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APRIL 13, 2018
Décor trends Continued from page 11A
generation of homeowners wants more technology in appliances with more integration they can connect to with a phone app,” Petrescu said. “This generation that is looking towards the use of robotics in the not too distant future.” He added that this generation wants anything to do with technology, including fireplaces that go on and off. Petrescu said he was seeing more gas fireplaces, noting they use a lot of European ones. He uses fireplaces as room dividers, which allows the homeowner to view it from either side. Petrescu said people want more open space, rather than small rooms. One trend he’s seeing is more freestanding tubs in bathrooms, which he said is sexier, rather than the old ones that take up so much space. For tile work on backsplashes glass tiles are a “smarter tile.” “Everyone wants to be transitional, [with] a contemporary, younger look in couches,” Petrescu noted. “I see more integrated systems, more functional, more open spaces. He went on to say the color du jour is now gray, with clients going to more expensive grades of paint than in the past because they have more shades and offer tonality. “People are paying more attention to white. Everyone knows there are many whites,” the architect explained. “Color has to be coordinated with the lighting.” With all LED lights, people are saving a lot of money and Petrescu said the color is as good as we get from traditional bulbs, emphasizing the importance of lighting. Now a 6-watt bulb can do the job of a 60-
k GARDEN
watt bulb. In general, Petrescu sees more natural tones of wood, lighter, not as dark as what has been used in the past, such as mahogany. At the higher end he sees more radiant heat, but prefers it under stone and not wood. Other trends he sees are more people wanting pools; home gyms, especially if they have space to tuck them in their basements; three-car garages, not two; and mudrooms and a washer and dryer on the second floor where their living space is. There’s also an absolute trend to use a second washer/dryer in another location in the house, perhaps using stackables. “Of course everybody wants high ceilings,” he said. “And for outside, decks made of synthetic wood [such as Trex and others] provide less maintenance.” Petrescu also recommends renovations if the “bones” of the house are good enough. “You’re challenged, but you don’t get a cookie cutter effect,” he said. Big design, small budget According to Betsy Helmuth, owner of Affordable Designs in Dobbs Ferry, there’s no need to do custom pieces anymore. “It’s really obsolete,” she said. “When your lifestyle changes or your kids grow up, they don’t want to invest that kind of money. People don’t want to wait six months for their sofa. We don’t find it a practical way of life.” Helmuth’s designers meet with client at their homes to get an idea of their tastes and budgets. From there, the designer will develop a floor plan and mood board, which is basically a collage so the client can see the way the room(s) will look. The next step is giving the client a shopping list of what to buy and where to find it. Helmuth doesn’t mark anything up.
THE RECORD-REVIEW | PAGE 13A
You’re basically buying a design package and floor plan based on the either a single room (priced at $799 per package or two rooms for $999). The designer will also give the customer a call back to see if the customer has any questions or want to share their “after” pictures. “We’re trying to make design as accessible as possible,” Helmuth said. Helmuth’s company also offers a shopping service that will buy what’s on her customer’s lists, saving them between an average of $800 to $1,200 a room, depending on their original budget. The service is also open to people who are not their customers. “We will work with your budget… Some might say [it’s] $3,000 and we try to work with that budget,” she said. “If the budget is very low we will tell them it will be difficult to accomplish for what they want.” Helmuth noted sometimes it’s easier with a smaller budget because it limits what you look at. Her designers, who have all worked for high-end design companies, don’t work on commission, so they can work within budgets and client’s never feel pressured because they don’t have a stake in what they’re going to spend. Some of the looks trending now include more brass and gold finishes on light fixtures and end tables. Another new look for tables and lighting bases that hasn’t been seen for a while and has gained popularity is agate and marble in tables or lighting bases, which Helmuth said provide a timeless look and add another dimension to a room. Every year there are color trends that people may or may not want to gravitate towards, including this years in color, a deep, saturated color called ultraviolet. Helmuth noted that trendy colors are OK in small ac-
cents because sometimes these colors are fine if you want something fresh, but later you can swap it out when you get tired of it. Helmuth doesn’t recommend dark colors for walls, because it’s a big commitment and likes going with light colors, which feels more timeless. “It should seem like the backdrop to your pieces,” she said. For fabrics, this design maven said people used to be “a little more bashful” with fabrics, but stores like World Markets and Pier I are showing bold florals and large designs. She also likes basket weave fabrics for upholstered furniture, chunky woven weave fabrics, even woven jute, which she said has lots of applications. According to Helmuth, velvet has made a big comeback, but in lighter weights than in the past. “Velvet is everywhere; everywhere I turn there is velvet,” she said. The new lighter weight velvet is perfect for drapes, sofas and other pieces. Another new look is burn out velvet that has patterns in it to make it look a bit more contemporary. Curved couches are trending now for a more formal effect that shows the front an back of the sofa, however, Helmuth said most people don’t want that formal a room, people want a more relaxed effect. “It’s too big an investment if it’s not going to work for your lifestyle,” she commented. A new trend comes from the Japanese a philosophy called Wabi Sabi, which translates into the beauty of imperfection, seen in unevenly glazed hand-made pottery and hand-sewn pillows to name a few. Look for statement lampshades that inject energy into a room and add another source of color and pizzazz. A great way to marry small bursts of color that can work with simple aesthetics. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
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