As you ring in the New Year, it’s the perfect time to take stock of your life. You get to look back at all of 2016’s good times and accomplishments, and you also get to plan ahead to make 2017 even better than the past year. You might even make a New Year’s resolution or two to help you improve your health and well-being.
But what about your living space? With all of the focus on gym memberships and dieting that comes with each new January, it’s easy to forget that your home has a huge impact on your mood and overall quality of life. When your house or apartment functions well and provides a beautiful respite from the stresses of daily living, you’ll find that everything life throws at you is a little easier to handle.
If you haven’t taken a good look at your home decor recently, the time is now! It’s out with the old trends and in with the new to make your home more comfortable and a true reflection of your unique personality. Stay on top of what’s hot in home decorating with these budding new home and living trends for 2017.
Color Trends for 2017
(Image via Pantone.com)
Pantone just announced that its Color of the Year for 2017 is Greenery. It’s a fresh, leafy green meant to conjure up images of springtime and new growth. The color is a medium hue with a hefty dose of yellow—more like Kermit the Frog than a brooding forest shade. This color adds a pop of energy and vitality to your decor, but it’s probably easiest to use it as an accent, as a full room in this bold, grassy green could be overpowering.
This color looks best paired with other nature-inspired shades. Browns, tans and khakis all work well, as these colors are found together in trees and plants of all sorts. To play up Greenery’s vibrancy, try complementary shades like jewel tones, vivid blues and smoky grays. If you already have one of these colors going in your space, add accessories like throw pillows, serving dishes or a great new lamp to brighten up a room in a way that’s totally on-trend.
Furniture Trends for 2017
In keeping with the back-to-nature theme highlighted by Pantone’s new Color of the Year, the materials used in furniture and accessories are also moving toward more natural finishes and interesting textures. Though the lines of sofas, tables and beds will be modern—expect clean edges and a general lack of embellishments and ornamentation—the interest will come from natural textures and tone-on-tone layering instead.
For example, look for furniture with a distinctive wood grain. Birdseye maple and oak are great examples, but almost any wood species can be finished with wire brushing before staining to help the wood’s natural lines stand out. Other natural materials that offer great textural interest are rattan, natural caning and bamboo. To choose a piece that’s timeless while still being on-trend, opt for high-quality construction and a neutral color for any upholstery—you can always add those bright green throw pillows later!
Accessory Trends for 2017
If you’re looking for smaller ways to bring your home decor up-to-date, be sure to check out accessories in mixed metals. Brass, gold and even rose gold have all made a comeback in recent years, pushing the formerly dominant brushed nickel finishes to the side. In 2017, expect to see a lot more metal in everything from lighting fixtures to place settings and even accent furniture. In addition to gold and silver tones, be on the lookout for dark bronze and colored metal finishes, too—notably white and red. The shine of metal will offer the perfect contrast to the natural textures trending in furniture to create a harmonious overall look.
Building Trends in 2017
Over the past few years, many Americans have chosen to move back into cities to live a more urban lifestyle. To accommodate this ongoing trend, high-rise apartments and condos have been revamping what it means to live in a high-rise community to make city life easier and more convenient. Many newer buildings offer concierge-level service that provides residents great advice and access to everything from car rentals to concert tickets, making it easy to take advantage of everything your city has to offer.
Other major trends include bringing amenities from outside vendors right into the building. Mixed-use spaces with retail shops or restaurants at street level and common areas throughout the building offer a new way to build vibrant communities within large cities. With shopping and entertainment close at hand, residents of these new high-rises can come together and enjoy an instant neighborhood within their complex. Upgraded facilities like pools, spas and gym spaces also make these re-imagined buildings a hot commodity for 2017.
Making This Year‘s Decor Trends Work for You
There’s also smaller projects that can bring your home up-to-date for 2017. For just a touch of a new look, try these ideas for a quick makeover:
- Swap out black picture frames for ones finished in a bright metallic or interesting wood grain instead. Doing this throughout your home is a great way to unify your new look.
- Recover dining chairs with a textured upholstery fabric in Greenery, or add a table runner in that vibrant shade for a quick upgrade. You can be doubly on-trend by adding candlesticks in mixed metallic shades for a centerpiece.
- Breathe new life into any room with a green ceramic vase filled with fresh flowers—there’s no better way to celebrate the natural look!
For a bigger impact, you can choose a room for a more substantial makeover. Try these ideas to update your furnishings on a grand scale:
- Paint your room—or at least an accent wall—green. If Greenery is a bit too vibrant, choose a shade that has been grayed down a bit instead. Consumer Reports compiled a list of paint shades that closely match Pantone’s color of the year.
- Replace ceiling lights and pendants with new ones. Look for interesting metalwork and woven shades with interesting textures to put these trends to use.
- Replace your dining table or coffee table with one that highlights wood graining and clean lines.
- Try a green couch for a bold statement piece that puts this year’s color trend front and center.
- Change out your neutral curtains for green.
No matter how far you choose to take 2017’s home decorating trends, be sure to let your own personality shine through. Use trendy new colors and finishes in ways that make sense with your existing decor. And if you don’t like green, skip it! The only real rule in decorating is to make sure you are comfortable with the end result, so think of these trends as an inspiring starting point—not a rule book that must be followed. After all, your home’s new look only needs to please one person this year: you.
