One of the most fun and challenging aspects of interior design is choosing a direction. With so many distinct styles, themes, and concepts, it can be difficult to be aware of all of the options available to you. Your home should be a unique reflection of your personality, so there is no right or wrong choice. Examining popular design trends, whether it is general themes, the use of specific colors, or certain styles of appliances or fixtures, can be inspirational when you’re working on a design for your own spaces. We’ve selected a few design trends which are not only very fashionable at the moment, but are classics which never seem to go out of style.
Warm Metals
Warm metals have always been around and are generally a safe, tasteful choice for bathroom fixtures or other metal accents. Just because they’re classics doesn’t mean they’re not exciting or interesting. Warm metals like brass or copper are really the only materials that can do what they do for your interior design project. Copper kitchen appliances are not a new creation, but if you’ve been in Williams Sonoma recently you may have noticed a version of nearly every kind of appliance and other kitchenware available in a copper sheen finish. This is definitely a result of the recent trend of using warm metals in the home, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, but we like that manufacturers are responding thoughtfully to how people are decorating their homes are creating unique, high quality appliances to fit into your design. Copper is a natural fit for everything else in your kitchen as well including sinks, faucets, lighting, countertop storage, and hardware. Williams Sonoma even has a copper plated Fondue Pot if you really want to go all in with copper in the kitchen. Some designers choose to stay away from rosy gold, copper, or brass for certain pieces, but when applied creatively and tastefully these metals provide a great presence.
We’re happy to see an increase in the use of warm metals like copper, brass, and gold, because they are classic materials which add a unique presence and are obvious companions to other tasteful natural materials like stone and wood. Warm metals are a fun choice that is also future proof because they are a material that really never goes out of style. Interior design mixes and matches different material, features, and colors to create amazing spaces, and focusing your design around high quality materials like warm metal helps you create a space that you’ll continue to enjoy for years.
Exposed Brick Walls
Exposed brick can provide a charming and rustic quality that could be a perfect match for your design project. Brick is another very classic material which provides a look that is always in style. It’s common to see a tastefully exposed brick wall in commercial locations – think of an upscale Italian restaurant with a rustic decor or a super hip coffeehouse with an urban feel. There are a number of cute places in Ventura which play on this theme. Brick is very versatile though and can work amazingly well in the right home.
A design that is appearing in homes recently is a rustic italian theme, and exposed brick is a part of this technique. This tries to capture a very natural, old world presence by using weathered looking wood and stone with rich yet subdued colors, and an exposed brick accent wall in this kind of design adds a very authentic touch. Brick could also be used as a rugged looking backsplash, fireplace and mantle, or anywhere else where you want to add a roughed up look. Rust colored brick looks amazing, but it’s common for brick to be painted a muted white, for example, to match the room. Designer bricks can be acquired in a variety of styles and colors, but the current trend is towards a very archetypical classic rust or paint-over-rust brick feature. When you want an old world feel, urban loft vibe, or down to earth quality, exposed brick is beautiful, practical, and easy.
Eclectic Design and Mixing Old with New
Mixing old with new, and combining several styles and periods together is a great way to really emboss your personality on a space and create something genuinely unique. An eclectic design matches pieces which you might not imagine would go together, but through clever selection of high quality character pieces the finished design comes together in a cohesive statement. Many people express boredom at trying to force their sense of style to match established design themes like mid century modern. Think of an eclectic design as a freestyle project in which you match pieces which speak to you personally. As with most interior designs, it takes some experimentation to find combinations which work. This is an interesting direction to go if you want to avoid a cliche feeling space that tries too hard to capture the essence of an established design style.
The goal is to find some common ground in the space as you mix and match seemingly opposite design languages. People may choose to start with an anchor piece and build from there, swapping in and out complementary features and letting the space evolve organically. There are endless ways in which a space can be eclectically designed – unexpected accents, east with west, antique with ultra modern – it is a natural wonderland of possibilities. Choosing a direction for your space can be the most difficult part of remodeling, and an eclectic design opens up the project to bringing your favorite features together. It’s important to focus on the idea that when the design is complete everything has to fit together as if it was always meant to be.
