Scott and I have just returned from the Dallas Market Center for the “Total Gift & Home Market”, held every January.  We always enjoy going and seeing all the latest products.  Hard to believe, but we were already buying next year’s Christmas décor!

We saw so many wonderful products and picked up on quite a few ‘trends’.  My favorite purchase was a number of these lovely throw pillows from Square Feathers.  I imagine you will be seeing a number of these in future design projects; so chic!

Industry insiders have been seeing that, in general, interiors are beginning to trend more ‘traditional’ (floral patterns, softer looks).  But, in a change to past decades there is no longer an ‘in’ color palette.  You might recall we have gone through phases were everyone wanted their house done in green, red and yellow.  Then it was blue and brown, then grey and yellow. 

It is widely accepted now, when it comes to interiors, people are picking the colors they like, not just what they see in the national big box stores.  I think Pinterest and Houzz, as well as online shopping, have played a key role in this. These mediums allow individuals to curate their own style and then find the products that deliver that style.  As a designer, I love it, because it means I am constantly challenged to pick new and interesting design schemes, instead of always doing the same thing… no fun in that!

All that said, there are always currents of change in the products being offered at market and I wanted to share a few noticeable consistencies Scott and I picked up on while we were ‘working’ (yes, I know, best job ever!).

#1: Preppy Black and White Stripes

Kate Spade is definitely influencing the home décor segment with her new product launches (rugs, pillows, throws, bedding, etc.).  I have been noticing more ‘preppy’ home décor, and I think black and white stripes fall right into that segment. 

Love these for a bathroom!

#2: Gold Accents

I almost called this gold accents and antlers, because there were a lot of antlers (just wait until winter/holiday décor arrives!), but I decided to stick with just ‘gold’. 

Everything goes in cycles, but we have been seeing a lot of gold tables, gold light fixtures and so on for a while.  A theme at market this year was the incorporation of gold foil in artwork.  

Gold foil details were found on artwork, as well as on mirrors and accessories.  Brass may be the finish of choice for plumbing fixtures at the moment, but gold is having its day in home décor! 

#3: Typology

Speaking of artwork, art is so personal it is tricky to choose for someone else.  People, landscapes, animals; everyone feels differently about them.  One growing segment of ‘art’ is typology, which is really art made of sayings, graphics, symbols and such. 

I like this segment, because it can be highly personalized (a motivational saying, a Bible verse, a loving sentiment) and is often very affordable. 

These shots are just a few of the new products we enjoyed seeing while we were at market, including a shot from Braydon & Brooks, who supplied the artwork for our HGTV House Hunters Renovations episode (still no air date announced!)

So, 3 new elements to consider incorporating if you are in the market for new home décor!  I am going to revisit ‘defining your style’ as a blog post sometime soon (it has been a few years), so you can learn how to cultivate your style and pay attention to trends, but not be a slave to them!  At the end of the day, your home should be your haven, based on your defined style, not someone else’s.  More to come on that topic!