What's Up Magazines

June Trendspotter

Hot trends include open floor plans, informal dining rooms, and classic furniture dressed in modern fabrics.

By Renee Houston Zemanski

Best Home Design Trends of 2007

This is our Best of Annapolis issue, so of course we want to share with you the best design trends of the year. We tapped local and national interior design experts for their views on what's hot in home decor.

Here's a rundown of the most popular trends of the year:

Bathrooms: The hottest trends in design have been in master bathrooms this year. Making them almost like sanctuaries, styles reflect a watery, Zen-like mood similar to that of a luxurious resort spa. The use of natural and organic elements such as wood, stone, pebble, and beach-glass tile is also in vogue.

Living areas: The trend toward open floor plans continues. The walls are down and rooms are changing places. Formal dining rooms are quickly becoming outdated, while kitchens are expanding—now extending into keeping rooms, complete with a sofa and TV. Family rooms are being converted into media or theater rooms.

Kitchens: From warming drawers to wine coolers, it's all about convenience in kitchens this year. The newest kitchens are replacing cabinet doors with drawers containing dishwashers, microwaves, and even refrigerators. Influenced by today's casual and hectic lifestyles, counter-height dining sets are becoming more and more popular. Look for more copper and metal finishes in backsplashes, accessories, and appliances.

Color: Colors in 2007 are influenced by nature and cultural elements. Chocolate and navy are the new black, and if you've seen any catalogs or home stores, you know that black-and-white combinations are also red hot!

The trend in bathrooms this year is spa-like as evidenced by the influence of natural stone, wood elements and this Fuzion hydrotherapy tub from Jacuzzi's Luxury Collection.

Furniture: Ethnic trends continue to i nfluence furniture. Handcrafted items with intricate detailing, hand-woven finishes, and unusual materials are becoming more mainstream. There is also a big trend in reupholstering vintage pieces. Classic or Victorian-style furniture is being dressed with modern fabric to combine the better of two worlds.

Textures: Textures are still dominating patterns in upholstery and soft-to-the-touch fabrics yet reign. You may also notice that textures are more organic, such as silks used in curtains. Animal prints and hides were big at the High Point , North Carolina furniture market this spring, and you've probably seen them at your local furniture or home store, covering everything from mirror frames to ottomans.

Wall treatments: Paint has officially overtaken wallpaper, but if you go for wallpaper, the way to keep it up with the trends is to make sure it's natural—fibers, grass cloth, and burlap dominate.

Accessories: Big and bold are the operative words. Large “power accessories” are overtaking the knickknacks that used to adorn our tabletops. The look is definitely less cluttered. Don't fret if you're a collector; just arrange your collection all together in one space to make an instant impact.

Final word: As noted in our April issue, the best trend by far is the rapid movement toward green, or eco-friendly, decorating. Environmentally conscious design is popping up everywhere from floor and wall coverings to appliances. Along the same lines, recycling furniture is also big. Take something old and make it new by reupholstering or painting it with a modern twist.