by Kristen West
finding balance with new and classic interior designs
WHO COULD FORGET wall-to-wall bathroom carpets, neon signs or even the curious inflatable furniture fad from the ’90s? Interior design fads and trends can spark excitement and pizzazz in the design world, but sometimes their mere existence several years or even months later can produce a dull regret. So, how do we indulge in the trends that bring us joy without compromising the integrity of our home’s overall design?
John Hare, owner and principal designer at V&R Interiors in New Mexico and Core Design in Texas, says the key is blending the more individualistic or trendy elements with timeless styles. “Start with the overall vibe in which you want to live,” Hare says. Then, it’s all about using removable trends to accent and layer among the more classic design elements.
Overall, it’s essential to have fun with your style and add personal touches that make your home uniquely yours. “Be brave and mix up the styles with some congruity that is sympathetic to one another,” Moses Zabec, president and principal designer at Moses Design Group, says. “You don’t want it to be boring. It’s livable because it’s for you, not a showroom.”
Form should always follow function, especially when it comes to furniture, Zabec says. “Those little curvilinear sofas that look like a kidney with no arms low to the floor … They look really awesome from a design standpoint. Not functional at all,” he says.
Instead, Zabec suggests bucking that trend by choosing something that strikes an informal balance. Formal balance, he explains, is the outdated matching furniture sets. In contrast, informal balance is incorporating a comfy sofa and a chair with interesting fabric and then pairing it with two ottomans for extra seating.
Classic design elements include things like neutral colors and wood tones, hardwood floors, statement windows, simple tile, stone countertops, leather sofas, books, neutral rugs, clean lines, and functional storage and furnishings. “Neutral color palettes allow for flexibility in decor choices that can easily adapt to changing styles,” Hare says. “Even if one piece in the room is the statement piece around which all else revolves, each space should have a blend of the old and new.”
Unique lighting can also spruce up any room. Hare says statement lighting currently is all the rage. “A small corner in a room can be enlivened to showcase personal belongings and art in ways that weren’t possible before the invention of the LED and tape lighting,” he says.
Other trends that local designers are seeing are wet rooms, ’70s-style decor and furnishings, wallpaper, and archways. Less is more with the archways, though, Zabec warns.
In the kitchen, it’s better to stick with neutral cabinet colors and timeless countertop materials like quartz and marble. Jazz it up with hexagonal or diamond backsplash tiles, trending hardware, or striking pendant lights.
If you do long to “go bold or go home,” select a small space. Powder rooms are often a designer’s delight because they can go all out in a small space like this—and homeowners love it, too.
Possibly the easiest way to harness a fad without compromising your overall design is through color. Select throw pillows, wall art, eclectic accessories and paint in today’s hottest color. They can all be easily replaced when the color loses its appeal—like the now-redundant gray color scheme, which is a big win for designers. Zabec drives home the point: “When I would walk into a house, and the client would say, ‘Can we just do it in gray?’ I’d say, ‘Sure, but God did give us a lot of colors. Wouldn’t you like to use one of those?’”
Fad or fashionable, experts agree that decorating your home with what you love and want to look at every day is key. It’s how you implement that will determine how easily or how costly it might be to change your mind, which is how a designer can guide you to the perfect blend of trendy and timeless.
resources
Moses Design Group
V&R Interiors
