The Best and Worst Décor Trends from 2017
It's time to say "goodbye" to your beloved rose gold.
Best: Retro Color Palettes
"Dusty rose, sage and stony blue are coming back," says Genevieve Gorder, a designer on the upcoming Trading Spaces reboot and spokesperson for Air Wick limited edition seasonal scents. "These three colors were all over homes in the late 80s and early 90s, but are back now in a more geometric way and I'm ready to embrace them again."
Best: Minimal Decor
"I’m seeing in a lot of spaces where people are appreciating a more minimalistic look, but within every kind of style - not just modern," says Joanna Gaines, the star of HGTV's Fixer Upper and mastermind behind Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Paint in partnership with Kilz. "I think this is happening because the older we all get, the crazier life is and the more we crave simpler things."
Best: Two-Toned Cabinets
"I love that people are starting to use color in the kitchen and on cabinets, especially when they paint lower cabinets a darker color than upper cabinets," says TV personality and designer on the new season of Trading Spaces, Sabrina Soto.
Best: Warm Vibes
"We are putting more warmth back into homes after we’ve had such a trend of stark and extreme decor for years," says Doug Wilson, a designer on the upcoming Trading Spaces reboot. "We'll see more warm tones, as well as textures - unlike the flat paint we've dealt with for so long on the wall." Sounds cozy.
Best: Brass Hardware
"Brass hardware is an easy way to upgrade any case pieces or millwork to make them feel more custom," says Highlyann Krasnow, founder of The Design High. But, why? "Brass is very warm and adds a little bit of glam to any space."
Best: Big Florals
"I love the resurgence on the feminine side of the big beautiful florals. It's coming from a boho trend that's more causal," says Nancy Fire, creative director of HGTV HOME, Design Works International and Studio NYC Design. "When combined together, boho and feminine details create a warm and inviting environment."
Best: Artisan Furnishings
The trend of one-of-a-kind pieces has taken over the furniture industry, according to Fire. "I’ve love seeing people think out of the box and using wood to create pieces that speak to themselves and are more independent of themselves," she says.
Best: Handmade Light Fixtures
Juliet Gold, Interior Designer at 50 West and the Residences at Prince and founder of Juliet Gold Design, says she's partial to light fixtures that are part of the artisan trend. "I've seen a shift towards local artisans and small businesses manufacturing high-end lighting fixtures, including those incorporating LEDs."
Best: Bold Colors
"It’s nice to see yellow coming back, along with other colors most people weren't comfortable with prior, like red and corals," says Fire. She explains that this is a huge improvement from years past when most people played it safe with neutrals and cool colors.
Best: Velvet Furnishings
"I don't think it will last too long, but the look of velvet is a big trend," says Soto. While she's embraced this material completely, purchasing a deep blue velvet couch for her formal living room, she says you can also get the look with a velvet throw pillow or blanket.
Best: Geometric Wallpaper
Another pattern trend Fire is all about: "I love the resurgence of geometric coming back into wallpaper," she says. It'll add a contemporary and polished vibe to any space, even a laundry room.
Worst: Antique Carpets
"I’m not a big fan of manually distressed or patchwork area rugs," says Karen Asprea, Director of Whitehall Interiors. "Most other furniture and accessories that are on trend right now are more refined than these types of carpets and they don’t fit in. An area rug is supposed to ground a seating arrangement or be a connective thread to bring a room together, but I feel these types of carpets don’t have that effect."
Worst: Open Shelving
"Something that looks great in photos, but not in real life, is open shelving in a kitchen. I don’t have that kind of space to just have décor items stacked on top of each other," says Soto.
Worst: Flesh Tones
"I don’t enjoy anything that’s flesh toned. The beigy orangy yellows that are just bland don't work," says Wilson. That's why he's thrilled bolder colors are becoming more popular, including Tiffany blue and even lime green.
Worst: Rose Gold
"Rose gold is finally gone," says Gorder, of the metal that's reigned supreme for years. "People are moving towards more of a mixed metal palette and more muted colors."
Worst: Chevron Prints
"At this point if I look at another chevron it's going to hurt. The only way I’ll look at it is through watercolor technique or something that makes it more textural and look different. It’s important that it’s different to make it work going forward," says Fire.
Worst: Pastel Everything
"I'm a little over everything being pastel. It’s gorgeous when it’s paired with other colors, but sometimes I walk into a room and and it looks like the Easter bunny lives there," says Soto.
Worst: Subway Tile
"Subway tiles have become a safe material often used for renovations as well as new construction," says Asprea. But it's starting to evolve. "Recently, there has been a trend towards using larger format tile and even slab sized porcelain sheets. This shift is not only aesthetic, but one of function, as larger tile has less grout and is both easier to install and maintain."
Worst: Green Chairs
"I would like to say goodbye to green for awhile, because I think it’s become overexposed. As much as I like it, everyone jumped on it at once and how many green sofas and chairs can you see? If we don’t overindulge it’s a good color," says Fire.
Worst: Industrial Details
"What I’m liking going forward is the softening of homes, so I don’t want to see anymore industrial decor. Industrial is a hard look and has a hard edge and I’m tired of that," says Fire.
Worst: Faux Shiplap
"People are doing the fake shiplap wallpaper, which we can easily let go of already. If you're going to install wallpaper it should be more intricate than just a stripe or faux shiplap," says Soto.
It's time to say "goodbye" to your beloved rose gold.