Blog by Beebe Cline, PREC*

<< back to article list

13 Home Design and Decor Trends to Watch for in 2013

Just when you've gotten used to celebrating this year's trends, ideas new and old for 2013 have shown up on the horizon. Designer Abigail Ahern says a good way to stay sane amid the trend forecasts is to think about how — or if — each forecasted trend somehow resonates with your own life. "If it doesn't reflect you, don't follow the masses," she says. "It's nice to know that more and more people are becoming braver in their spaces and really using their home design and decor as an extension of their individuality."

The need for a more personal, individualized home is a design ethos that interior designer Estee Stanley also sees as gaining popularity. "People want to live a more relaxed life, so the trend will be to make every single room in the house a space that you can actually live in," she says.

Here are professionals' predictions about how the shift toward a more personal and meaningful space will translate into designs and home decorating in 2013.
1. Verre églomisé ("gilded glass"). Interior designer Melanie Turner is looking for a design trend that offers something different from what's in showrooms. "I'm in search of what's hard to find. I think verre églomisé is just that special treatment next year," she says. In this process, glass is gilded with gold or metal leaf on the back side.

Although Turner acknowledges that people are craving simplicity in their lives, she says that many of her clients still want to surround themselves with meaningful and beautiful things. "Verre églomisé is jewelry for the room — especially for rooms that are becoming smaller, where clients want more of a jewel box finish," says Turner.
2. Antique brass. The coming year will see more brass being incorporated into the home, predicts Stanley. "I think antique brass is making a comeback in structural elements, hardware and other embellishments," she says.
3. Bleached floors. Stanley also thinks people will start using lighter woods for floors and cabinetry again. "I see an increase in methods like bleaching, lyming and painting woods to achieve a lighter tone in flooring and cabinetry," she says.
4. More luxe design for the masses. Companies like Crane & Canopy and Thrive Furniture have cut out the middlemen and are selling their home decor and furnishings directly to consumers, thereby slashing costs significantly. Luxurious bedding with a thread count of 300-plus, for example, can now be had for under $100.

While interior designer Jennifer Jones doesn't think the entire future of home decor lies in the slashed supply-chain model, she acknowledges that companies selling luxe home goods directly to consumers have a rightful place in the home design marketplace, especially in 2013.

"I like the idea of companies like Crane & Canopy," she says. "They have more flexibility to change designs based on client feedback and demand — and that's a great thing."
5. True blues. Interior designer Kyle Schuneman is seeing lots of punchy blues on the sets of advertising and home decor catalog shoots. From ceramic accessories to upholstery to throw pillows, Schuneman says blue is going to be a huge color in 2013.

"The punchiest, on-trend blue I've seen is a mix between a navy blue and royal blue. It's a true blue without any green hints," he says.

Interior designer Greg Natale says that although blue will be a big color in 2013, emerald green (recently named Color of the Year by Pantone, which makes naming color trends an annual event), Dior gray and salmon pink will also be all over the fashion runways and design showrooms.

Browse more photos of blue spaces
6. Downsizing. Designer Jessica Helgerson looks at downsizing as a long-term trend. "New-development houses are getting smaller again," she says. "People are interested in living in smaller spaces that are closer to downtowns rather than larger houses where they are dependent on their cars." The designer has already gotten a few requests for the plan for her 540-square-foot home, one of the most popular on Houzz in 2012, which she says is a testament to a shift in the way people are looking at and designing their homes.

Take a look inside Jessica Helgerson's home
7. Faux shagreen. Faux shagreen (that is, not from sharks, seals or other creatures) is the new on-trend hide. It has a uniform, organic and textured look that ups the glamour and sophistication level of any interior. "Almost every showroom at High Point Market this year had faux shagreen," says interior designer Kaitlyn Andrews-Rice of Christopher Patrick Interiors. She cautions that faux shagreen works only in natural colors and small doses. "Unfortunately, we saw a few showrooms with really odd shagreen colors. Shagreen desks, cocktail tables and chests look best when the hue is closer to grays, taupes, creams and neutrals," she says.
8. On-demand printing. "I predict a rise in DIY on-demand printing for fabric, paper and wallpapers," says maker and crafter Bonnie Forkner of the blog Going Home to Roost. She says companies like Spoonflower and Fabric on Demand are enabling more and more people to create their own custom upholstery fabrics, removable wallpapers and custom decals, making it easy to design, print and sell or buy custom designs with a click of the mouse.
9. Fanciful, artful furniture design. A huge trend that designer-stylist Cassidy Hughes is seeing in design shows is a more fun approach to furniture and product design. She says, "I see the melding of art in furniture and decor really progressing and becoming more accessible for people to literally take home into their living rooms next year."
10. Stripes and geometrics. If 2012 was all about flowers on the runway and in design showrooms, next year will see a return to stripes, angles and diagonals. Greg Natale says, "We are seeing more angled shapes like triangles and trapezoids, as well as diagonals and zigzags. They're not just on walls but on ceilings, too."
Wrapped furniture. "Whether it's linen, leather, raffia or grass cloth, the textured effect of wrapped furniture instantly grabs your eye," says interior designer Kim E. Courtney.
Weathered kitchen countertops. More and more of kitchen and bath designer Lance Stratton's clients want countertops that can take the daily wear and tear of family life; there's a move away from show kitchens with precious countertops that clients are afraid to prep on for fear of scratches and dings. "They ask for countertops that already come a bit weathered," he says, "ones that have that banged-up look."
Hello, neutrals. Goodbye, neon. Forkner says that although natural fibers like jute and raffia will always have a timeless quality, she thinks that there will be a noticeable celebration of natural, organic-looking spaces and a conscious move away from splashy neons as the go-to pop of color in the home. "I see a shift towards the use of more solids and neutrals with warm brassy tones and whites," she says.

Archives