Interior Design Trends for Summer

 

Interior design professionals from around the DC metro area share their knowledge about what is trending in colors, fabrics, and room design.
Although a designer is aware of what is trending, he or she encourages their client to embrace a style that is of his or her own taste, Lana Barth, owner of Lana Barth Design, said.
What is Trending in Accents and Color Styles?
            Nicole Ingram, of StacyNicole Interior Design and Furnishings Inc. said, “neutrals with a pop of color” is current. People have been using earth tones with bright green, magenta, and yellow, she continued.
Marika Meyer, owner of Marika Meyer Interiors, had similar comments about color in the home. A common color combination she has seen is the use of grey with navy indigos. “Wall color sticking with neutrals and coming in with accents has been popular,” she said.
Along with color, accents have also been trending in style. Interesting tables and ottomans are becoming prominent, Barth said.
Lighting serves as an accent for interior designers. The techniques people embrace to light their home is evolving. “Lighting has become more interesting and more artistic whether it is a chandelier, a wall sconce, or a table or floor lamp,” Barth said.
What’s Fresh in Furniture, Fabric, and Painting Techniques?
The way furniture is presented in the home has transformed through the years. “The finishes are what changes. Instead of an antique style chair leg, people are choosing color on the legs of chairs. You would see maybe a muted grey or muted lilac with a bold purple,” Ingram said.
There are general categories in fabric that interior designers follow. Marika Meyer said contemporary prints are popular now. But, she has noticed fabric is altering in regard to style. “We are seeing a lot of tree of life patterns and an elevation movement toward transactional rather than traditional or contemporary,” Meyer described.
Fabric has become extremely personal when people are designing their homes because people can make prints to personalize their material. On a medium-high end of interior design, “vintage fabrics in pillows: that’s a big thing,” Ingram said.
Paint is less popular than wallpaper. When people are painting, the most popular technique is faux paint. Faux paint is the use of glaze over a design which leaves a smooth finish to a wall. “The wallpaper is taking over the faux because it is less costly and it adds a pop to a room,” Ingram said.
Textures  contribute to the way a space feels. Natural textures have become “big” in interior design, Barth said. “Now more than ever, opposites attract,” she said.
Barth described “quiet and “dignified” influences from men’s clothing creeping into carpeting and tile. In contrast, “feminine” and “dramatic” styles stemming from the 1940’s have been sneaking into embroidery and lace used in interior design textures.
Scorched wood has made its way into contemporary upscale wall treatments. Bamboo has become popular in flooring because it is a renewable resource. “Natural stones such as granite, marble, and concrete continue to be used heavily in upscale kitchen and baths,” Barth said.
What is Happening Room by Room?

Kitchen Design
“The bigger the better,” Carol Sheridan, owner of Contemplated Spaces, said. Currently, islands have become more popular than peninsulas, she said. Stainless steel counters are prominent, but in Sheridan’s opinion they are “very impractical” because the counter top can scratch easily.
When it comes to cabinets, hardware with handles has become more prevalent compared to hardware with knobs. Butcher block counters are making their way into the kitchen lay out because they are “cost effective and environmentally friendly,” Sheridan said.
Living Room Design
“Everything old is new again,” Sheridan said. A lot of clients are interested in renewing, reusing and repurposing furnishings, she continued.
Sheridan described a trendy living room to have a “strong pop of modern” with some traditional undertones. Large floral patterns and geometrics have become increasingly popular on the floor, Sheridan said.

Master Bedroom Design
Once again, wallpaper and large patterns have become common in the bedroom setting. A strong color on architectural accessories has become rampant in a lot of bedrooms, Sheridan said.
Current bedroom colors are grey, taupe, beige, pink, and lavender, Sheridan said. “I personally don’t care for these colors, but they can really be dramatic especially with accents in coral, malachite, and watery tones,” she continued.
Bathroom Design
“Big and open; privacy is out,” Sheridan said. A feeling of luxury will also be a mood a client wants to create. Open showers and contemporary rugs facilitate a bathroom in achieving a luxurious look, she said.
Sheridan said “novelty” palettes with touches of purple and teal are a popular client request. “Soft” palettes with mauves and lavenders have been another option. Sheridan’s clients have also been increasingly interested in being “ecologically conservative” in their bathrooms by sourcing for floors and counters.
Cultural Influence Dictating Design
Karen Luria, owner of Interior Identity Inc., said cultural identity is her academic specialty. She said it is important to practice cultural infusion by taking two people from different cultures and aiming to “fuse” together their taste.
Luria has noticed a lot of influence from Southeast Asia. In addition, there has been a Moroccan influence through the use of silk and lighting. When clients use silk the design becomes more exotic looking, she said. Moroccan lighting is essentially perforations in the metal of light fixture, which will also give a home an exotic essence, Luria continued.
Nicole Ingram has seen a change in cultural influence driving design. “More cultures are embracing their own culture instead of trying to look like architectural digest,” she said.
Clients are no longer ashamed to bring their influence into their home. Ingram said Hispanic culture has introduced the prominence of bright yellow tones to interior design. African ethnicities are requesting fabrics that have an individual meaning. “It’s eclectic,” Ingram said.