The list continues of decor ins and outs moving into 2017. As an Activerain contributor reminded me, many of these ideas are regional in nature. Some parts of the country prefer dark kitchens so keep in mind I am speaking about the south, more specifically, metro ATL.
There is also a new trend worth mentioning. Mixing farmhouse with modern. Small touches like a piece of furniture or art. It's a nice clean look and also helps break up the expected nature of decorating in a particular style. Farmhouse works very well with traditional of course and many of the more "farmhouse" furniture items are often very traditional pieces reproduced in a rougher wood, lighter finish and sometimes a much larger scale catering to today's open concept living where storage and table top space comes at a premium.
Open concept living is very desirable and pleasing to the eye as long as the decor is kept uncluttered and minimal. The only problem often comes with entertaining and the holildays in particular. I recently purchased a home with an open concept main floor and it's great, lots of space but not very many walls. You learn very quickly to purchase pieces with plenty of storage, more oversized and table top, like a large buffet piece instead of a china hutch.
Replace those old brass light fixtures with new oil rubbed bronze or even black lanterns, with or without glass.
Burgundy, gold and hunter green, say goodbye. Neutral with hints of color are more pleasing and keep the eye moving in the space. White or beige bedding with lush pillows piled up is so much more pleasing to most people than a matchy matchy over saturated heavy print. And, the great benefit is that it is so much easier and less expensive to change the room. Instead of buying all new window treatments and bed coverings, change a couple of pieces to freshen up the space. Same with a neutral family room. With a linen sofa and two leather chairs in medium gray, I am going from soft gray and yellow print accent pillows to a bold blue and white for the new year.
If you are putting your home on the market, think about clutter. That's the biggest issue that most people have when "staging" for sale. Kids toys need to be thinned out and consolidated in one area of the house. Pack away extra "stuff". You intend to move so go through a thoughtful process of what do I really love and what should go to charity or trash. Pack it up, mark the box well, and make your time on market more beneficial - every showing needs to count. It's hard being on the market. It changes your lifestyle. Why would you want to just open the door and show unstaged? It will cost you time and money in the end and could even prevent a sale.
Here's one that I would love to do but still gathering the courage - paint interior doors a dark color. Check it out on Pinterest. My sister did this on their terrace level. Looks amazing. She had the contractor do the window trim also. Really nice in a dark gray/black color. I don't think that flat or simple black would do as well. This is another one that needs to be done by the pros.
Say goodbye to too many area rugs. We love our hardwood floors and then we cover them up with rugs. Too many just looks bad. Dining room, family room, not the hallway or in front of every door. No rugs on carpet - that just looks like you are trying to hide something. Stay away from higher patterned rugs in too many colors. Again, neutral, one or two colors, not too busy.
Wall to wall furniture is out. Putting something in every open spaces just closes in your room, making the home appear smaller. Open spaces and walls without furniture is more pleasing to the eye and much easier at cleaning time.
Whether decorating for your lifestyle and comfort or preparing your home for sale, all of these tips could make your home environment more comfortable and relaxing.
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