Few would argue that while trends come and trends go, style remains eternal.<\/p>\n
Equally inarguable is the reality that trends can be fun! Just think of last year\u2019s Labubu monster toy and Dubai chocolates, and especially the combination of the two trends, the Dubai Chocolate Labubu, an amalgamation for which people were inexplicably willing to plunk down upward of $30 for a chocolate bonbon in the shape of the friendly little creature soaked in a cloyingly syrup that was supposed to taste like pistachio but didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
As trends tend to do \u2014 at least in the 20th and 21st centuries \u2014 they reemerge after a hiatus of 20 or more years. We are seeing this now with a reembrace of \u201cbrown\u201d furniture; the plaids, jewel tones and chintz Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley ushered into Americana in the 1980s; and the built-ins that were de rigueur of high midcentury modern architecture.<\/p>\n
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Art deco silhouettes are returning, says designer Penny Francis, along with a return to maximalism.<\/p>\n
Returning are \u201cart deco silhouettes in furniture, lighting and fabrics,\u201d said New Orleans-based interior designer Penny Francis of Eclectic Home. \u201cWe see a return to maximalism, rooms that are nostalgic and layered interiors.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, nonsensically cluttering our beds with heaps of pillows and whatnot is a goner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest trend I am seeing in bedding is less clutter,\u201d said interior designer Grace Kaynor, of Sotre, a Magazine Street studio specializing in fine textiles. Kaynor said the trend is toward \u201cfewer monograms and fewer extra-large European pillows. So, one extra-large Euro instead of three on a king bed, maybe a pattern for a lumbar pillow and cooling, temperature-regulating sheets. It\u2019s about quality and comfort. People want lasting investment pieces that will help them get a good night\u2019s rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, Kaynor said having plants in abundance is a huge trend. \u201cThey clean the air and add color without being too much,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Interior designer Grace Kaynor says having an abundance of plants indoors is a definite trend.\u00a0‘They clean the air and add color without being too much.’<\/p>\n
Jeff Strout<\/p>\n
Their color is trendy as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreen is the new neutral,\u201d added Tanga Winstead, of Tanga Winstead Designs.<\/p>\n
We are eschewing white and neutrals (whatever were the brains at Pantone thinking in naming the white \u201cCloud Dancer\u201d as the color of the year?) in favor of colors that express us, moving from cool to warm (even with white when we must), and embracing personality and maximalism over sterility and minimalism. We want natural materials that will age well (hello, unlacquered brass, unpainted wood) and bedrooms that swaddle us in a plush cocoon so we can shut out the clamoring bang of society\u2019s drum.<\/p>\n
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This soft blue kitchen is by interior designer Curtis Herring. ‘Introducing color makes the kitchen cozy, gives it more character, and makes it more connected to the rest of the home. At the same time, choosing proven, timeless colors will eliminate any short-lived trends,’ he says.<\/p>\n
PROVIDED PHOTO<\/p>\n
The end of the all-white kitchen<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are moving away from the all-white kitchen and embracing color in cabinetry, finishes and fabrics,\u201d said New Orleans-based interior designer Curtis Herring. \u201cIntroducing color makes the kitchen cozy, gives it more character and makes it more connected to the rest of the home. At the same time, choosing proven, timeless colors will eliminate any short-lived trends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, color gets more leeway.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
An antique chest anchors a piece of modern art.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY J_Stephen_Young <\/p>\n
\u201cMoody colors, high gloss\/high-shine finishes in paint can be done on a ceiling, door trim or interior doors if not the entire room,\u201d Francis added.<\/p>\n
Also, Francis said, think of the unexpected and playful, such as whimsical accents in architectural details like ironwork and millwork.<\/p>\n
Reembracing natural wood<\/p>\n
A return to the sensibility that natural wood bespeaks character and beauty means that Granny\u2019s armoire can decamp from the attic. Antiques are a thing again.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrown wood furniture \u2014 burl, walnut and oak finishes in cabinets, floors and furnishings add warmth and depth,\u201d Francis said.<\/p>\n
But they don’t have to dominate.<\/p>\n
\u201cMixing antiques and heirloom pieces with contemporary pieces creates a layered look that feels curated and timeless,\u201d Winstead said. \u201cWe want quality, warmth and texture.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Interior designer Curtis Herring favors bold patterns and florals on walls to ‘create a visually dynamic space with depth and personality that paint cannot provide.’<\/p>\n
A thing for prints and hides<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing bold patterns and florals on walls can create a visually dynamic space with depth and personality that paint cannot provide,\u201d Herring said. \u201cBy incorporating the same pattern in fabrics, the design feels more layered and unified.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Zebra wallpaper illustrates a continuing trend toward animal prints.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY Jeff Strout<\/p>\n
One pattern has never really gone away. \u201cThe animal print, which came into fashion during the reign of Marie Antoinette, is still going strong as an accent,\u201d Winstead said.<\/p>\n
Francis anticipates the animal print trend to intensify as the year progresses. \u201cThe use of animal prints in upholstery, animal furs in throws, cowhide rugs and bold animal prints in wallpaper \u2014 you will see this throughout the year in design.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cCustom banquettes maximize seating space and provide hidden storage,\u201d says Tanga Winstead of Tanga Winstead Designs, which specializes in getting the most out of small spaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PROVIDED PHOTO <\/p>\n
Stash your stuff and make it multipurpose<\/p>\n
While maximalism is feeling the love, it’s a curated version of the style, not a cluttered one.<\/p>\n
\u201cCustom banquettes maximize seating space and provide hidden storage,\u201d said Winstead, whose firm specializes in getting the most out of small spaces. \u201cWe also want pieces that are highly functional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Think performance fabrics and swivel or motion chairs that can be used in different spaces, from dining to living and home office spaces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Few would argue that while trends come and trends go, style remains eternal. Equally inarguable is the reality…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250303,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,93,22522,61,60],"class_list":{"0":"post-250302","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-hardwall","15":"tag-ie","16":"tag-ireland"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250302\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}