Trends of 2012

Even though last year Pantone told us the color of the year was Guava (think a grapefruity pink) and this year it's Tangerine (which is a lovely bold orange), so far I don't see a ton of evidence that your average home decor is trending in those directions.

I've been carefully watching for trends that I think are making it into the mainstream - some that have been around for a while and are now making it out to the masses, and some that are on the horizon.  What typically happens with trends is they are initially adopted by people who might be considered "taste-makers", later, other brave folks and trendsetters try them on for size, and the best ones kind of stick around long enough to become consumed by the population at large.  Everything changes so gradually we almost don't notice it.  But suddenly if you look at photos of homes from even 5 or 10 years ago, they look very different from homes that are being decorated now.

The trick for any individual person is to find a way to have your home reflect something about who you are, while still looking current.  It's not always easy.  But usually it involves changing a couple of things about your home every year or two.  Little tweaks here and there make a big difference.

For the next few posts I do I'll devote some time to some of the trends currently most popular or quickly becoming very popular.

1.  Wallpaper!  This is going to be around for a while.  Mainly because wallpaper itself is kind of a commitment.  The trends are geometrics and stripes and bold patterns.

2.  Color Watch:  By and large the most popular colors are Blue, with Gray a close second, followed by White with either a monochromatic look, or lots of pops of color.

3.  Most popular design style;  Transitional is becoming more and more popular.

4.  On the horizon:  I really think red is going to make a comeback, along with Guavaish pink and Orange in the next year or two - I just think Pantone's predictions and declarations are more trend setting than they are taking the pulse and reporting.

5.  Slightly out of favor:  greens and yellows.  Though you still see some good ones, the greens are nearly all a sort of chartreuse, and the yellows are either so light they almost disappear, or a bold bordering on golden or orangey yellow.  Otherwise you don't see much of these colors at all.


What it all means:

Really, you can make anything work for you if you love it.  Adore green?  Go for it.  Worried blue or gray is over because it's too popular? Nah, I wouldn't worry about it, those are going to be around for a while.

So for today, Awesome Wallpapers:


(for my other 2012 trend posts see:  Gray 
                                                         Blue
                                                         White