Page 34 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2023

HOME & GARDEN
ARE ALWAYS IN STYLE
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage
Every year there are a multitude of predictions and prognostications about trends and styles. From fashion runway shows, to furniture manufacturers, to the rock star designers that grace the pages of glossy magazines, everyone has an opinion on what’s hot and what’s not. We’ve taken it all in and while there are as many opinions in one direction as another, we’re ready to give you some very simple advice about designing and decorating this year and every year moving forward – do it your way and own it!
Sometimes simple can seem really complicated. Bombarded with television and magazine homes that make your eyes drool, it can be hard to decide what your style is or if you even have a style. But when some choices and suggestions are put in front of you, you know what you do and don’t like. In these cases, hearing some ideas can be helpful.
The direction of style changes over time, but typically these changes are not that dramatic. Manufacturers want you to see something new every year, but
timeless style should be your goal. Here are ideas we have seen and experienced in the home furnishing industry recently that we think are worth mentioning, because great style has staying power and we believe these “trends” are here to stay for a while.
Let’s start with one of our enduring basic design tenants: rooms and furnishings need to have purpose. Open floor plans are evolving, and defined spaces for specific purposes within open plans are something we are seeing more of. Separate rooms can be a welcome space of quiet, but they will continue to need to accommodate multiple purposes.
Our desire to create a home retreat is here to stay. Comfortable, natural design elements contribute to calm interiors and support wellbeing. We’re seeing curvy lines in furnishings that suggest natural form over more traditional straight lines. There is a movement towards artisanal pieces that give a quality of authenticity to a space, such as an antique piece of furniture rater than a piece painted to look like an antique. And in every aspect
of design, we are seeing a more refined, leaner look over the rustic aesthetic that has been popular for a decade or more.
Natural materials aren’t new in design but are stronger than ever. Stone surfaces, wood pieces in lighter shades, and rattan and caning are “in.” Textiles have texture and color. Neutral shades for walls will be fabulous until the end of time, but accent walls are coming back. A moody paint color on one wall can be a showstopper. Wallpaper is back for any and all the walls in the house. If you still have nightmares from peeling wallpaper off your wall ten or fifteen years ago, start small with an accent wall in the powder room! Gray as a whole-house color from the floor to the ceiling is fading, but continues to be a nice neutral in warmer shades for upholstery. Don’t repaint
the whole house, just update your gray palette with pops of color in a room.
Monochromatic rooms are on the “out” list. Warm, earthy tones are always great choices for everything. There are incredible blues that work anywhere and greens in all shades are the rage right
34 | March 2023
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