near the kitchen where the kids use their computers and do homework. This affords parental assistance with homework and supervision while they are using their computers.

Cool, fits again with the increasingly social goal of keeping the family together, and backs up my thought that kitchens are not getting smaller. Kitchens are a great place to put a very workable kids study area therefore you will need more room in your kitchen.

Chandeliers are popular again, but instead of gold or brass, they're being seen in polished black or something that reflects the light.

Love that chandeliers are back especially in fun, funky colors…these are awesome accent pieces in unexpected places….bathrooms, kids rooms, etc. The reflection of some of these new chandeliers is amazing and beautiful.

More durable, easier-to-clean fabrics are being used in households with kids and pets.

YES, YES…..more and more companies are making these so the options for more and more pattern and colors is expanding. These fabrics will last longer because they are thicker and more durable. They can be a tad more expensive, but if you can clean a sofa more easily, make your sofa last longer, and have more colors and patterns to choose from – WOW!

If you have questions on the trends or my thoughts send me an email (helly@designmattershome.com) or better yet attend our trends workshop on January 22 at our Louisville Colorado office. This workshop is the first of a monthly program we are starting for 2009. Visit http://www.designmattershome.com/ for the schedule which will be finalized in the next few days.

Thank you for reading. HAGW (Have a great weekend!)

Labels: 2009 trends, Interior Design

Want to know the latest trends in color for 2009? You might be in for some surprises. Pantone (international paint and color giant) has released their predictions for the color palettes of the next year. Color forecasters draw their inspiration from all forms of culture including fashion, the entertainment industry, art exhibits, even the economy. Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone forecaster, says today’s palettes parallel the sentiment of our nation with “with lively colors indicating hopeful attitudes paired with sophisticated, grounded hues that address the need for stability in times of economic uncertainty.”

There are eight palettes for 2009:

Wine Country inspired by the vineyards of Napa and beyond includes taupe, olive, grapevine green, lavender, sky blue, and burgundy.

Honesty inspired by natural, green design includes unbleached white, tender greens, coral, tan, cool grey, rose red.

Discerning Taste based on traditional interiors includes crystal, antique white, caviar black, metallics, champagnes, and orchid.

Reveries is a nod to the past with a touch of whimsy exhibited with mauves, lilac, lavender, dusty blue, purple, and rich browns.

Wanderings which is inspired by international travels, includes rose, Dijon yellow, taupe, Mediterranean blue, gold, and red.

Solar Energy is inspired by active vibrancy includes mandarin, flame orange, wine, fuchsia, electric blue, yellow-green, paired with ash grey.

Breath Easy is inspired by relaxation and contemplation includes cool blues, ocean, Provence blue, bright white, garden green, yellow green, and blue-purple.

Anime is inspired by the unusual color combinations seen in cartooning, includes red, vibrant blue, mint, apricot, green, and berry.

These color palettes provide something for everyone to draw inspiration. Coordinated, planned, updated interiors can bring a sense of stability, calm, and peacefulness. This can be achieved with a little paint and accents or a comprehensive remodel.

Boulder County tends to lean toward modern design, green design, and contemporary design and color palettes. As a comprehensive design firm, we have experience working with all design styles. Let Design Matters Home help you with your color forecasting. Call or email us today.

Kristin Bramer, Interior Designer with Design Matters Home, Kristin@designmattershome.com

Design Matters Home is wrapping up the final plans for a Trends Happy Hour to be held at our office in Louisville Colorado towards the end of January. Trends in color, furniture, rooms, and more will be covered. Check back on our website, http://www.DesignMattersHome.com, in the next few days for more information.

Labels: color, Interior Design, trends