Real Estate: Home design trends for 2016
Local interior designers will be ringing in the new year with natural materials, clean lines and warm colors.
Metal, reclaimed wood and accent colors like gold, gray and dusty rose are expected to reign supreme in 2016, North Fork experts say. Clunky, ornately carved furniture and floral couches now seem to be a thing of the past.
“Even traditional people are going for more clean, sophisticated lines,” said Debbie Gildersleeve, owner of Renee’s in Mattituck. “One thing nobody is buying is the real traditional, ornate furniture.”
More and more, she said, people are opting to mix materials like rustic-looking wood with leather or metal accents in the form of coffee and side tables. Neutral shades, like gray, beige and cream, are also more in demand.
The emphasis, Ms. Gildersleeve said, is on creating a space that isn’t hampered by clutter or a sense of formality.
“People want functional, inviting living spaces,” she said. “That’s what it comes down to.”
Current interior design trends became popular in 2015 and will only become more pervasive next year, said Renee Lisowy, co-owner of Wallace Home Design in Southold.
“We saw gold become more popular, and metals,” she said. “I think that’s going to continue into 2016 because I see the presence of shimmer and shine, or the illusion of those things, in fabrics.”
Pantone, the world’s unofficial authority on color, reports on its website that rose quartz, a light pink hue, and iced coffee, a shade of brown, will both be hot next spring.
“With our culture still surrounded by so much uncertainty, we are continuing to yearn for those softer shades that offer a sense of calm and relaxation,” writes Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
“I’m seeing pink as an accent, which is interesting,” added Ms. Gildersleeve.
Emily Demarest, an interior designer at Wallace Home Design, said clients are using neutral tones, like creams and beiges, as starting points. These shades work well in the form of couches, armchairs and area rugs. More vibrant colors, meanwhile, can be used in the form of decorative vases, paintings and sculptures.
“You can bring those bolder colors in as accents,” said Ms. Demarest, who suggested people peruse websites like Pinterest for decorating inspiration.
North Fork clients, said Ms. Lisowy, are ahead of the latest fashions.
“When I research the 2016 design trends, the North Fork is already doing it,” she said.
Ms. Lisowy attributes this to the area’s bucolic environment.
“Especially with the transition of second-home owners, you have this urban kind of person who wants to come back to this organic, wholesome lifestyle, which I think is awesome,” she said.
Along the same lines, Ms. Gildersleeve said North Fork clients are also looking for coastal-inspired designs.
“If I wanted to generalize, I’d say our look is casual-beachy,” she said. “We mix things.”
In general, she added, customers aren’t afraid to mix materials or patterns anymore.
“You could put a linen headboard with a mirrored nightstand,” Ms. Gildersleeve said. “I love that.”
Mixing looks, like a metal dining room table and bamboo window treatments, said Ms. Lisowy, provides a nice sense of balance to life’s uncertainties.
“I think we want order,” she said. “Life is so complicated and busy, so the clean and industrial look, coupled with the fabrics and natural fibers, just kind of gives an organized but organic feeling, which I think is comforting and soothing.”
Photo Caption: Neutral-color chairs with gold throw pillows flank a wood-and-glass table at Wallace Home Design. (Credit: Rachel Young)
Emily Demarest, an interior designer at Wallace Home Design in Southold, goes through fabric swatches. She said warm colors, like cream and gold, are popular right now. (Credit: Rachel Young)
