Home Decorating Trends in 2007 Will Be 'A La Carte,' Says Furniture.com Design Consultant

Furniture World Magazine

Home decorating trends for 2007 continue to be off the "a la carte" menu, says Davis Remignanti, lead design consultant at Furniture.com. "Well-designed rooms are about finding the 'wow factor' in combining seemingly disparate styles, materials and textures in new ways," notes Remignanti. "No matter what the overall style goal -- from the most formally traditional through ultra modern -- the surest way to have a room that looks 'so 20th Century' is to rely on overly matched and overly symmetrical interiors." Remignanti offers these thoughts on the hottest trends for 2007: - Finish Line. Grain, imperfection, age and character continue to dominate wood finishes, with the hottest pieces eschewing an unnaturally perfect appearance. Look for time-proven styles rendered in finishes that emphasize the natural quality of wood. - Flavor Combinations. As in great cuisine, the hottest interiors will continue to combine familiar flavors in unique and daring ways. The question has shifted from "what will match my sofa" to "what will enhance my sofa." - Color Correction. There are three hot trends in interior colors. The return of brown and orange continues full tilt, as these warm and comforting colors have returned from 25 years of 70's-inspired banishment. Additionally, the resurgence of "mineral tones" -- naturally lovely greys, browns, blacks and yellows -- has built momentum, especially for use in wall color (look for black -- yes, black! -- walls to become a hot trend). And finally, clear Caribbean tones have started to supplant the more pastel tones of recent years. Used with restraint, these newest takes on "jewel tones" are working their way into both fashion and interiors, with tremendous results. - Cottage Comfort. The desire for the relaxed but ultra-stylish cottage look has taken off. Even the trendiest pieds-a-terre in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are starting to take on a "lake retreat" attitude as people realize that they can incorporate the feel of vacation into their everyday lives. - Living Space. No one is impressed by a beautiful interior that holds you off at arms length. Part of the attraction of any well designed interior for 2007 will be how readily it welcomes you, how easily it encourages you to be relaxed and comfortable. The notion that, in the end, EVERY room should be a "living room" will encourage new freedoms from decorating restraint. "It's all about combinations," says Remignanti, "getting the right mix of colors and materials and silhouettes. But, more than ever before, the coming year will be about blending the two most important ingredients for any well-designed interior: style and comfort. No matter how stylish it may be, if a room doesn't make you feel relaxed and comfortable, it's not well designed." About Furniture.com: Furniture.com (http://www.furniture.com/) offers consumers the best of Internet shopping by merging the convenience, accessibility and ease of online shopping with the local customer service and fast, in-home delivery of North America's largest retail furniture chains. At Furniture.com, consumers quickly browse, compare and buy brand-name furniture and accessories, find decorating advice, product information, and utilize interactive design tools.