Interior Design Trends

When I believe about decorating trends today, several things one thinks of. I see more and more people staying in their homes longer and buying upgrading what they have and to make their home adjust to their changing lifestyle. Clients are replacing windows, trim, baseboards and adding cove moldings to the ceiling. They are removing carpet and exposing or installing hardwood floors. Faux paint finishes on the walls are replacing wallpapers, especially in bathrooms.

Before most clients were decidedly traditional: Queen Ann, cherry wood, polished and purposeful or very contemporary: modern, clean lines, austere or country collectible: cluttered, cutesy and charming. Now I enjoy working with clients attempting to mix the best of most these styles. Antiques, collectables and mid-century modern working together and creating an eclectic look can be enjoyed in a timeless and less trendy way.

Today's biggest trend is more a passing fad. The buzz of building green, eco friendly, sustainable design is everywhere you turn. T V programs, newspapers, magazines, books, conferences and expo centers are devoting time, energy and space to the idea: You possibly can make a difference in how to live your everyday activity and how it impacts the earth you live on. As you become more aware of the environment, look around your house, do you see areas that require attention? Exactly what will be your next remodeling project? How do you want to proceed, knowing that when you upgrade, it'll produce waste and things you no longer need? Where will the debris go? And the items you select to displace the worn out, no longer needed, where will they come from? How are they made? What resources are used to produce the item? This can be a first rung on the ladder to being green. That is: To become aware.

For instance: You have grown sick and tired of your dated 1970's kitchen. The hardware is pitted; there is a build-up of scum or missing finish on the cabinets, a number of the drawers are don't close properly, the countertops are scratched and stained. Cabinets can easily be re-purposed. Meaning they might become extra storage in the basement, garage or craft room. Another option would be to add wood veneers to existing "boxes" alongside new doors, drawers, and hardware to create an updated search for a fraction of the cost of new cabinets. Local non-profits, such as for example Building Hope, will take your unwanted, but salvageable cabinets (and other building materials). You are doing your part to help keep your cabinets out from the land fill, helping a non-profit and getting a tax write off for doing it!

Recycled content paper, glass or granite chips incorporated into a concrete like binder, are popular options for counter tops. Use low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds-bad for your health) paints and finishes. Renewable or sustainable flooring: cork, bamboo, or linoleum are becoming more available and priced competitively with traditional vinyl options. Replace inefficient appliances with Energy Star Appliances, standards set by the united states Department of Energy. "If just one single in 10 homes used Energy Star qualified appliances, the change would be like planting 1.7 million new acres of trees". WOW!

BE SURE YOU: REUSE, REDUCE AND RECYCLE

Consider: "Could another person need this or uses this?" Before you throw it away

Purchase quality, long lasting, durable products and appliances

Look for recycled or sustainable content products: flooring, countertops, fabrics, wallpaper

Request FSC-Forest Stewardship Council wood and paper products, It is a nonprofit organization that certifies the merchandise produced are from responsibly managed forests

Buy locally. Just how much fossil fuel is used to achieve the product to you?

Consider adaptive reuse - Antiques, re-upholster furniture, repurposed items

Use lighting and natural light better. Turn lights off when you aren't using them. Use compact fluorescent bulbs, LED (leds), dimmer switches on incandescent bulbs or install light tubes

Use low or no VOC paints and finishes

Switch off and/or unplug appliances and computers you should definitely in use. They're phantom energy eaters

Use earth friendly /non-toxic cleaning products

Bring oxygen into your house or business

Buy carbon offsets, contribute to groups that plant trees or invest in renewable energy-a voluntary tax to make up for the fossil fuels we consume

Home design trends today are often incorporated into our everyday living. Weather it really is to re-purpose an existing piece of furniture or even to bring oxygen and day light into your home. By becoming more eco-friendly, you do your part to reduce energy consumption as well as your carbon footprint. This in turn reduces global warming, conserves our finite natural resources and saves you money through the use of less energy. Whenever choosing to work with Erin O'Brien and Erin Designs, LLC, together it is possible to create beautiful, healthier, greener places to call home and work.

By Erin O'Brien

Allied Member - American Society of HOME DESIGN

Erin O'Brien, Allied Member of ASID-American Society of Interior Designers and owner of Erin Designs LLC, is committed to understanding environmentally friendly impact of most her home design projects. By incorporating "Green Building" practices.

Creating healthy, beautiful interiors