Complementary shades are out

The year gone by saw several décor trends come into sharp focus. Bright colours were the in thing and so were rooms with a theme. However the year 2008 will see a shift in these trends. You will of course still have the saturated and bright colour palette, but it will be used more as an accent in rooms. Softer colours will be the order of décor this new year. Gone are the doors and those walls that kept you hemmed in. Rooms will be designed with more free-flowing spaces. Gone too are all those ugly and boring eco-friendly designs. The buzz word this year is elegant and exciting with the focus being on organic, natural, recycled and re-purposed products.

Complementary colours are out. Contrasts are in, in all departments of décor be it in the colour palette or in textures or in materials used. So you could have steel juxtaposed with wood, soft velvet against cold metal and so on.

Beauty alone is no longer the name of the game. Beauty with a purpose is what’s making waves. Utility driven furniture, decorative accessories that make life easier and multi-purpose furniture will ride high on the 2008 décor list. And who said that leather won’t be hot this new year. It will be but leather will come with a difference. This year expect to see leather in tones like cocoa and cinnamon. The masculine leather look is out and feminine is back with a bang with shades like pastel pinks and pale blues making their debut.

White is the colour scheme that will be seen everywhere from walls to sofas. Get ready to see white in a range of vanillas, ivories and creams. And while we are at it, out with those dainty sofas and settees, the look of the year is oversized. It’s all about décor drama with over-sized lamps and the likes. Semi-classical is in and classical is out. Designs for furniture come in a mixture of styles all in one item. And last but not least it will be about Zen this year. Peace and being grounded to your space are the design elements that will be keys to making your home a sacred space.