Do you remember the orange shag carpet of the 70s or the avocado green or harvest gold appliances? By the 90s, the trend was to pare down, tone down and return to more earthy colors.
Furniture pieces became smaller and the dark colors gave way to lighter woods.
So it goes with fashion, even with home décor.
What is great for a few years is sadly outdated in the next decade or so.
According to realtors, if your home has outdated colors on the walls or your floors are covered with the wall-to-wall carpeting of twenty years ago — you need to think of upgrading. Outdated upholstery and colors can be a turn-off no matter how well cared for your home may be.
Marie Feltz of the Decorating Den shared much of her expertise with me in a phone call. Although not in the Centre County Area, the “Decorating Den” is a franchise and easily found on the internet.
“Colors change very quickly. The Japanese influence was prominent in the 1990s and Zen-like simplicity was popular,” she says. “Japanese-inspired vases and artwork were popular. For a time it was beige that ruled on carpets, walls etc. Today gray is king and is often paired with lavenders and blue. The blues cover a wide range from jewel tones to indigo.”
She says that at the High Point Market in High Point, N.C. (the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world), the tangerine and turquoise combination that started in 2013 was still in evidence and that orange and grey showed up in pillows and upholstery.
“Large printed wallpaper is back and the wallpapers are often textured with sand and crystals embedded. You will see this on an accent wall or even a ceiling,” Feltz comments.
It appears that florals and stripes are also in vogue, although in a single combination on a piece of furniture — such as blue on white. That replaces the multiple flower prints of years ago.
Area rugs are popular with so many people going to hard wood floors in lieu of carpet. The area rugs are felted, loopy and fuzzy — lots of textures in the same piece are common.
Daniel Vaughn of Daniel Vaughn Designs, at 355 Colonnade Blvd., State College, was also helpful in putting this column together. His expertise is in floral design and the studio focus is on weddings and other events. The studio is known for distinctive containers and fabric draping to enhance room décor for any event.
Daniel discussed the trends of flowers in the home.
“People are using more fresh flowers and the arrangements are more mono-flower as opposed to the mixed flowers in multiple colors that were popular a few years ago,” he says. “The large plants that were popular in the 1990s to enhance home décor have become less common. Silk arrangements are still used, but they tend to be more realistic and natural looking. Gone are the mauves and blues. Customers want the silks to look more realistic, classic and timeless,” Daniel says.
Daniel also carries unique accessory pieces for the home in his shop and the gift ideas are everywhere. From flowers to that special conversation starter item — Daniel and Michael Merlino, designer, are there to help. (Michael was able to give me advice about a plant I’ve had trouble with.)
Patricia Gordon owns Riley on Main at 101 E. Main St., Boalsburg. Jennifer Henry is the store manager. Always on the upside of trends in decorating, the women says they are preparing to paint and redesign the store’s offerings for the spring. They do this with each season and the result is an “always fresh” look and feel to the store.
Gordon has 18 years of experience in decorating and has been in 500 homes in that time.
“The homeowners are adopting more open floor plans with cleaner spaces. Most are decorating today with the idea that the pieces will not be permanent. The couples I deal with are more frugal and more casual in their lifestyle. There is the thought often of ‘this will work until the kids are older’ and they decorate accordingly,” she says
Some of the changes Gordon notes:
- Drapes are out in favor of lighter window shades or in some cases — no window coverings at all.
- Families are choosing to have no formal dining rooms.
- Open floor plans with the great-room concept are popular.
- Hard wood floors are replacing carpets.
- Organic substances like stone are utilized more as people add transitional out-to-in spaces.
- Designs are becoming more personalized. Picture arrangements and artwork show personality of owners.
- Artwork is larger and more sculptural in nature. This is often a large, jumping off piece from which to design the room’s other features.
- Wall covering is back and a multitude of natural fabrics is available.
