Color Trends for 2011

So you have your paint brushes out, you’ve got the drop cloth on the floor, and you’re standing in front of the color swatches at the paint store trying to decide what color to choose. It’s not like you don’t have a bazillion options!

If you’re up to speed on the color trends for 2011, this is a much easier task.

For the new year, color favorites will run the gambit from cool and sophisticated to bold and BOHO. Each of the major paint companies have collections of colors that are hot for the new year and fall into about 4 categories… Pale neutrals….organic naturals….bold and bright….and ethnic and global.

Neutrals with a Touch of Glam

Gray, white and taupe step it up in 2011 with touches of metallics, shine and sparkle.

Muted purples in shades ranging from soft lavender to deeper wines have become neutrals this year when they are paired with gray, natural whites and creams and more intense browns.

And you thought that gold was gone! Well look again! It’s being used in large does to add some glamour to a space. Shimmering softly, there’s no brassiness to this gold tone….just soft and luscious. Use it with other neutrals or more bold and beautiful….It’s baaaaack……

Organic Naturals

Going green, both literally and figuratively, is a hallmark of interior design for the present and the future. The colors or 2011 carry the theme along and present with colors of nature…think vegetables from the farm, rocks in a natural spring and clear summer skies mixed with milky whites and creams.

Color Brights

Remember how you loved the 96 count box of Crayolas? It had the sharpener and it made you hot stuff in kindergarten. You won’t need quite so many colors with the resurgence of primary colors in the 2011 color palette.

When the economy goes down the colors go bright! Even with the recovery, we gravitate to colors that enliven us and and elevate our moods. Paint the walls, bring in pops of color in accessories and mix it with bright whites and clear neutrals.

You Go BoHo

Global influences and ethnic designs are a big influencer in colors for 2011. Rich, earthy, bright and clear, the tribal colors and patterns bring inspiration and imagination to our spaces. Ancient Suzani, Ikat, Dhurrie patterns bring a rich array of textures, colors and energy to spaces, and their influence will continue to be felt throughout 2011.

The colors for 2011 speak to every person and every mood. Color is always personal, and there is plenty of room for everyone’s personality to shine in these varied palettes. Most importantly, choose color based on how it makes YOU feel and what you love. When that’s your measuring stick, there will be a design and a color to fit it!

Trying to keep up with yearly trend changes can get expensive. It could also leave you with uncomfortable, useless furniture and unattractive pieces that are too fragile to have around children. Fortunately, there are other ways to keep up with the trend without breaking the bank, sacrificing comfort, or relegating the kids to their bedrooms until next year’s trend.

5 Ways to Go Trendy while Staying Family Friendly

1. Durability – You should begin any redecoration with quality furniture that can serve the family, and withstand it. Also look for storage — the necessity in family furniture. AmishFurnitureHome.com’s vast inventory of furniture provides tons of extra storage with additional (sometimes hidden) spaces. Amish craftsman build with sturdy woods, which are perfect for family use.
2. Slipcovers – This handy fashion accessory is your friend when trying to chase the trends. They can change the look of a sofa, loveseat, and even dining room chairs. Slipcovers are a fraction of the price of a new piece and they come in all colors and patterns. The slipcovers can be long or short, made of spandex, cotton, or fabric blends. You can easily argue that the best quality of the slipcovers is their durability. Spills are inevitable so why not make the cleanup easier?  Simply pull the cover off the furniture and toss it in the wash. Change them as often as you like without breaking the bank.
3. Pull the shades. A lampshade is another fix for a room. Change it as much as the slipcovers because they are similar in variety and pricing. The decorating possibilities are endless.
4. Stained Wood – Put a little hard work into the decorating by stripping and staining or reupholstering your furniture pieces. Stains can change the look in a matter of hours. Upholstery works in the same way. All it takes is the price of the stain, upholstery nails, fabric, and tools.
5. Covers – Cover up your table, cabinet and buffet tops for a different look. Take a trendy pattern and make it into a runner, tablecloth, throw or mat for a vase, decorative basket, candles or any other accessory. This is better than buying new furniture for a different look.

The Trendy Family Rooms

A family doesn’t have to relegate you to scuffed, scarred, mis-matched or damaged furniture. Pick your furniture today, knowing that, even on a whim, your family room could be transformed into Trendy, without losing the comfort and family friendly atmosphere.

The Furniture

This formal room usually held the family piano, upright chairs to accommodate guests and sofas that matched the chairs. A table, small figurines or statues and a few works of art completed the room. The typical American parlor was the most elegant room in the house and usually held the most expensive furniture pieces.

The Rise of the Living Room

As the 19th century rolled into the 20th, many people could not afford the matching furniture, large piano or even a room that was used only for special occasions. There was an issue of waste in an era when luxuries were scarce (two world wars and The Great Depression). In addition, families began to turn away from the parlor’s associations with death.

The Parlor Transition

Sitting room furnishings were much less formal than those found in the parlor. They included sewing machine, fireplace and less elegant or expensive furnishings like the wooden rocking chair and upholstered chair or two, area rug for the children and a small table or two. The room also contained the family library in the form of a series of bookshelves or an actual bookcase. This facilitated the family’s gravitation toward the room.

The User-Friendly Living Room

The introduction of the television into the American household made the sitting room a place for the family to congregate more often. It became more convenient to let the children bring in their toys. Meals were even eaten in this room, like the TV dinner, smaller meals or snacks that were consumed in front of the television.

Furniture took on a more comfortable character. Fabrics became more durable to accommodate the increased use. Reclining chairs began to appear on the furniture scene. By the 1980’s, formality had been replaced by function. The sitting room had become the living room. Comfort had won out over formality.

A Resurrection?

The television shouldn’t bear the brunt of the blame for the death of the American parlor. The culprit isn’t even the funeral image of the early parlors. Instead, the desire for a parlor declined as convenience overcame formality in American society.

The idea of “wasted space” is an interior design concept that grew out of this move toward convenience or user-friendliness. It is used to describe rooms, and furnishings, that aren’t used by the home’s occupants and thus serve no purpose in the modern home. However, the parlor may stage a revival in the future as homeowners buy, and look to restore, old 19th century homes. The American parlor may rise from the dead in the long run.