2007 Design Forecast

Part II - Furniture and Flooring
by Pam Milam

For 2007, furniture designers are putting the spotlight on the rebirth of “new classic” styling after several years of touting contemporary looks. Contemporary is still a force to be reckoned with in home interiors, but the transitional classic looks add a dash of detail and glamour to the picture. Wood furniture finishes will be either deep dark brown tones or au naturel. Gentle curves will be seen on chair backs, table bases, headboards. Upholstered furnishings follow one of two paths – either contemporary streamlined shapes, or the softer, rounder lines of the classics. Nailhead trim and piping are making a comeback.

Leather upholstery continues to be very important for 2007. Leather looks great in a wide variety of furniture styles, from traditional to contemporary and everything in between. It works beautifully in every variation of earth tone colors as well as neutral shades and - a point not to be dismissed- is extremely hard wearing and easy to care for!

Because flooring is such a substantial feature in a house, the type you choose will go a long way in defining the style of your space. And, here as well, the choices and trends for 2007 will give you room for thought….

Wall-to wall carpet seems to be waning in popularity these days, but today’s carpeting is coming in subtle tone-on-tone patterns, in “shaggier” surface types and in deeper neutral colors than before. Sage greens, bronze and khaki tones are most popular today, and show less dirt than our mothers’ very light colors did.

As we use less carpet in our homes, hardwood is fast becoming the flooring surface of choice for many of us. Wood floors are beautiful, easy to clean, will last more than a century and can be refinished when necessary. Most exciting are the wide plank looks in distressed finishes. Laminate flooring is an alternative to hardwood. It is less expensive and is easy to install, but cannot be refinished and sometimes has a hollow sound to it.

Stone flooring surfaces are very popular today. Natural slate tile is especially interesting, both for its texture and its interplay of warm colors. Limestone and tumbled marble are options for a slightly more formal look. One of this year’s newest and most unique flooring choices, and a growing favorite of designers and homeowners alike, is stained, or patinated, concrete. Using an array of acids and chemicals, concrete floors can be colored in a variety of earthy tones. It can be a very artistic process, with swirls and splatters incorporated into the design and scoring and saw cutting can be used for decorative effect.

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Pam Milam is the Owner of Reinvented Rooms, an interior design firm located in Fresno, CA. Reinvented Rooms is California’s only nationally certified interior arrangement and design firm. She can be reached by telephone at 559.435.0850 or by email at pam@reinventedrooms.com. Be sure to sign up to receive her FREE design newsletter, "Rethink.Renew.Reinvent!", filled with decorating tips and expert “tricks of the trade”. You can subscribe via email at pam@reinventedrooms.com or by visiting her firm’s website at http://www.reinventedrooms.com.