Design Trends for 2011

Pantone announced last week that they have picked Honeysuckle as the 2011 color of the year and they will soon be announcing their full line of predicted colors for 2011. The design world while they look to Pantone for colors, does not wait and has already made their predictions for interior design trends in 2011.
What's old is new. Passing down heirlooms and keeping unique pieces in the family is a trend that we will see more of. Going green and using more renewable resources is a concept that has picked up popularity over that past several years and the idea has started to trickle into the design world. Refinishing an old piece of furniture or using reclaimed wood for flooring and decor is something that we will see a lot of. Where we are from and the people and places that have got us where we are today are of interest and preserving that heritage is becoming increasingly more important.

 Starbucks actually used this concept in one of their locations in Seattle; Using reclaimed wood from barns, shipping crates, fallen trees and architectural salvage yards and getting most of their furniture from local antique stores and reupholstering pieces that were located in other Starbucks locations. They truly took the recycled goods idea by the horns and it turned out fantastic.

Another design trend that has already started gaining momentum is a global design trend. Using influences from other countries and cultures to create a global flair. This trend kicked off with the influx of teal in furnishings and has picked up in popularity since.

Lastly, given the economic conditions, people are starting to reevaluate the things that they need vs the things that they would like to have. The concept "More is Less" will begin to surface more often in homes and rather than using many pieces to dress up a home, people will use color and a few specific items to make their home fabulous.

I'm looking forward to the new year and what the interior design world has to offer.