Are you wondering what is new for home interior trends in ’09? Perhaps you are looking to prep your house to sell, building a new property from scratch, expanding to a new office complex or you just need a change of scenery. Interior design jobs encompass a range of diverse styles, themes and tastes, although there are some clear trends emerging now that builders are allowing clients so many customizable options. This year, open floor plans will likely continue to flourish, along with more practical ideas to combine energy efficiency and frugality in a tasteful way.
Homes from the 1800s to early 1900s were special in that the home designs of large family estates were internally divided to create distinct environments. For instance, home owners had practical servant’s quarters on the lower level floors near the kitchen, whereas the family’s bedrooms were all situated upstairs. A powder room was often found downstairs and an en-suite bathroom was just off the parent’s master bath. The children often lived down a hallway and in their own separate quarter of the house, so the parents could have a bit of privacy and reprieve.
In some instances, a carriage house held the in laws or guests. This is a home interior trend that’s coming back for 2009, with second or third bedroom suites and added bathrooms increasing in popularity. “Buyers are saying, let’s put kids over here to one side to keep things quiet for parents or in-laws who will be moving in with them,” explains Kyle Lindsey, owner of Kyle Lindsey Custom Homes. These secondary suites are typically 300-400 square-feet with full bathrooms and occasional sitting rooms in an isolated section of the house, Lindsey adds.
Another home interior trend that will proliferate into 2009 is green, sustainable building and modifications, builders agree. “People are trying to save money wherever they can, building to higher energy standards and building green to save water and electricity,” admonishes Bob Weiss, executive VP for Kentucky Homebuilders. Many homeowners are trading in wall-to-wall carpets for recycled wood.
TechShield radiant barrier roof decking, which reflects heat away from attics, is purchased by 98% of new home buyers in markets like San Antonio, where the sun beats down all day long, driving up air conditioning costs. Low VOC paint, which emits far less fumes than traditional paints, has become the standard. Spray foam insulation, energy efficient lighting, air circulation systems and insulating window coatings are a few of the eco-friendly interior design trends to look out for.
Any architect interior designer will tell you that the home interior vibe is all in the finishing touches: wall finishes, paint, flooring, countertops. These nuances can draw home owners in or leave them feeling discordant. John Friesenhahn of Imagine Homes says native rock and brick exteriors are classic choices, but home owners are looking for a little more color on their interiors. He says Silestone countertops offer a wide range of colors.
Last year’s mocha and sage green paint colors will be traded in for mustard yellow and grassy greens. Allergen-proof, easy-to-clean and natural flooring is in this year too. High-end homes will see Italian mosaic tiles, travertine and porcelain. Dark exotic wood cabinetry became popular in 2008 and will continue as an interior design kitchen and bedroom staple throughout 2009.
Colors have humongous power when used appropriately and if you are intending to use interior paint colors for small spaces, you really shouldn’t underestimate how important the impact the right color may have. Learning how colors relate to each other is an important step to achieving the finish you dream of. One of the easiest ways of identifying color families is to use a color wheel. This will provide you with thousands of permutations of color, with tones and hues that you would never have considered would blend together. The first step to choosing any interior paint colors for small spaces is to decide those colors you can live with and, more importantly, those you wouldn’t dream of giving house room to.
The Color Spectrum
Every color has an associated hue and a tone: when choosing crimson red, for instance, the hue is red. However, tone is especially important as it reflects the intensity of the color and gives emphasis to the color’s density: it creates depth. The color spectrum runs from white at one end of the spectrum to black at the other end of the spectrum. This measures the amount of light that is absorbed by that color. The saturation calibration, on the other hand, reveals the amount of light that is reflected back – we see this as the purity and boldness of the color.
The importance of understanding color is because of the way that color affects our moods and when it comes to considering interior paint colors for small spaces, allocating the most suitable color, tone and hue will give the impression of more space as well as the ambiance you are attempting to create. You may want a warm room or conversely, you may want a room that is completely neutral: choosing white is not the way to do it as white is much too stark and creates an ambience all of its own.
Colors to Look Good In
A tiny room can seem to be enlarged by the application of icy blues and soft creams: the illusion of light gives your rooms the appearance of being brighter and lighter due to the walls reflecting light from them and maximizing the natural daylight. Not only will these interior paint colors for small spaces provide an airy look, the way you use these paint colors will increase the impression of space. You can use darker colors to paint around the walls’ borders and trims or you can pain you wall trims and moldings in a lighter color than your walls. This latter choice will make your room seem to be bigger due to the walls appearing to recede and look further back than they are.
Don’t forget the psychological aspect of color – and the fact that you have to live with the color you finally choose. Different colors will alter your mood and will have an effect on how you view life around you: you can be lulled into tranquility or quiver with rage according to the colors you choose around you. Once you have decided on your color scheme, keep it simple. To maximize the impact of interior pain colors for small spaces, choose just one or two colors to bring out the feeling of space.
When you are looking into decorating your home one of the most important things that you need to purchase is furniture. Interior furniture makes all the difference when it comes to the overall look of the room and it needs to be something which will last for years to come also. It does need to be given a lot of thought if you want to create the right look and feel in any room.
So just how do you choose the right interior furniture?
As mentioned, the interior furniture does need to be given a lot of thought. You need to ensure that the furniture you are thinking about fits perfectly into your home. Have you got a certain style that you want to keep with? If so and your style is a modern one, you do not really want to buy old antique furniture. However, you can sometimes get away with a modern and slightly old furniture combined look. For example, a study could have a modern theme but an old antique desk. It would not look out of place and if anything it would add character to the room. It is all about knowing what works and what doesn’t.
Also the furniture that you choose should be of good quality. Whilst you may want to save money, sometimes it is better to spend a little more on things which are to be featured in your home. Also cheaper furniture does not tend to last as long whereas good quality furniture will last for years.
If you are stuck for ideas you can find them in magazines, on the internet and in your local furniture department store. In actual stores you will get to see first hand the various styles available for each room. One advantage of this also is that the styles are the most modern so if you do want to keep up with the times then a department store is definitely where you should look for inspiration. On the Internet you will find literally thousands of ideas and in magazines you will also find plenty of ideas to keep you occupied. So when it comes to inspiration you should definitely not have a problem.
The type of furniture which you choose will be completely down to personal taste. All furniture is functional in some way but it is down to you to choose the right sizes and the right colors and themes to suit the room. It is advisable to take measurements before purchasing anything big, otherwise you could get it home and it may not even fit in the room. So do your research and take plenty of measurements beforehand!
Overall choosing interior furniture can be hard work and it can take time and effort to find the right pieces to suit your needs. Always make sure that you look around before purchasing anything just to check that you are getting the best furniture for your needs.