A new year can mean many new things; new goals, new dreams and new challenges. As you reflect on what changes you plan to make in the upcoming months, are changes to your furniture on your list? If you rang in the new year sitting on a couch from a very old year, it might be time to bring a bit of 2015 into your home.
Staying up to date and on trend isn't as hard as it may sound this year. What was once old is new again and mixing styles is not only accepted but encouraged. Whether you're looking to liven up your living room or you're in need of a complete overhaul, there are furnishings that will suit your style.
The use of fabrics on sofas and updated upholstery has made a return to mainstream.
Pops of colour, in both pastels and rich marine tones, organic prints, like ferns and florals, and ocean-inspired patterns, are taking over large pieces instead of just being used as accents on pillows or throw blankets. Fabric-covered headboards and leather-wrapped furniture are gaining in popularity as we change the calendar to a new year.
The yearning for a sensory experience has catapulted our appreciation for handmade items into the spotlight this year. Attendees at the recent Homebuildlife Trend Watch seminar witnessed the greater connection to imperfections and objects clearly made by human hands. The move to incorporate these handcrafted and often traditional items with more mass produced pieces around the house shows our softer side and keeps us connected to what makes us all human. As technology continues to develop at a rapid pace around us, staying down to earth by appreciating and incorporating our ancestral crafts can make for comfortable and cozy spaces without the loss of modern luxuries.
Matte finishes will see a surge in popularity come 2015; a nod to the unpolished and authentic looks that are on the rise. There's a desire to appreciate the form and function of our furniture resulting in more natural finishes and raw materials.
According to the forecasting experts at Homebuildlife, the need to connect the past to the future is allowing for the fusion of modern styles with older pieces. Vintage finds such as wooden dressers, handmade tables and wingback chairs are being given modern makeovers by being used in stylish spaces and updated with current colours or fun accents.
This new year is all about breathing new life into forgotten furniture and incorporating the stories of our past into the designs of modern day. Be on the look out for woven patterns, fossilized finishes and wicker, bone and rope – all elements that have a history but can be reintroduced beautifully into the right room.
Mixing doesn't stop with the old and the new. Metals are being mixed with raw materials, glass is an accent again and natural woods are finding their way into furniture pieces in all sorts of ways. Smooth finishes are paired with organic materials and outdoor elements are being brought indoors.
An exciting trend for the upcoming year is the combination of cultural influences and personality differences all in one room. Furniture reflective of different cultures are being combined to create a united space that shows off individual personalities. Where unique pieces of furniture used to stand out for all the wrong reasons, they are now being celebrated for their ability to accessorize clean lines and simple rooms while making decor more personal.
As families keep growing and spaces seem to be shrinking, furniture has had to adapt to the needs of its users. With more multipurpose rooms comes the need for multipurpose furniture. Space saving cabinets, desks and even beds are increasing in popularity as more activities are happening in a smaller amount of space.
Along with the need to have useable furniture in a smaller space is the desire to have comfortable furniture. Formal living room and dining room sets are no longer a necessity as buyers look to fill their homes with useable tables and comfortable couches. If you've dreamed of transforming
your formal rooms into inviting spaces, now is the time to take advantage of the cozy, convenient and, most importantly, useful styles that are taking over showrooms.
Furniture makes up such a big part of your home and while the decision to update it might seem like a big one, it doesn't have to mean big changes in order to stay on trend for the upcoming year. By incorporating your own pieces and welcoming your own influences into your home, the new year might be the best time to give life to your old decor.
