You want what? Not in Newfoundland

You want what? Not in Newfoundland

2016 trends geometric patterns Newfoundland Online Shopping wallpaper

Rant warning!

Have you ever noticed how your location impacts design because of availability of products?

I live in a terrific city, St. John's,  on a beautiful island, Newfoundland, in the North Atlantic known for its culture and brightly coloured homes.

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 But there is a downside to living on an island; it doesn't always provide ready access to a lot of products especially in interior design.   Judging by the homes for sale on Realtors.ca in my local area,  this is a common problem for more than me or my clients. That being said, every now and then you find the perfect solution to your design quandary at local businesses.  It just shouldn't be a sporadic event.

Yes, I know in this world of technology anything is possible, but if you are super fussy about undertones and/or comfort, it would not be smart to order a big ticket item without setting your eyes on said object.  That leaves custom ordering from fabric samples and hopefully a floor model to test for comfort and waiting 8 to 10 weeks or more. Is my impatience showing?

 What about when you need something in a few weeks or you don't have a grand budget?  Back to roaming the limited selections and hoping something has magically appeared since your last visit.  Sometimes it has!  

I admit trying to find  the simplest things often cause me the most angst.   Now don't get me wrong, I am not looking for odd or far out things. I love more soothing, monochromatic schemes and often describe my own personal style as blah with lots of art and fine craft. Sometimes blah is difficult to achieve! 

 I went to Homesense weekly for six months to find the type of lamp I wanted for my living room.  I was just not willing to spend $200.00 on a lamp.

My lamp and another Homesense gift from a friend

The last month has passed me by as I tried to source a specific wallpaper for my upcoming kitchen reno.  

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 I  finally located  sources for  the mosaic wallpaper in the US and England.  Perfect you might think.  So did I, until I found out the $7.00  US  6 x 6 in. sample would cost me $56.00 by the time it was delivered to my door. That didn't include GST or whatever else Canada Post decides to ding you with at the door.  Not going to happen!  Move on to the next idea.


More than colour and next to texture, I love subtle patterns and in tile the Italians know how to do pattern well.  Again I knew what I wanted,  I could even paint a picture of it if requested. That's  more depressing when you can do that,  and I have seriously considered painting my own  tile if all else fails!

Marazzi 

 Online I found the exact thing I wanted  on a tile site in England.  With hope I tried two local tile suppliers who assured me nobody is looking for patterned tile like that.  I am!  I am all about monochromatic patterns.  It's just not in style in this area I was told.  More reason to choose it in my book.   I have visions of me getting the 15 sq. feet  I need in England this fall and making all 7 of my travel companions each carry some home for me. Don't laugh this might happen, if I can't find a Canadian supplier or a comparable tile .  One last place to check out.  Fingers crossed.

And IKEA's  floating shelves are only available onsite.  That's my latest disappointment.

I am worn out before the kitchen reno even begins.

 Do you have similar frustrations where you live?  How do you get around them?

Trend predictions with staying power

Trend predictions with staying power

geometric patterns marble mixed metals patterning trends 2015 trends with staying power wire lighting wire tables

In late 2012 I wrote a post about  2013 trends that I thought would have great staying power.  Several days ago I reread that post, and if I do say so myself I definitely hit the bullseye with my predictions.
These are still going strong:

• simple geometric patterning 
• nature inspired motifs (birds, feathers, florals, plants, etc. )
• lighter woods in furniture and  floors
• gold toned finishes 
• open walls in kitchens 
• backsplashes to the ceiling
• mixed colours in kitchen cabinets
• reclaimed/eco-friendly materials 

In addition it seems that there are variations of these trends that will also have great staying power.  
Consider:

More geometric patterning 

Not only will you see geometric patterning used on textiles and rugs, it has moved to furniture  and lighting as frameworks, overlays and inlays. 

Sculptural light fixtures

Yes,  still going strong and branching out a little from the  large scale, voluminous fixtures seen in 2014 to a whole new skeleton/wire look that will be big for 2015. This look is also strongly influenced by geometry.

The wire/ skeleton look also extends to furniture especially tables.  

Global inclusiveness  

No longer is travel the instigator of interest in the products of other cultures. As the world becomes a smaller place because  of technology, homeowners are exposed to a range of products and looks from different countries.  Access to these is as easy as a keystroke.  Rather than a themed look, think about integrating special pieces  with  what you already have.  

Any of these pieces could be easily added to any decor unless you are averse to yellow!

Patterned tiles

The geometric trend is popular in  wall and floor tiles as well as textiles. The new looks range from herringbone designs  to elegant parquets in one or two hues. 

 Even rugs have taken on a tiled look. 

Mixing up warm metals 

Yes we know that silver finishes are being overtaken by the golden tones of mellowed brass, but the orange glow of copper isn't far behind.    Mixing metals is a trend that will be a safe bet for years to come.  Just think how long the silver tones have been popular, that will be the staying power of mixing things up for variety.  

Marble is hot 

One noticeable trend for this year is the the use of marble in everything from backsplashes and furniture  to lamp bases and accessories.   It isn't only  white marbles either, think black, blue, golden and champagne. 

Mixing materials 

In furniture and accessories designers are playing with interesting combinations of materials.  Raw woods and lacquer, glass and concrete, metal and marble, wood and fur, resins and metal, glass and filagree metal, the list is long and the look is interesting. 

Statement art /walls 

Go big and bold in artwork, splurge on a hand painted mural or a whimsical wallpaper.  Think about a wall of texture.   Large and textured is definitely in. 

Focus on hand made and recycled

Anything that shows the hand of a creator is a sure bet for home decor.  It reads as unique, honours natural materials, and supports artists.  Such products are usually sought out, well considered and support local economy.  All good and very trendy right now-  if such sensible choices can be  trendy.
 Think about woven objects, hanging sculptural forms, pottery and ceramics, fibre art.

 If you are handy yourself consider the upcycling of objects.  There are enough  ideas on Pinterest to keep you going indefinitely. 

And there you have it, what's trending for 2015 that will be a safe bet to invest in for the coming years.  What are your thoughts on buying into trends?