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Finally spring is here, the daffodils are out and the sun is shining through the windows bringing us all out of our semi hibernated state. It’s a delight to see the lighter nights but that blazing sun does highlight imperfections in the home. It’s no wonder everyone’s got the spring cleaning bug as all of a sudden the dust seems to float in mid-air while magnolia walls seem suddenly mucky and shabby chic seems simply shabby.
This year there are many new styles that have emerged thanks to celebrity fashion and good old fashioned tradition which is making one Malton decorator very busy indeed. Which one’s your favourite for 2013?
Block Colour
Think seventies with better colour. Forget oranges and browns and replace with bright greens, sky blues and poppy reds. Block colour is big news right now, with feature walls taking the brunt. Are you daring enough to try thinking outside the box? It’s one of the most requested styles for Decorators Malton this season.
The trick to this trend is to combine two bright colours with white, incorporating them into the furnishings too. We both adore sky blue and poppy red; it’s a gorgeous combination that looks amazing against an eggshell gloss.
Vintage
Personally we think vintage is over rated as too many people are selling items on EBay using this label when what they really mean to say is “old and ugly”. Vintage should be at least 40 years old if only to make me feel a little younger!
If you do embrace the vintage style you have a lot of room for error as basically anything goes, from 50’s fashion with gingham and Cath Kidston pastels to 20’s art deco of jade greens and muted browns. The choice is yours.
Traditional
Here at the Manor House it will come as no surprise to you that we adore traditional styles. With my own decorator in Malton, I can change my mind as often as I please! We do love block colour in the office, playroom and children’s bedrooms but the main areas are a mix of Victorian and Edwardian. Traditional doesn’t mean muted; on the contrary there are many period colours that are beautiful. Think of the 1829 range.
We’re fans of solid wood furniture mainly in cherry, walnut, oak and mahogany and combine these with ornate gilt mirrors, picture frames and our own taste in art. I adore Liberty fabrics, William Morris designs and curtains and hope the overall effect is impressive but ultra-cosy!
However, recently I spied a gilt mahogany bed, hand carved with ornate intricate detail. As I clicked to learn more I was devastated when the style we’ve loved for years was now described as “Essex Fashion”. It seems gold, fleur de lis and big flower prints are an Essex girls dream. What a quandary! (Justin has started to make our furniture from scratch now, so far we’ve a bespoke huge spice rack, a coffee table with our family photo ingrained, a iPod charging station for my office and a 3 door and drawer TV stand for the bedroom.)
Shabby Chic
Shabby chic shows no signs of going out of fashion anytime soon as in these tough economic times shabby chic provides what we need. It presents an opportunity to reinvent our old faithful furniture along with a setting that’s relaxed and understated. Shabby chic is here to stay. For the best effects choose brilliant white walls and let the painted furniture stand out, scour our local charity shops for Lloyd loom chairs and pieces you can paint, ( Saint Catherine’s Hospice is ideal for this). Don’t worry about the end result, that’s the beauty of upcycling, anything looks better than before.
Executive
Think of the eighties skyscraper office and you’ve nailed the executive look. Walnut veneers with grey muted walls with just glass providing the natural light. It can be quite impressive, especially when mixed with chrome accessories in a
kitchen, but grey does take some getting used to! No one has yet called Decorator Dad for battleship grey except for on external window frames, however there’s time yet!
The great thing about 2014 is that no matter what you’re taste you’re bound to be in fashion as these trends cover everything. Of course, if you fancy a change or simply a spruce up, pop by here for ideas.
This post was sponsored by Room4Furniture, they provide great furniture for the office and home for pretty nifty prices.
Our tradesmen and interior designers love them as they can add their own profit on top when suggesting the furniture to clients. Better yet, even at double the price, the furniture is still brilliant value for money.
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