Interior Design, Decorating & Home Decorating Ideas Special Report: Design Trends for 2005

What is it that makes interior design or interior decorating such an exciting field? For many interior designers, it's not just the fast pace, the challenge of making clients happy and staying within budget, and the opportunity to take homes and businesses from "blah" to "Wow."

What keeps many interior designers passionate about their work is the ever-changing nature of the design scene. What's hot one year will be totally out the next, and yet certain elements of design remain unchanging — the same way the Little Black Dress continues to hold sway in the fashion world.

To help keep our readers on top of design trends in home decorating, we interviewed three of the top interior designers in the U.S. and Canada, and asked them for their home decorating ideas and tips as well as what they see as in store for the coming year for the interior design industry.

First, Valerie Moran CEO of Grange Furniture, Inc. says she sees clients moving away from a minimalist style "towards a more opulent, Old-Hollywood glamour."

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"Instead of just a sleek leather sofa, there are luxury touches of a cashmere throw and silk and satin pillows," she said. "Home fashion or home decorating is reflecting the world of high fashion. In clothing, you see the added sparkles of fashion pins on slinky dresses and in the home, you see this reflected in the sparkling lampshade with the silky fabric."

Moran also said that mixing different periods in a way she calls "infusion" is becoming more popular.

"The period style is 'infused' with life by introducing a high fashion color palette such as the 'jazzy' colors of raspberry, grass green, indigo blues," she said.

In terms of color, Mindy Greenberg, an Allied Member of ASID Interior Design, who runs Encore Decor, an interior design firm based in New York City, said she sees clients still asking for tones that harmonize with an earthy look.

"We're still moving forward with the earth tones like sages," she said. "I have been suggesting more golds, but not the same gold as what was seen in the sixties." Some valuable home decorating tips from Mindy.

Lynda MacLachlan, who runs Creatif Design in Vancouver, B.C., said that in her area the same is true.

"The Northern West Coast light refraction is different from the East Coast. We tend to go earthy and warm," she said. "The fun funky colors of the east coast can look jarring and out of place here. We do of course use accent colors to complement an environment."

MacLachlan echoed Valerie Moran's point about the natural relationship between interior design and clothing design, especially when it comes to color.

"Design and clothing colors will continue to mimic each other," she said. "Both of these follow political and economic atmospheres. I predict uncommon color combinations!"

As always, our interior designers saw kitchen and bath renovation continuing in popularity.

"Homeowners seem to be starting with big scale kitchen renovations," Greenberg said. "New cabinets, granite counter tops, tumbled marble backsplashes, tile floor and recessed lighting are all popular. Once that is over they feel as if they can tackle any other room with ease."

MacLachlan agreed, predicting "Kitchen and bathroom updates will continue to top the list of home renovations." She also sees the new technologies as influencing how homes are designed, built, and used.

"With the rapid advancement of home electronics, such as 'Smart homes,' the family/media room placed in near proximity to the kitchen will be a trend continually receiving fine tuning," she said. "The larger media/karaoke rooms will continue to get prime attention."

Greenberg sees many clients making use of all the available technology, but doing so in rooms that are luxuriously furnished.

"I see the use of the 'media room' continuing, but not with media seating," she said. "The family room now has a more luxe look and comfort, comfort comfort. We're seeing more sectionals so the family can nest together, lay close to each other and just relax."

The popularity of working out at home also continues, MacLachlan said. "Home gyms and spas were once wish list items in home decorating, but they are becoming common place."

The use of textures is another trend these designers see continuing.

"Any well-designed space will include a layering of textures. The texturing could come from different sources of lighting. Fabrics combined with textured carpeting. Curtains, smooth and sleek, nubbly, gauzy...you name it. Texture is important...this is a good example of decor and clothing trends being parallel," MacLachlan said.

Greenberg agreed, saying she has been seeing "lots of textures, but not conflicting ones. "

"The focus is more on the whole room without each piece of furniture or wall screaming for attention, "she said.

And Moran finds that glass is increasingly used as an accessory.

"One of the popular accessories is the use of glass everywhere, Moran said. "Whether it's crystal, etched, colored or plain, glass is showing up in chandeliers, sconces, vases, mirrors, candlestick holders, or just in collections of drinking glasses."

One area where designers saw different responses among their clients was in terms of "green" design — using products that are recycled, that do minimal harm to the environment, and that don't use exploited labor.

While Mindy Greenberg found that most clients don't even know what "green" design means, Valerie Moran has found that many clients are quite concerned with the environmental impact of their projects.

Designers are definitely conscious of how things are built," Moran said. "For instance, we have to consider if the products we sell are produced free of child labor — one of the recent obstacles overcome is in the rug market, where the designers worked with the manufacturers to eliminate child labor."

Moran also takes into consideration if her clients have allergies when choosing her materials.

MacLachlan, in the Pacific Northwest, sees the issue of sustainability and ecologic awareness as important to her clients.

"Global warming is a continual reminder of how fragile our environment has become," she said. "Our society is increasingly aware of the need to change to environmentally friendly products."

–Sarah Van Arsdale

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