Home decor trends for 2013 mix practicality, style
BY BRAVETTA HASSELL World Scene Writer
Saturday, January 05, 2013
1/05/13 at 8:34 AM
Conservation, convenience and cost efficiency will still be priorities for homeowners in 2013. But those factors won't come at the expense of comfort and style, experts say.
Tulsa Community College associate professor of interior design Jennifer McMahon is seeing more and more people reusing what they already have in their homes.
Attribute that to a changed economy. People are scaling down and making do. Yet, they're still keeping in mind that "if it makes you smile, make it work in your house."
In looking forward at what to expect this year in the worlds of home and gardening, McMahon offered us insight, and we tapped a variety of lists including those by REALTOR Magazine, the Garden Media Group and Neil Kelly Company on what you will see in 2013.
Gardening
Container plants
A changing economic landscape and more people returning to urban areas may mean less green space for gardeners. Containers allow small-space gardeners to enjoy many of the same luxuries as their backyard peers - growing fruits and vegetables and other plants in window boxes, large and small pots, raised beds and other containers. The benefit: plants as ornaments as well as food.
Native and drought- tolerant plants
Plant varieties accustomed to a given environment need less water, maintenance and pest control than exotics. As people become more concerned about water conservation, time spent trying to revive wilting plants and the pesticides used to keep critters at bay, expect to see greater use and demand for plants already well-adapted to the climate in which they grow.
Organic and heirloom seeds
Plan to see more markets catering to gardeners concerned about pesticides - especially on fruits and vegetables. Organic seeds should meet federal requirements when it comes to chemical use. "Heirloom" seeds have not been genetically altered; instead, they are seeds from plants that have been passed down from one generation to the next - the fittest having toughed out environmental changes with little help from humans.
People and Earth- friendly plantings
With a growing concern about environmental stewardship as well as getting the most out of what you have already, expect to see more landscaping features that have multiple uses. Native plants can serve as food sources and shelter for wildlife. Fruits, vegetables and herbs can be used as decoration and give your household homegrown food options. Rain gardens use a fairly simple system of native plants and landscaped depressions to capture rainwater for use in your garden and to reduce yard runoff.
Colorful gardening implements
Your plants aren't dull, so the tools you use to maintain them shouldn't be either. The Garden Media Group forecasts bright colors as well as metallics in garden tools and accessories to be popular this year.
Outdoor living
In 2012, we saw a growing popularity in "staycations." Convenience and cost-efficiency are among the reasons more people are interested in staying closer to home come vacation time. This will continue through 2013 with builders and landscapers appealing to the consumer's desire for luxury and escape. Outdoor kitchens, waterfalls, pools, bar areas, fire pits and covered living and lounging spaces are just the beginning.
Home
Calculated but big risks with color
Bright and bold color options will continue to be popular in interior home design and decor, McMahon said, but don't expect to see a full departure from neutral colors.
Already, McMahon is seeing a lot of blues, blue-greens and shades in between all the way to yellow this year.
Multi-purposed furnishings
People are scaling down in home size, as well as what they put in their homes. Expect to see furniture that has multiple uses. Think ottomans that can be used for seating, as well as storage, coffee tables that can rise for dining and desk areas that have charging features for your electronics.
More prints, patterns
Just as we are seeing more stripes in fashion, they are being found in home textiles, upholstery and decor accents. Animal prints offer fun flairs, as do florals, which McMahon is seeing with lighter backgrounds. Stripes in varying sizes are big and add individuality.
Handmade-inspired
There's something charming and warm about items that are hand-crafted or exude a cared-for quality. "Bright and shiny and new doesn't feel very deep," McMahon said of what she thinks is drawing people to reclaimed, rustic, repurposed and repurposed-looking home items and decor styles. A shelf made of industrial piping and a slab of reclaimed wood came to her mind as an example. "I think it just adds character to a place."
More 2013 home design trends
"Simpler living and low-maintenance design" is the overall trend for the year, according to Neil Kelly Company, a nationally known design/build/remodeling firm.
That means anything from clean and simple kitchen cabinets to "bulletproof" countertops, prefinished wood flooring and "pops" of glass, color and sparkling textures.
According to Neil Kelly, the top 10 home design and remodeling trends include:
10. Kitchen cabinets: A clean, simple, contemporary look will be popular with homeowners looking to economize and eliminate unnecessary clutter and fussy details.
9. Countertops: Granite has been dethroned. Granite isn't going away and still has many die-hard fans, but the new king of countertops will be quartz composite - the closest thing to no maintenance, bullet-proof countertop materials available today.
8. Hardwood floors: Prefinished and engineered wood flooring will become more popular. Prefinished woods provide a hard, durable finish, are an installation time-saver and eliminate the sanding dust dilemma.
7. Glass backsplashes: Glass mosaic tile is on the way out. Taking its place are glass/stone/tile mosaic composites that add more texture and visual interest and tie in with stone or quartz countertops.
6. Simple sinks: Goodbye, double-sinks; hello, deep single-bowl sinks. With accessories such as fitted colanders and dish drains, deep single-bowl sinks have all the benefits of a divided sink, plus the large size to actually fit that roasting pan or those baking sheets into the sink all at once. Stainless is still popular, but the quartz composites are a great value and durable option.
5. Color palette: Charcoal is the new black. In 2013, this silky color will be found everywhere as it blends the right amount of chocolate, gray and a touch of green.
4. Bathroom stone: Synonymous with luxury, Calacatta marble will find its way into traditional and contemporary bathrooms. Calacatta is a rarer stone than Carrara marble but is quarried in the same region. It is valued for its whiter background and bolder gray veins.
3. Texture and sparkle: Bedazzled looks will find their way into home décor. Look for glossy backsplashes and polished nickel fixtures.
2. Living in your home longer/multi-generational living: Many predict a growing trend to help aging baby boomers safely "grow old" in their homes, for as long as possible. Watch for kitchen and bath upgrades that enhance functionality, comfort and safety.
1. Healthy home, healthy living: Sustainable design is here to stay. The No. 1 trend for 2013 will be to create a healthy living environment, free of toxins and harsh chemicals. Upgrade trends include the use of low-VOC materials to improve indoor air quality, testing combustion safety and radon mitigation.
Inspiration at your fingertips
The following websites are inspiring homeowners:
Pinterest.com: The social sharing site is considered an online scrapbook. Share and save photos of anything from design dreams to do-it-yourself projects. It has influenced what companies are offering and even what publications are paying attention to.
Houzz.com: A favorite of Tulsa Community College interior design professor Jennifer McMahon, this site gives her a lot of ideas and also, like Pinterest, offers insight into what to expect in the near future. Other sites might pop up this year, but "I haven't found another one that can compete with it," McMahon said.
Original Print Headline: Practical style
Bravetta Hassell 918-581-8316
bravetta.hassell@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World file
CHRISTOPHER SMITH/Tulsa World file
PRNewsFoto/National Wood FlooringAssociation
Business Wire
STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file
Pinterest is a virtual scrapbookfor design dreams anddo-it-yourself projects.
Franke Kitchen Systems Luxury Products Group introduces the Centennialsink series for today’s traditional kitchens. PRNewsFoto/Franke
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