A mixed bouquet of decor styles
Now sprouting: Flowers and new furnishings
Spring is a favourite transitional time for lovers of home decor. Shaking out the rugs and washing the windows after a long winter feels satisfying, and then there’s the prospect of perhaps replacing some old, shabby furnishings with fresh new pieces.
Spring’s also when we start to see the decor trends that will find their way into our homes through summer and fall.
For 2015, these trends include more mid-century modern, emerging Art Deco, strong textures, organic modern (a blend of rustic and contemporary), and a colour palette of sophisticated pastels.
Motifs from the Far East, Morocco and India remain strong, but now there are also Greek and South American elements, including blues paired with crisp whites, native motifs and colourful woven textiles and baskets.
Ikat and chevron are being edged aside by medallion and tile patterns, bold stripes, and new twists on damask, geometrics, colour block and watercolour prints. Kate Spade has collaborated with West Elm, for instance, on chairs and bedding in fun, sophisticated graphics, florals and spatter prints.
Eclectic mixing is gaining strength, so an antique bentwood chair can be paired with a glossy red desk, for instance, or a rustic flat-weave rug can sit in front of a 19th-century marble mantel, or a farmhouse table can be placed under an ornate glass chandelier.
“Design pros know it’s the combination of finishes that give a room style — it takes the sleek with the matte; textured with flat; and a mix of painted, wood, ceramic and metallic finishes for a room to look ‘done’,” says New York-based designer Elaine Griffin.
Retailers are doing a better job of showing us how to mix styles; in-store displays and free design advice help shoppers envision how pieces can work at home.
Feeling inspired? Here’s what spring’s got in store.
FURNITURE STYLES
Ms. Griffin sees mid-century modern becoming even more entrenched in the decor landscape. The pieces are comfier than the originals because of today’s construction methods and materials.
“The new shapes are the love children between mid-century modern’s twigginess and the traditional overstuffed look. They’re so fresh-looking they’re irresistible,” she says.
West Elm’s Peggy collection of trim, tailored sofas feature nubby cayenne or pebble-grey upholstery with slim, pecan-stained legs. The Crosby collection puts a tufted cushion on a trimmed-down wingback, especially smart in armchair and sectional versions.
Ms. Griffin believes Art Deco will really start to emerge this year. “We’re seeing its first wave now in the new linear, jazz-inspired graphics and block prints,” she says. “We’ll see Deco-inspired furniture and accessories for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016, viewed through the sleek aperture of mid-century modern.”
The sophisticated style’s got legs in both traditional and contemporary decor, so it’s easy to incorporate.
Ethan Allen has the Shelton sofa with high, curvy arms, the Atwood chair with two swooping sides, and a chic little nickel-plated side table.
Colour AND TEXTURE
A heady blend of plum, wine and burgundy, Marsala is the colour of the year, and while it’s likely to be more prevalent come autumn, you can jump on the trend now by adding dashes of the hue.
Look for colour used in dramatic ways: a navy lacquered cabinet (at CB2), or a burgundy vanity (Hastings Tile & Bath’s Made collection). Black is back, in a sexy bow-front chest at Wisteria, on walls (Noir is Pratt & Lambert’s colour of the year) and in Pottery Barn’s new Stinson bedroom furniture with barley-twist details. Kitchens with a lot of black will be hot.
Sophisticated pastels grace textiles, case goods and lamps, with mint and blush pink dominating.
Textured linens, silks and cottons in tone-on-tone or colourful embroidered prints, embossed fabrics, leathers and luxe velvets will grace drapery, upholstery and rugs.
At the modern end of the spectrum, powder-coated metal is showing up in pastels and bright colours, in fun wire lounge chairs at Land of Nod, file cabinets at CB2 and steel baskets with birch handles at Ikea.
Bernhardt’s new collection includes a brass-clad dresser and several gold or silver side tables and benches — elegant jewellery for a room.