Some Home Decor Trends For New Year

The same objectives people have when making their personal New Year's resolutions can be just as easily be applied to their homes. There's no better time to give a home a fresh look, whether it's incorporating a new color palette, adding accessories, repurposing furniture or putting something interesting up on the walls.

A kaleidoscope of color

Residential interior designer recommends happy hues such as turquoise for a kitchen, chartreuse for a dining room and coral for a bedroom. The other desiger agrees that color palettes will embrace a variety of bold, punchy accent colors but also notes a seismic shift in neutrals from the 'brown fatigue' of browns and beiges to bright gallery whites and truly neutral grays. Purples can be paired with accents of copper and well-worn leather in a masculine den; layered with gold, gray and white for an elegant bedroom or highlighted against subway tile and chrome fixtures for a statement master bathroom.

Every wall has a story

Desiger predicts that individualized wall murals will be even more popular next year as more homeowners and business owners embrace this unique, distinctive way to transform any room. That make wall murals an attractive and affordable design trend.

Accessorize the positive

Anything goes in the world of accessories. Pila notes an African influence in lamps made of horn and Kuba cloths fashioned into pillows, rugs and blankets, while Ian Kennedy of Ruby + George touts Native American-inspired artwork, rugs and antlers passed down from generation to generation. Wiener suggests gas-fired home 'fire walls' under a wall-mounted big-screen television that can serve as a source of warmth and an art focal piece.

The simple life

Internationally recognized artist and award-winning Austin designer Pablo Solomon sees a continuation of uncluttered, simple, practical, multifunctional and renewable designs. He recommends adopting the mantra 'less is more' to focus on quality, not quantity, when it comes to art, rugs and furnishings. Tie interior design with outside landscape views to evoke a feeling of openness and flow from the inside out.

What's old is new again
Los Angeles-based Linda Brettler, AIA, suggests finding creative ways to repurpose, recycle and reuse by relocating pieces from other rooms in the house or seeking out older, better-made items from architectural salvage sites. Salvaged or antique tiles can give an authentic patina to a historic home, and Brettler recommends mixing tile and stone so the look isn't so intense.

Finding your comfort zone

According to Elissa Morgante, principal at Morgante Wilson Architects in Chicago, people are moving toward much more casual and interactive living. This translates into making all rooms in the home inviting and multifunctional, to foster togetherness in comfortable spaces that will actually be used.

Interior desiger adds that practicality and individuality will dominate next year, with upholstery expected to bring presence and sophistication while still delivering all-day comfort.