As the new year dawns, it's not only a chance to reflect on our accomplishments, but also an opportunity to look forward and set new goals for our health, career, relationships and home, too.
The place we start is our home. After all, it is where all of this manifesting takes place, so it needs to feel special and safe. This is your sanctuary. But before you get started, let's first take a look at some of the trends that were, and those that will be in 2018. Of course, we don't suggest you follow this advice meticulously, because it is, as Nate Berkus once told us, "all about living with what you love — with what best represents who you are."
In the end, trends are a fun way to look at what we loved, and to get excited about what's to come. So we asked interior designers to share the trends they're happy to leave behind in 2017 and the ones they hope to see more of in 2018.
Out: Reclaimed wood
In: Curved furniture
Out: There are a few trends that designer and author Athena Calderone, of Rawlins Calderone in New York, is happy to see the back of in 2017. "I would love to see reclaimed wood, industrial furnishings and rustic accents eradicated in 2018," she said. "Design is moving toward a slightly more lush and sexy direction. Rustic on top of rustic just feels dated and excessive. Salvaged oddities were seen everywhere ... and while many of these items are indeed treasures, it is true that too much of one thing is never a good idea."
While on their own they can look great, Calderone thinks the look has just been overdone. "Reclaimed shelving on top of salvaged industrial items on top of rustic findings on top of patina — it is just too much," she said.
"For me, design should be more about an eclectic mix that expresses your personality. I find that exercising restraint with just a select few items with a rough-hewn finish or patina can still be quite attractive but always paired with something slightly more sophisticated and polished."
In: For 2018, Calderone is all about the 1970s — furniture with curves and saturated colors. "The tide is slowly starting to turn from rectangular sharp lines to an influx of softer edge and fabric and walls and furniture with a punch of pigment — hues like ocher, deep green and burnt rose tones are popping up everywhere," she said. "More and more, I'm drawn to items that are shapely or circular, swiveling chairs, round cushions and sloped mirrors. Arches, in general, are also appearing in both decor as well as architecture, like an opening to a room or an arched wall niche. The look is glamorous and a little unexpected, and it's definitely finding its way into the world of design and to my inspiration boards. No doubt about it — we're embracing the curves."
Out: Faux industrial
In: Authenticity
Out: While industrial will always be in style, interior designer Emily Henderson, of Style by Emily Henderson in Los Angeles, believes the faux industrial look has to go. "Something that has character, age and tells a story can be worked into any room no matter the decor," she said. "However, when it comes to faux industrial, you should steer clear of anything that feels too 'man-made' or made to look old."
In: Instead, Henderson foresees a return to anything authentic. "There are so many good vintage, antique and thrift-store pieces that are begging for a new lease on life," she said. "Rather than grabbing something new, do a bit of digging online, at the flea market, or at your local architectural salvage place to see what they might have."
Out: White-on-white kitchens
In: Dark kitchens
Out: While there will always be a place for a classic white kitchen, Claire Staszak, of Centered by Design in Chicago, says the white-on-white look has officially reached its saturation point. "The past few years, we've seen variations on the all-white look, such as adding different color islands, open shelving and contrasting bottom cabinets, which has been refreshing, but designers and savvy homeowners are ready for a new take on the modern kitchen. Design is about evolution, and I think the white kitchen — like the white subway tile — has saturated the market to a point where trendsetters and kitchen designers are really looking to new materials and new colors to introduce to their clients."
In: In response, Staszak says people will start turning to the dark side. "There has been a huge swing toward darker kitchens, black, dark gray and navy, and I believe natural woods are coming back strong," she said. "Not those honey oaks or dark mahoganies of the dated past, but fresh, lighter stains that feel more raw and natural. There were a lot of painted cabinet kitchens featured in magazines in 2017. In 2018, I think you're going to see a lot more wood."
Out: Brushed brass
In: Black finishes
Out: If there's one item that Thea Home co-founder Dorianne Loshitzer of North Hollywood, Calif., can't wait to turn her back on, it's brushed accents. "Brushed accents are everywhere and have really been overdone," she lamented. "Don't get me wrong — brass always has its place, especially a gorgeous unlacquered brass in a traditional or even modern home. I will say, though, that the use has reached a level to where everything, from the hardware to the plumbing fixtures, in a kitchen is brass. It just makes the space feel a bit contrived and less organic. Touches here and there are great."
In: So if brass is out, what can we turn to instead? Loshitzer says we'll start seeing people gravitate to a lot more black finishes, from black light fixtures to charcoal-hued cabinetry and inky hardware. "It's bringing the aesthetic from a place of shine and bright glitz to more of a refined and simplistic minimalism," she said.
Minneapolis native Poppy Harlow parts ways with CNN
