Six and the city

Are you a slave to design trends? I'm guessing not, unless you have limitless resources and storage space. But you have to agree that trends are fun and inspirational! During a visit to some of Toronto's fanciest design stores a few weeks ago, I saw a number of design solutions repeated over and over again... Here are my favourite six trends:






1) Forget dining sets with identical chairs; mixing and matching is the name of the game. Combine wooden benches with upholstered, high-backed chairs or banquettes. This "casual-meets-elegant" mix is a winner!












2) Weathered wood with a distressed look continues to be hot, especially when combined with shiny chrome or leather.












3) Upholstered ottomans are a practical substitution for a coffee table. Simply put a beautiful tray on the ottoman whenever you need a flat surface. If you are re-upholstering an old ottoman, think outside the traditional fabric option; thin rugs, such as kelims or dhurries, can be used as upholstery material.

4) Oversized light fixtures create drama and draws attention to the focal point in a room, whether it is the couch and seating area of a living room, the table in a dining room or the bed in a bedroom.















5) Big headboards enhance the beauty of a bed. Be creative when it comes to headboards. Screens and fabrics can act as headboards. You can also paint the wall at the head of the bed in a different colour, or make it stand out in any other way, like the brick wall in the photo.

6) Zig-zag patterns are in...on rugs, drapes or pillow cases. They make quite a graphic statement in any room.


What do you think. are any of these trends for you?