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| A Slipper Chair Graces a Small Corner - G. Hullinger Int. Designs, Inc. |
I don’t know about you , but I am loving the world of interior design right now. There are so many beautiful trends in furnishings available; it certainly is a great time to be decorating your home. A lot of the trends are vintage-based which is a way for us to return to a world which was much simpler and safer than the one in which we now live. Today , I’d like to focus on a few favorite design trends that I like to incorporate in my design schemes. After you read this post, please leave a comment on your favorite trend.
Slipper Chairs
According to the dictionary, a slipper chair is defined as an “armless upholstered chair”. Historically, slipper chairs were smaller scale usually lower than a regular-sized chair and used in a lady’s bedroom to assist her in getting dressed. I like to use them in a room that needs seating on a smaller scale such as a bedroom or a small living room. They are great for staging and can be found in just about every furniture store from Home Goods to Pottery Barn, Ballard’s as well as Ashley or Bassett’s.
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| A Pair of Attractive Slipper Chairs Mimic the Color of the Flower in the Lampshade- Simply Stated Furniture |
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| A Bold-Patterned Slipper Chair Provides Seating in this Bedroom - Decor Pad |
Drum Shades
Drum shades are lamp shades that are cylindrical in shape with fairly straight sides and remind me of an oil barrel. They were extremely popular in the early 20th century up until the 1980’s when they started to disappear. Drum shades are very functional because they not only diffuse light outward through the shade fabric but they also reflect light downward and upward where it can diffuse off the ceiling. Have you noticed this type of shade on lamps as well as chandeliers?
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| A Colorful Yellow Drum Shade on this Chandelier Warms this Room - Wilkins and Kent |
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| A Scripted Drum Lamp Shade Adds Interest to this Lamp - Drumlampshadenews.blogspot.com |
Decorative Nail Head Trim
Nail head trim dates back to the period of 1560-1643, the advent of French Country style during the reign of Louis XIII. Decorative nail heads are a great way to add interest and richness to upholstered furnishings. I’ve seen them used on chairs, couches, ottomans, cornices, and the perimeters of artwork and mirrors. You can purchase spacing tools online to help you embellish your own furnishings with decorative nail heads if you’d like to give it a try.
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| Decorative Nail Heads Add Flair to this Ottoman - Barry Dixon |
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| Decorative Nail Heads Accentuate the Headboard - G. Hullinger Interior Design, Inc. |
Chalkboards
The chalkboard was introduced to the United States educational system in 1801 and is still used in classrooms today. They have now found their way into our homes. Chalkboards were originally made of smooth thin sheets of black or gray slate stone. From 1815 to1825 they were called blackboards and in 1935 they became known as chalkboards. I can remember how much we used our chalkboards in my school. Every day after school some of us would stay and help the teacher by clapping the erasers outside. By the time we were done, the side of our school building was covered in a haze of chalk dust! Oh the good old days!!! For those of you who would like some chalkboard in your own homes, you can purchase blackboard paint at any craft store and try painting an old mirror or piece of canvas artwork to make a framed blackboard for one of your rooms. I’ve done it myself – very easy to do!
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| Notice the Combined Drum Shaded Lamp, Slipper Chair and Chalkboard - City Sage |
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| A Large Chalkboard Provides the Perfect Backdrop for this Dining Area - Apartment Therapy |
Reclaimed Wood
With the enhanced focus on the use of environmentally friendly elements of design, using recycled or reclaimed wood has become very popular. Some of this wood has been taken from old buildings and repurposed for furniture or structural or functional parts in new homes. Doing this preserves the environment – no new trees have to be cut for lumber. Many craftsman use non-toxic adhesives, paints and oil finishes to bring out the natural beauty of the wood. Pottery Barn has a lot of reclaimed wood furniture pieces to showcase this vintage look.
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| The Variation in this Reclaimed Wood Chest Serves to Enhance It - Viva Terra Furniture Collection |
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| Steps Made from Reclaimed Wood Boxes - Apartment Therapy |
Bold Patterns
Today’s designs are incorporating large patterns into the mix. We are seeing lots of large paisley, chevron, damask, hounds tooth, and hexagon prints making prominent statements in room décor. The secret to making this work in a room is to use a maximum of 3 patterns and vary the scale – small, medium,and large to create interest. All three of the patterns should relate in some way such as color or theme. Offset the bold patterns by incorporating a solid color.
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| Notice How Scale and Color Make These Patterns Work - Nell's Hill |
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| All of these Beautiful Patterns Are Unified by Color - Eldridge Textiles |
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