(BPT) – Are you looking for ways to update your home this new year? With so many fresh interior ideas available, it can be difficult to balance current design trends with classic styles for a look that is both of-the-moment and everlasting. Follow these guidelines to find a way to blend now and forever for a look you will love today and tomorrow.
Focus on the foundation
As you are laying the groundwork in your kitchen, bath or bedroom, the key is to keep it timeless. Flooring, cabinetry, lighting and fixtures should possess clean, traditional lines and classic finishes.
If it’s time to do a complete overhaul of your home, you may be tempted to invest in the latest and greatest in materials and furniture offerings, but sometimes the simplest of tweaks can bring your existing pieces up to date. For example, your sofa may have great structure, but could use a bit of reupholstering. Or perhaps your oak kitchen cabinets are an ageless shape, but could be transformed by painting them a fresh color and swapping out the hardware.
Much like a smart wardrobe, as long as you have the basics, minor updates can be made throughout the years by adding small touches in the form of accessories, paint, new hardware and other alterations.
Incorporate color
Taking a classic space and transforming it when you have an itch to try something new is done easily with paint. For 165 years, Pratt & Lambert Paints has been synonymous with recognizing the shifts and nuances of home style and design. In the true fashion of merging timeless with trendy, the brand has recently released its 2015 Color Trends Forecast, called Origins, which goes full circle from essential neutrals to progressive pops of color.
Consider spicing up your kitchen with colors from the Cadence palette. The collection focuses on co-mingling of cultures, and what better place to feature these hues than the room where flavors from all over the world are literally coming together on a daily basis? Pratt & Lambert colors Baby Carrot (8-11) and Vibrant Red (4-12) can make a statement throughout the entire space, or just on an accent wall near a breakfast nook.
Many people seek to transform their current bath into a soothing, spa-like retreat. To capture that feeling, paint walls and even ceilings the cool or deep bold colors of water – much like those included in the Chronicles trend that speak to hues straight from the depths of the ocean. Look to the Pratt & Lambert shades Blue Zircon (23-13), Glacial (27-2) and the Color of the Year, Noir (24-16).
A bedroom is a place for rest – a calm, down-to-earth haven. Pratt & Lambert’s two trend palettes, Elemental and Terra, are the perfect pick for the place in which you recharge. Interior designer and Pratt & Lambert Style & Design Guild member Laura Kirar recommends shades Tobacco (33-19) and Feather Gray (32-37) from the Elemental palette. They are sure to provide many nights of peaceful slumber. Include the harmonious hues of the Terra palette, Rye (12-26) and Zinc (14-20), for a natural, relaxed vibe.
A dash of detail
Now with a solid foundation and freshly painted walls, move to the decorations that will truly transform your home. Remember – small pieces can make a grand statement, so pick and choose how you will incorporate trendy accessories like table lamps, hand towels, planters, window coverings, pillows, throws or table settings. If you want to go bold with hues or graphic prints, now is your chance to infuse colors in small doses. That’ll make it easy and more cost-effective to swap out or mix and match accessories in the future.
Whether you want to take small steps to refresh the look of your home or want to tackle larger renovation projects, by following these steadfast ideas, it’s easy to stay on trend while paying tribute to classic design. You can have the best of both worlds for timeless decor that can easily transition with you through the years.
