What’s Hot Right Now in Home Design

With Fashion Week in full swing around the globe, here’s a look at what’s fashionable in interior design trends.

Going gray is cool. The color gray isn’t just a pop culture phenomenon; it has now found a solid place within the home. Where beige, sand and tan colors have dominated the neutral color palette in interiors over the past few years, grays and whites are now taking their place. Don’t be afraid to pair them with more unexpected colors like greens, corals and blues. Benjamin Moore’s 2015 color palette has some great pairings for inspiration.

Personalized kitchens are hot. While kitchens have been customizable in the past, Pinterest has taken personalization in the kitchen to a whole new level. Consumers see a design they like on Pinterest and look to emulate it in their homes – like unique storage, tile designs and cabinetry. Kitchen designs are starting to reflect their owners’ hobbies more and more as well, such as custom spaces created for indoor plants and areas to store homemade canning supplies.

Smart tech is here to stay. With IKEA’s recent announcement that phone charging furniture is in our near future, you can see that smart technology isn’t going away. Consider updating your home with smart home technology if you haven’t already. It’ll be something new for you to enjoy, will modernize your home and best of all, many of these updates can be done for $300 or less.

What do you think the rest of 2015 will bring to home design? 

Home Office Re-vamp: 5 Starter Tips

We’re constantly on-the-go, so for many of us a home office is our hub at the end of the day. To make your work-space one that motivates and keeps you productive, follow these five tips:

1. Pump up the accent colors! Bright colors are mood boosters; they inspire creativity and positive thinking. Incorporate a fun color or two by way of comfortable chairs or an accent wall with complementing artwork, and you will feel instantly more comfortable.
2. Keep it clean. Nothing interrupts a peaceful space more than clutter, so spend one day pushing through it all and pitching anything you haven’t used in a while. Eliminate multiple copies of documents or books, and set a reminder to do a quick refresher once a month.
3. Comfort is the key. Invest in a desk chair that will help your posture. Use softer lighting to ease the strain on your eyes. Place an aroma therapeutic air oil diffuser with a citrus scent near your desk – one whiff will wake you up when you start to fade.
4. Get personal. Frame a few photos that have meaning for you – family, favorite destinations, hobbies – they’ll make you feel at home and keep you focused on personal goals!
5. Make it interactive! Install a white board or cork board to serve as a living thought-starter. Write down half-baked ideas or tack up an inspirational quote that you can build upon along the way. Some ideas make more sense when brought to life with visuals, others are simply more fun that way. 

Have you updated your office recently? What’s your favorite feature? Let me know!