The ‘tufted’ look is one of the hottest style trends in home furniture design right now... not just on sofas and chairs, but on headboards, too. Depending on the design, it can just as easily create a 'tailored traditional' as a 'classic modern' look.
Born of practicality, button-tufted upholstery was originally employed to secure, or tie-back, fabric and padding to the frame of a sofa or chair. Upholsterers threaded through layers of fabric, then secured the end of their thread with a button (or knot), creating a ‘tuft’. The technique was especially common if padding was extra puffy.
Tufting also helped upholstery conform to shape of the furniture, and exaggerated any curves. It also offered an easier way to work with less pliable materials (leather, in particular).
Tufted patterns were carefully chosen, with fabric-covered buttons placed in waved, square, hexagonal or diamond formations (a diamond pattern is shown in this chair by Hotel Maison).
The depressions created by tying back the buttons simulated little pillows on the surface of the furniture’s seat or back. One could say this was the first pillow-top seating… or at least an instant way to make a hard seat into a comfortable one.
A particularly English look, tufting reached its peak of popularity during the opulent Victorian era, when overstuffed sofas and chairs needed to be tamed to avoid losing children under all those puffy cushions…
Tufting was, and is, still loved for its look. It adds a rich three-dimensionality by casting dramatic light and shadows on the surface… enhancing the innate character of the fabric. Tufted velvet looks softer and velvetier, tufted leather suppler, tufted satin shinier.
But though comfortable and even tidy-looking, many people who own tufted furniture bemoan its high maintenance. Dirt and lint can make themselves at home inside the tufts and become a dreadful chore to clean. The ‘war of the belly-buttons’ is how some describe it!
Famous furniture designers in the 20th century helped solve this problem by creating less deep impressions and even eliminating the button. It’s ironic that modernist furniture and room designers should have be interested in this traditional look, but they rarely passed up a simple geometric pattern when they found one, and tidy tailoring was right up their alley. Tufting became a sophisticated, classic modern 
idea... ideal for urban home decor.
Modern furniture often features tufting just on the back (rather than the seat) of a sofa or chair to give it a cleaner look and to help reduce maintenance - making it a better choice for casual living rooms and family room designs. Tufted patterns are also simplified or less dense. Straight rows of tufts, like the sofa shown here from American Leather, tend to be preferred over fancier diamond patterns.
Whether a simple coat tree or a wall of built-in cubbies, every home needs a landing pad near the door for all that stuff that comes into (and goes out of) our home every day.
Enter the drop zone, a new term for the wise, old practice of providing a spot to put down, store and organize the portable things in our lives… coats, gloves, keys, handbags, cell phones, backpacks and more.
A little effort and planning goes a long way when it comes to thinking about his hard-working area at home. Even when space is tight (… especially if space is tight!), an efficient place to transition from indoor to outdoor spaces will decrease our stress and increase our efficiency.
At the front door
In apartments and many homes, the front foyer isn’t just for guests. Many of us use our front door every day, requiring this hard-working entry to be efficient and attractive! In addition to a closet or coat tree, a piece of furniture can be helpful here - storing smaller items out of sight - and visually seguing with other room colors and moods.
At the back door
It’s usually easier to add storage to a rear, garage or mud room door than to a front door. But messy clutter is even more likely to gather in this informal, behind-the-scenes location... requiring hearty storage solutions wto avoid complete chaos. An open organization idea may be the easiest to manage here, and it may be worth taking the doors off the closet or customizing a solution (some room designers specialize in organization). or adding small room furniture with storage that suits your space and needs... and turns your space into a hard-working mix of hanging, shelf and drawer storage.
Whatever your drop zone location, the important thing is to avoid a home whose first impression is one of disorganization… or worse, a home that encourages it! Look for small room ideas that are both functional and fashionable. From simple to sophisticated, here are some popular ideas:
* A contemporary hall tree or coat rack
* A bench (with a shelf or pull-out bins) and hooks hung on the wall above
* A hanging shelf and a mirror above
* A narrow console table (with extra drawers or shelves) and a mirror above
* A chest of drawers to store shoes, boots, umbrellas or smaller gloves and scarves
* A bank of shelves inside the closet, with removable bins for smaller items
* Custom-build furniture, such as cubby-style lockers or a row of shelves with labeled pull-out bins
What kind of furniture are we buying for our dining areas today? According to recent research on style trends and dining room interior design, consumers are growing fonder of contemporary looks - not just for casual eating areas, but for formal ones, too.
Based on consumer wish lists and email inquiries to their site, FurnitureDealer.net tabulated some interesting info on the home furniture design directions we can expect in the years ahead. While consumers continue to have different tastes for formal and informal eating areas, those preferences appear to be merging… especially as dining room design layout becomes less formal... and kitchen design layout becomes more open to the rest of the house, and thus more sophisticated.
For example, highest shopper inquiries for casual dining areas were for round-shaped, pedestal tables in a contemporary style and a dark finish. Highest shopper inquiries for formal dining areas were for rectangular-shaped, leg tables in a contemporary style and a dark finish. In other words, key differences were about size or shape, and less about color or style.
The growing similarity in preferred styling between formal and informal eating areas, and the trend toward contemporary, isn't a surprise, given the trend to more spacious-feeling, open plan homes. But for those buying new homes, those preferences are likely to merge even more… into just one eating area.
Angela Nuessle, Senior Design Director for home builder, Pulte Group Inc., reinforced the trend to one eating area in most homes.
“People want a less formal approach to design on every level. So we’re getting rid of formal spaces and enlarging informal spaces,” Nuessle explained. “We’re busting out those walls and making the living-kitchen-dining area read as one huge space. We’re making the kitchen and kitchen nook larger, so the nook is spacious enough to serve as a formal dining room and to accommodate up to 8 people. That means the table style needs to be appropriate for Thanksgiving, but also for use after soccer practice.”
Nuessle added that the formal dining room isn’t disappearing altogether. Some consumers still want one, she indicated, but in most homes, eating areas are closer to the kitchen, with secondary eating areas more likely to be around an island than in a separate room.
One of Architectural Digest's recent seminars at Pier 94 in New York brought together a panel of top-ranked interior designers. Miles Redd, Rela Gleason and Juan Montoya, whose work is regularly published in AD's home decorating magazine, each shared how their travel has influenced their choice of products, room colors and moods.
All three room designers have a distinctive point of view in their design aesthetic: Redd's work is heavily influenced by the gracious, but slightly haphazard look of grand English interiors...Gleason by the imperfect, fleeting beauty of Belgian, Japanese and American interiors... and Montoya by Colombian and tropical interiors.
Here were some of their key points and advice on translating the beauty of other countries, or favorite destinations, into house decorating ideas...
* Observe the grand style of museums, landmark hotels, estate homes and movie set designs to see how they layer objects to create an evocative mood or playful glamour... whether busts and portraits, or highly stacked pictures in salon style.
* Bring home treasures from your travels - a unique, one-of-a-kind thing that will recall favorite trips or places, while adding a unique touch to your home.
* Choose a room palette from a favorite painting; artwork can suggest compelling and unexpected paint color combinations.
* Replicate aesthetic concepts, as much as literal objects, from favorite places... such as the smoky, worn oak floors and washed linen textures of a Belgian aesthetic... or the combination of quiet, simple beauty (Wabi) with beauty that's burnished by age (Sabi) of a Japanese aesthetic.
* Don't reveal everything in your home at once. In the same way we discover new things as we travel, reveal differnent aspects of your home as you walk through it, including interesting focal points as you look through doorways.
Hotel rooms... they're no longer just a place to grab some zzz's before hurrying home. Even today's mid-priced hotels are becoming a place of retreat and refuge... inspiring many a master bedroom remodel! More and more of us are eager to recreate the exotic, peaceful or chic style we experience at new or remodeled hotels - whether inspired by a landmark city hotel, a one-of-a-kind boutique or an exotic resort.
Ironically, at the same time home-owners are trying to emulate gracious five-star interiors, hoteliers are painstakingly trying to emulate a residential feeling, with warm, home furniture design elements being added to create a feeling of home, even in large suite hotels.
I
nterior designers Miles Redd, Rela Gleason and Juan Montoya would concur with these style trends. Speaking at the recent Architectural Digest show in New York City, each of these renowned designers believe travel is having a profound influences on what we want in our own homes.
When asked to list some of their favorite hotels (for fabulous design inspiration... as much as for quality service , there was no hesitation ranking the four hotels below among their favorites. (Warning: if you're planning a trip - none are these hotels are inexpensive.. but they do offer great design inspiration - check out the bedroom design pictures on each hotel's web site.)
Claridges Hotel, London. One of London’s finest (some say the finest) in the heart of Mayfair, this is a sumptuous, luxurious retreat. Claiming an important part of city’s history - with stars, socialites and crowned heads of Europe having stayed here for over 100 years - it seems some of the world’s greatest designers have also left their mark. The hotel's design mingles original Art Deco elegance with some modern twists.
Penninsula Hotel, Hong Kong. The Grande Dame of Hong Kong, this magnificent heritage has a prominent position on the Hong Kong Harbor and a unique blend of classic and modern design (including avant-garde designer Phiippe Starck's famous Felix bar on the top floor). The hotel recently embarked on a guest room renovation that promises a luxurious mix of 'classical modern design' and 'chic simplicity'... and a strong residential aesthetic that will meld 'distinctive design and practicality inspired by luxury yachts, motorcars and private jets'.
Lanesborough Hotel, London. Another timeless London landmark, this one's in the Knightsbridge area, overlooking Hyde Park. Reminiscent of Britain's legendary private clubs, this hotel offers a gracious Regency-style decor... combined with the gracious style and warm hospitality of an early 19th century residence.
Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley. Tucked into a private canyon, this ranch-style resort sits on a 157-acre site, complete with ancient oaks, hills, stream, private lakes and private vineyard. Along with a rich culture of food and wine, the resort's serene indoor and outdoor spaces meld natural textiles and original artwork, fireplaces, private patios,... and a tantalizing spa that takes advantage of natural healing mineral waters.
While many of us may be dreaming about eating al fresco under the warm sun this summer, hot indoor table fashions were all the rage this month in New York.
Nearly forty dining environments were on display at Architectural Digest's annual Dining by Design event at Pier 94. Each year, the renowned home decorating magazine headlines this dining room extravaganza, featuring some of the best new creative ideas for home - from some of the best creative minds in the industry... all in support of the fight against aids.
The colorful spectacle once again served as inspiration for dining room interior design style trends in the year ahead. Each of the 40 rooms showcased a one-of-a-kind collection of furniture, wall coverings, colors, tableware and tabletop display ideas... cleverly conceived by the who's who of designers and home furnishing suppliers.
Check out these inspiring pictures of table decorations and decor Fom Ralph Lauren's perfectly rustic, communal dining room table around a roaring fire, to the colorful graphic appraoch by Marimekko and the sleek austery of Design Within Reach... this year's feast for the eyes will have many of us hungering for a dining room makeover.
Architect and builder Phil Kean told
us his goals were to re-interpret the Classic White Box homes of the 1960s and 70s made popular by famous architects (and famous furniture designers) such as Le Corbusier and Richard Meier. But this house is more than modern and efficient; it’s also pretty to look at.
The home's mid century modern architecture took advantage of Florida’s climate with movable glass panels and motorized screens that provided a seamless flow from indoor to outdoor spaces. A contemporary room design layout focused on functional and transitional spaces, with impeccable attention to quality details, light wall paint colors and a serene living environment. A zen quality was seen in structured stone walls, streamlined cabinetry and a unique mix of water and fire elements that never strayed from their contemporary perspective.
Universal design features (design for homeowners of any age) were found throughout, including wide, unobstructed hallways and an open floor plan that invites unlim
ited movement within the space. There was even an elevator… expected to be a growing trend in homes designed for older homeowners.
Perhaps taking a cue from Le Corbusier that a house should be a machine for living, the home integrated technology and a high-end automation experience… including wiring for telephone, internet, audio and video communications, advanced lighting controls, motorized shading and a smart-phone controlled security system.
The landscaping reinforced the house’s strong lines and shapes. Next to a covered lanai a pool was a full outdoor kitchen, lounge furnishings and seating areas, and artificial turf (instead of a grass lawn) that will require neither pesticides nor maintenance! Only Florida-native plants will provide food and habitat for local wildlife, fed by a storm water-harvesting irrigation system.
At 4,191 square feet and a multi-million dollar price tag, this mid-century modern-inspired home is arguably outside the range of most consumers! But the point of the ‘New American Home’ tradition (now in its 29th year), is to be a dream house, or a design laboratory of sorts, demonstrating the latest concepts, materials, design, construction techniques and a good organization idea or two that can be replicated - in whole or part - in a house anywhere and in a range of sizes or budgets.
Planning to buy new furniture? Before signing on the bottom line, take a few minutes to answer these questions about your new home furniture design and expectations. This furniture tip list will help ensure your new purchase fits into both your home and your lifestyle.
1. Are you already worried about the first scratch? Buy furniture with a pre-distressed finish; future wear will be less noticeable and even add a vintage look!
2. Do you dislike seeing fingerprints on furniture? Avoid glossy or polished finishes; they’re easy to clean, but require frequent cleaning.
3. Do you avoid… or put off housecleaning as long as possible? Opt for patterned or textured fabrics on chairs, avoid extremely light or dark fabrics and opt out of furniture designs with deep crevices that will require frequent dusting, or worse, cleaning with a toothbrush!
4. Do you own a cat with front claws? Forego furniture with wicker insets or loose fabric weaves. It’ll be an instant scratching post.
5. Do you already know your furniture will suffer above-average wear and tear? Inquire about an extended warranty or special cleaning products.
6. Does your furniture fit your room? Furniture should fill about 60% (not more) of the floor area. A room with too-little or too-small furniture will feel sparse and unappealing; over-sized furniture will be a better choice. A room with too-much or too-big furniture will feel cramped; small room furniture will be a better choice.
7. Do you use a flight of stairs, short hall or narrow doorway to get home? Compare their dimensions to the widest dimension of your new furniture. Or inquire if furniture can be taken apart, or its legs removed, before moving.
8. Do you know what to expect from the store’s delivery drivers? Check ahead on their furniture placement policies - will they will deliver furniture to the room where it belongs? set it up? remove packaging? or take your old furniture away?
We've included more information inside the current issue of our home decorating magazine. Click here to check out all our furniture buying tips!
Planning to buy new furniture? Before signing on the bottom line, use this furniture tip list at the store to make sure your new purchase will hold up over the years.
1. Is the furniture sturdy? Stand in front of a drawer chest (or at one end of a headboard) and shake it; it should feel solid and not rack (wobble) from side to side. On case pieces, also check to see the back panel is screwed in place, rather than nailed.
2. Do drawers and doors open and close smoothly? Check for even spacing between the drawers or doors and the cabinet, strong hinges, adequate corner blocks (under the drawer box) and quality joins, glides and stops on drawers.
3. Is your mirror image clear? Stand back 15 feet from the mirror above a dresser or server to make sure your reflection isn’t distorted.
4. Do panels match? While wood grain variations are a natural feature of wood furniture, check that wood color stains match between drawer, door, front and side panels.
5. Does the store’s furniture sample look good? Furniture gets a lot of wear and tear in a furniture store. If it’s holding up well there, it’s more likely to hold up well in your home.
6. Is it tip-resistant? Try pulling out all the drawers in a dresser or drawer chest at the same time. If it starts to tip toward you, you’ll need to secure the furniture to the wall in your home.
7. What does the warranty cover, and for how long? Beware of short warranties or no warranty at all. Look for comprehensive and lengthy coverage.
8. Who makes it? Find out who manufacturers your furniture, not just who sells it. You’ll be able to research the company’s reputation and values.
9. Are there instructions on how to maintain it? Find out maintenance tips, care instructions, recommended cleaning products or warnings ahead of time; it’ll avoid premature wear.
We've included more information inside our home decorating magazine; click here to check out all of our furniture buying tips!
Located in Winter Park, Florida, the New American Home 2012 (built by the National Association of Home Builders) is a spectacle of modern design ideas, including fewer boundaries between indoors and outdoors, an open floor plan, a flexible approach to room design layout. and a good organization idea or two!
Architect and builder Phil Kean intended to re-interpret the Classic White Box homes of the 1960s and 70s made popular by architects such as Le Corbusier I (also one of the more famous furniture designers of the modern era). Ironically, many of the contemporary interior design ideas from half a century ago seem right in line with 21st century living. Some of home's highlights:
Contemporary style. Relaxing horizontal lines and glass walls and balconies looked sleek and quietly sophisticated. Clutter was carefully tucked away; highlighting furniture placement and its sculptural quality.
Spa inspiration. The appeal of home as retreat was translated in dramatic fire and water elements, plenty of natural light (and a heavy use of white to enhance it). The master suite claimed the entire upper floor, complete with 
private loft and work-out room; each area boasting dramatic views of the outdoors.
Integration with the outdoors. Interestingly, the home’s main entry wasn’t into a foyer; but into an outdoor courtyard, complete with pool, deck, outdoor kitchen and lounge furnishings. Wrapped in glass balconies, the interior’s views were all oriented here, revealing the growing trend to integrate outdoor views into indoors… and to treat outdoor spaces as the new family room.
Flexibility. The home was displayed as a 2-bedroom floor plan, with four additional rooms that could be converted to bedrooms; a timely feature that's appealing to empty nesters or multi-generational families living (or expecting to live) under one roof.
Openness. In authentic modern style, rooms flowed together, enhanced with low, sleek furniture silhouettes, large window walls onto the courtyard and a kitchen as elegant as the formal spaces around it. But at a time when dining room interior design is being integrated with kitchen and family room design, it was interesting to see a separate dining room.
Storage. The beauty of modern design is in its clever use of built-in storage… including in this case a hallway of storage cabinets off the kitchen, separate his-and-hers closets and a custom furniture design dresser built into an alcove in the bedroom. 
A machine for living. It was Le Corbusier’s idea that a house should be a machine for living. Though not an overly popular idea at the time, by 2012, the idea of home as machine has come into its own. In this year’s New American Home, hi-tech and automation features were everywhere… and nowhere, with wires and controls cleverly tucked away.
Green. Sustainability was incorporated into every aspect of the design. The home’s green building products and methods earned it “Emerald Status’ under the National Green Building Standard, the highest step on the green certification ladder.
(Photos by James F. WIlson / courtesy of BUILDER Magazine. More images available at www.tnah.com)
Check out these 10 ways to gauge how well your home furniture design was made and how long it will last.
1. Quality Materials
A hearty wood species, strong metals, marble, top-grain leather or solid wood details are indicators of quality furniture. Care taken on the outside usually means care was taken on the inside.
2. Multi-Step Finishing
The depth of a wood’s finish, or stain, distinguishes it from promotional furniture. Multiple layers of stains, or a hand-applied stain, simulates rich antique furniture.
3. Dovetail Joins
Interlocking joins literally ‘lock’ drawer sides together at a 90 degree angle. Look for English or French dovetail joins, recalling two of the longest and finest furniture-making traditions.
4. Full-Extension Drawer Glides
Modeled after office filing-cabinet drawers, full-extension metal drawer glides allow a drawer to pull all the way open (not just three-quarters of the way open, like common drawer glides), making it easier to see and reach the back of the drawer. They also tend to be very strong.
5. Dust-Proofing
This method of encasing drawers in a closed compartment ensures your clothing will stay clean and dust-free. If a piece of clothing falls behind the drawer, it stays within the drawer compartment rather than dropping to the bottom (or outside) of the case.
6. Finished Drawer Interiors
Whether cedar-lined, felt-lined or just finished to match the exterior of the case, well-finished drawer interiors ensure clothing won’t snag or fingers get slivers. They also look good when open!
7. Metal Reinforcements
Superior door hinges that operate quietly, smoothly and with a wide radius are a sign of quality. So are back panels that are screwed into the case, rather than just nailed to it.
8. Easy-Care Finishes
Strong topical treatments (such as MarGuard by aspenhome), help prevent the surfaces of heavily-used tables and desks from premature wear or scratches.
9. High Function Features
Furniture with built-in features and a helpful organizing idea or two... such as wire management, plug-ins, moisture-resistant tops and places to store awkward or easily-lost items, avoids makeshift or unattractive situations at home.
10. Warranty
Manufacturers that back their work with a warranty longer than a year or two will be there when you need them. They’ve built a product that will hold up well... and they don’t expect you’ll call!
For more furniture tip ideas, check out our complete How to Buy Furniture guide - it begins on page 23 of our home decorating magazine - Style Trends Issue.
Our eyes may be the mirror to our soul, but our dresser drawers reflect the quality of our furniture. When buying new furniture, always examine a drawer’s blocks, joins, glides and stops; these four tell-tale signs reflect how well your furniture is made.
BLOCKS
The unsung heroes, corner blocks are tightly-fitted triangular wood pieces placed under the corners of the drawer to keep it square and strong. On extra-long drawers, look for extra wood reinforcements in the center to support extra corner blocks
JOINS
How the corners of a drawer are joined together indicates how sturdy that drawer will feel, and how long it will last. Strong, interlocking joins, such as English dovetail joins, are considered the most durable.
GLIDES
Drawer glides determine how quickly and how easily a drawer will open and close. The most efficient drawers operate on metal glides… and side glides, rather than center glides. (Side glides keep a wide drawer operating evenly on both sides). Full-extension glides let you access the back of the drawer.
STOPS
This important safety feature ensures drawers won’t pull all the way out while being used or moved. The best quality drawer stops are integrated into the glide rather than simply attached to the back of the drawer.
For more furniture tip ideas, check out our complete How to Buy Furniture Article in our home decorating magazine Style Trends issue.
See how much you already know about home furniture design by taking our quick furniture quality IQ test below! Answer TRUE or FALSE to each of the nine questions, then check out page 27 of our Furniture Issue for the answers... and a lot more information.
1. Hardwoods and softwoods are both popular choices for furniture.
True OR False
2. Where furniture is made is one of the best dicators of its overall quality.
True OR False
3. Contemporary furniture tends to be lower-priced because it’s simpler to make.
True OR False
4. A table with a mahogany finish is made with at least some mahogany, though it may be difficult to tell how much.
True OR False
5. It’s not important to recognize the wood species used to make furniture.
True OR False
6. How a drawer is made is more important than what it’s made of.
True OR False
7. Solid wood is the best choice for furniture; the finest quality 18th century furniture was made with it.
True OR False
8. Glossy or polished wood finishes are the easiest to keep clean.
True OR False
9. A ‘bonded leather’ sofa, chair or headboard is made with genuine leather.
True OR False
Answers are on page 27 of our home decorating magazine's Furniture issue. Aso check out our complete How to Buy Furniture guide on page 23. We've included a furniture tip or two to clear up common confusions and make furniture buying easier!
What kind of furniture do consumers want for their dining rooms today? According to recent research, they want cleaner, more contemporary looks – not just for casual eating areas, but for formal ones, too.
Based on attributes shoppers identified on wish lists and email inquiries, FurnitureDealer.net tabulated some interesting info on the dining room colors and moods shoppers and room designers favor. While tastes still differ for formal and informal eating areas, those preferences are merging… especially as living rooms become less formal and kitchens become more open to the rest of the house, and thus more sophisticated.
This merging in style trends between formal and informal eating areas reveals the preference for more open plans and room design layouts. In new homes, those preferences are likely to merge even more… with just one dining area.
Read about this research and trend at:
http://blog.pazdesign.ca/blog/furniture-design-ideas/casual-and-formal-dining-room-furniture-trends-merging
Born of practicality, button-tufted upholstery techniques were originally employed to secure, or tie-back, fabric and padding to the frame of a sofa or chair. The depressions created by tying back the buttons simulated little pillows on the surface of the furniture's seat or back. One could say this was the first pillow-top seating... or at least an instant way to make a hard seat into a comfortable one.
Room designers like tufting because it adds a rich three-dimensionality to furniture by casting dramatic light and shadows on the surface; enhancing the innate character of the fabric. Tufted velvet looks softer and velvetier, tufted leather suppler, tufted satin shinier.
But many people who own tufted furniture bemoan its high maintenance. Dirt and lint can make themselves at home inside the button tufts and become a chore to c
lean.Modern furniture designs helped solve this problem by creating less deep impressions and even eliminating the button. Tufting became a sophisticated idea even for a more modern living room furniture arrangement.
Read my full article about tufting in home furniture design at
http://blog.pazdesign.ca/blog/furniture-design-ideas/furniture-trend-tufting
Trend #9... living, or at least, feeling more connected to nature. Look for organic styles to include drier, more worn-looking and reclaimed woods, washed fabrics and woven grasses, bringing a natural, relaxed quality to our room colors and moods. Complex neutral wall paint colors and high-touch materials will look inspried by zen-like spas and elegant coastal resorts. It's good to be home!
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Trend #8... simplify with timeless classic styles. The trend to streamline and even update historic furniture styles with cleaner lines proves once again how lasting classic styles are. Look for classic styles' signature symmetry, familiar x-shapes and gently-contoured saber legs, along with rich finishes and a mix of materials on a single piece of furniture.
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In our latest issue of roomplanners magazine, we've highlighted style trends for 2012 within each of our nine room styles, or Environmental Personality Profiles. (To see 2012 home furniture design trends in our other 8 styles, click here to view our complete Furniture Issue 2012.)
Trend #7... bring your favorite destination home! Thanks to exciting design advances in global styles, it's never been easier to replicate exotic places with home furnishings (... a good thing if an exotic trip isn't in the budget!) Look for unique, travel-inspired furnishings in 2012, with hand-crafted textures, exotic materials and zesty, global wall paint colors that inspire fascinating, eclectic rooms.
Want to receive our free online home decorating magazine every month? Click here to subscribe.
In our latest issue of roomplanners magazine, we've highlighted style trends for 2012 within each of our nine room styles, or Environmental Personality Profiles. (To see 2012 home furniture design trends in our other 8 styles, click here to view our complete Furniture Issue 2012.)
Trend #6... rustic style isn't just for rural folks anymore! Look for rustic, reclaimed styles to get an infusion of industrial chic; a retro, factory-inspired style that mixes aged metal with worn woods and old French-laundry textures, including linen, washed cotton and hemp in natural colors.
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Subscribe here.
Trend #5... old world and Tudor-inspired styles. In 2012, these hearty, weighty looks haven't lost any of their hearty, intellectual quality. Nor have they lost their appeal; nail-head trim and extra stretchers below tables and chairs are as making a comeback. But look for traditional styles to simplify and diversify a little with menswear patterns, tailored lines and British Colonial influences.
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