Changing the interior of your home can be a huge undertaking, and it can also be an expensive project. While some people change up the décor of their home every few years, others haven’t redecorated in at least a decade.
If you’re looking for a few ideas to update the design style of your home or just want to know what’s trending right now, check out these home décor trends for 2018.
Changing Of Colors
Every year it’s not uncommon to see at least one new color take center stage in interior decorating. In 2017, tropical shades of green were in demand and navy blue, blush pink, and the neutral “camel” tone made an appearance all over the design world.
This year, green still stands out but more as an olive tone than lime green. While olive green takes many people back to some the less than aesthetic design styles of the 1970’s, today’s trending green is versatile and works in a variety of design styles and decorating trends.
If you’ve never been a fan of green, don’t fret; there are other colors to choose from including an assortment of warm colors, like red and coral. Want something a little more pastel and soft? While pink has been reigning for some time, you’re probably going to see a lot of lilac taking its place.
Dark Color Palettes
While the minimalist look of white and neutral tones will always be a key to decorating your home with a Scandinavian, Modern, or Minimalist design, be on the lookout for darker colors when checking out the 2018 decorating trends.
Many design experts are calling the darker palette “moody,” but whatever it is, the colors are rich and make any room in your home stand out. Even though navy blue was a “hot” color in 2017, we’re still likely to see it showcased in rooms with dark colors.
One of the nice things about the dark palette trend is that you can mix and match with a lot of different colors and keep it from looking too dark by using lighter accents or trim. If dark palettes don’t make you want to redo your living room, there are plenty of neutral and warm palettes that are still considered fashionable.
Home Decor With Shapes
When decorating the interior of your home with geometric shapes, it’s very easy to overdo it and make it look like a toddler playground or more whimsical than sophisticated. Keep in mind that geometric patterns don’t work with every design style, but if you’re a little bit eclectic, this design trend may be perfect for you.
Depending on how deep you want to get into geometric designs, you can try accenting your living room with some pillows with a circle design or you can go all out and go for the eye-catching wallpaper (yes, wallpaper). If you’re not sure what to do, start out small and see where it takes you; if shapes aren’t your thing, there are other interior design trends to try out.
Wallpaper
Did you finally get rid of your wallpaper or wallpaper border just a few years ago? Given the level of difficulty to remove most wallpaper (especially if it’s decades old), you probably swore that you’d never touch the stuff again.
Wallpaper is making a comeback, but rather than papering every inch of your home, the trend is a bold design and in a small space such as a bathroom, on an accent wall, or even on the ceiling. Many of the home décor trends in 2018 are all about making a statement, so don’t expect to find a dull wallpaper pattern; think retro, whimsy, geometric and bold.
Fill Your Home With Things You Love
While the Minimalist movement continues to trend, you might feel like it doesn’t fit your lifestyle or design preferences. Good news because the home décor trends of 2018 encourage filling a room (in moderation) with the things you love.
Do you have accents, artwork or decorations with a story or meaning? Go ahead and showcase those items. Did you inherit your grandmother’s ceramic cat figurine collection or have always had a thing for owls?
Animal figurines are also trending, so if you’ve got a small collection to display, now’s the time to show it off; just make sure you showcase them with some style in mind, you don’t want to go overboard.
Getting In Touch With Nature
Some design styles are more “nature-friendly” than others, but if you have natural elements in your home, this is the year to show them off. Here are some ideas for using some natural elements:
- Keep limestone or brick exposed
- Use baskets
- Display freshly cut flowers or plants
- Showcase found objects like driftwood
- Use nature inspired prints like floral or other botanical features
Despite the increase in popularity in darker palettes and geometric shapes, one of the home décor trends is inspiration from nature (but not like a dark hunting lodge). Wallpaper and other accents are a great way to show a little bit of your nature-loving side.
Saying “Good-Bye” To Stainless Steel
For years, a kitchen filled with stainless steel appliances were a “must have.” Now with kitchen designs changing and with “warmth” trending, some homeowners are second-guessing their choice to own stainless steel.
While doing a complete redo on a kitchen can be time consuming and expensive, especially when the appliances are in excellent condition, some designers are “hiding” the stainless steel with panels of wood or darker tones.
Some design experts believe that we’ll start to see less of white and bright kitchens and more natural elements like granite. Want a few easy ways to warm up a kitchen with a minimalist look? Add some color to the walls or swap out some of the knobs and other accessories with rose gold or brass.
Do you have some or chairs that fit in with your stainless-steel theme? Look for something a little more rugged like wooden.
A Couch That Gets Noticed
In efforts to get rid of too much stuff, many people ditched their couches and opted for a few simple looking chairs to put in the living room. Couches are coming back, so if you haven’t tossed yours out, you’re in luck.
If you’ve had the same couch since the early ‘90s, it may be time to find something a little more up-to-date or even retro. Velvet upholstery in rich colors or a long couch with mod curves will be making appearances in living rooms in 2018. Your couch should be comfortable, attractive, and a statement piece.
Eye-Catching Light Fixtures
If you’re a fan of one-of-a-kind and vintage light fixtures, this is your year for decorating. For decades homes had matching light fixtures in every room of the house, and rather than fashionable they were strictly utilitarian.
Did you find a vintage pendant light at a flea market that you couldn’t pass up? Maybe you’ve always wanted a fixture that’s aesthetic and bright. Like many of the trends this year, mixing and matching is encouraged and there’s no need to make sure that your light fixtures match.
Make your light fixture a topic of conversation, but just make sure the wiring is up to code (especially if it’s a vintage fixture).
A Few Tips To Consider When Decorating
There are a lot of design trends to choose from this year, and it’s nice that there appear to be no strict rules about what you can and cannot do when decorating. Here are some tips to consider before you change up the décor in your home.
Buy Only The Things You Love
Redecorating can be expensive, so it’s best only to buy items you love (especially if you have a limited decorating budget). Want to get a different couch? Make sure that it’s comfortable, fits well in your living room, and that you’ll use it for years to come.
A bold print may be fun for a year or two, but you might get tired of it after awhile; solid-colored upholstery might be best for the long term.
Don’t Fill Your House Just To Fill Up Space
If you’ve worked hard to get rid of stuff, don’t buy stuff just to fill up space or to be more “trendy.” Stick with the rule of only buying what you like. Purchase things that will be useful such as a light fixture or a few throw pillows.
Even though there are plenty of “knick knacks” that you could buy to fill your shelves and other spaces of your home, don’t buy them just to have them.
Start Small
Design trends can be exciting but also a little overwhelming. If you’re not sure if a trend is right for your living space, start out small and work up to bigger things. You can start by buying some small accents or even painting one wall.
