Column

“Décor Galore” is a weekly column brought to you by Marc Atiyolil, Style Editor for Canadian Home Trends – Canada’s Home Décor & Lifestyle Magazine. This column guides its readers through the ever-changing design trends and helps them better decorate and design their homes. It offers an informative insight to decorating projects and provides simple practical ideas, tips, tricks and how-tos.  Décor Galore is a home décor enthusiast’s answer to all of their needs as a modern homeowner.

To inquire regarding publishing rights to this column for your newspaper, please email editorial@canadianhometrends.ca or call 1-204-346-0130.

Samples of Column

Decorating With Wallpaper

You’ve heard of the saying…”Everything old…is new again. “Yes, the rumor is true…Wallpaper is Back !!!  But it is no longer the wallpaper that you found in your grandmother’s summer cottage. Wallpaper, or “wall décor” as it is now being called, is “hip”.

It’s one of the latest passions of interior designers. And in some cases, it’s environment-friendly.

So What Makes a Wall Décor Product Environment-Friendly?

Check the label. Look for the following information:

1. PVC-Free. Means it contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so it improves home air quality.

2. Made from recyclable materials, helping to preserve the earth’s valuable resources. The higher the percentage, the better.

Digital Imaging

Today you find limited-edition murals in photo-realistic styles; scenes of romantic, faraway places; and amazingly realistic nature scenes. Thanks to new digital printing technologies, wallpaper companies now offer a broad range of very affordable detailed murals.

Easy-to-Hang Wallpapers

Most wallpaper companies produce easy-to-hang “non-woven” wall coverings, which are easy to install and remove. Installing non-woven wall coverings can be faster than painting, which requires you to prepare the wall surface. And one of the added benefits of wallpapers – they usually hide wall blemishes.

Eco-Friendly, Non-Woven Wall Coverings

Unlike pre-pasted, paper-backed wallpapers, non-woven wallpapers do not expand or contract on the wall, so seams won’t ever separate – in fact, they virtually disappear.  These new wall coverings adhere to walls with magnet-like force, yet are very easy to reposition, so they can go with you when you move.

Made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibers found in common household products like tea bags and coffee filters, non-woven wall coverings are tear-resistant during installation and removal. Forget steamers and the need for chemicals to pry wallpaper off…a quick tug at a corner of these eco-friendly wallpapers results in entire sheets coming down in minutes without damaging the wall.

Natural Textures

Wallpaper companies have always produced eco-friendly, naturally textured sea grass, bamboo, grass cloth, silk, burlap, and jute — but only for the high-end of the market. Recent technological advances have made these natural textures     far more affordable and colorful. Natural wall coverings are now available in fashion-forward peacock blue, silver, gold, kiwi, and violet.

Environmentally-Friendly, Peel-and-Stick Wall Decor

At first glance, these new “wall alternatives” look like giant stickers in a box. But this peel-and-stick technology sticks to walls only as long as you want, with no residue. These peel and stick décor wall tiles can be repositioned, removed and reused on any flat surface. Although perfect for transitional lifestyles, e.g., students, many peel-and-stick wallpapers also have a very adult appeal. These non-toxic, amazingly affordable wall appliqués can transform even the smallest bathrooms, bedrooms, laundry rooms and alcoves into unique design statements.

Wall Art…More than Just Wall Paper

Another interesting trend in wallpaper is wallpaper as art.  The color, texture and pattern come together to create art.  It’s beautiful. And the newest craze. These decorative panels feature unique patterns and colors and definitely enhance an interior space.

When it comes to wallpaper, with all these eco-friendly choices, going green and giving back to the planet has never been easier.

Kitchen Color Chic… At Its Peak

The colors you use for the various kitchen surfaces – appliances, cabinetry, paints and countertops, take on considerable importance in creating a chic kitchen color palette. Research confirms that color choices for your surroundings impact your mood and your comfort level with your environment.  The colors available in the marketplace are carefully selected based on predicted upcoming trends in consumer preferences and predominant styles.

For next year, the over arching theme in kitchen color chic is “simplicity”. Simplicity is defined as being intuitive and pure, as well as essential to the world we live in today and the world we will inhabit in the future.

According to color trend analysts, this palette of chic color simplicity in the kitchen is represented by four distinct interpretations:

Raw Colors

In a return to fundamentals, you see evidence of “Raw” colors in basic fiber-like colors, like grays, sand colors, white tones, galvanized metals and warm gold metals. Raw also reflects the green movement, where things are reused and recycled. It’s authentic, honest, and pared down. Stainless steel appliances still dominate the chic kitchen landscape.

Yellow is also moving in three directions in this color palette: from an elegant gold, with formal antique influences that has been with us for a couple of years to a more vibrant yellow-orange and a new soft optimistic yellow that works as a neutral.

Technology not only allows for the development of new raw colors, it also drives innovation in design. New fiber technologies are also on the rise-such as soya and casein-and recycled fibers including cotton and wool have become more prevalent as their colors are more ensconced in the kitchen landscape.

The Colors of Urban Silence

These days, life is about slowing down and listening to nature. Since we have removed ourselves from nature by living in large urban centres, we need to bring more of nature (trees, flowers, foliage) into our home and work environments.  Chic colors lean towards intense greens with a yellow base mixed with cork brown and enlivened with copper.

Earth inspired neutrals of browns, grays and greens continue to be the primary colors in chic kitchen design. These hues are safe and make us feel secure in turbulent times. Either standing alone or supporting brighter hues, these chic and luxurious subtle colors give focus to form, texture and pattern with the interplay of shadows and light.

In some cases, environmental awareness has become a status symbol and being green translates into being chic. The chic kitchen color palette is reflected in botanical hues, evoking the exotic destinations of eco-tourism and the sheen of brilliant, conflict-free gemstones.

Color Simplexity

With this interpretation, there is a repetitive pattern that brings order to chaos. “Simplexity” is where walls become fluid and fabrics become rigid. You see the colors mentioned above, but darker, with complex undercurrents.

The Private Identity Palette

Our global village is increasingly influenced by the multi-cultural infusion of colors…sort of a cultural fusion of Spanish, Mexican and Latino. This chic color palette works as a spice that infuses your personal taste with warm earth tones and copper highlights. This global tapestry of chic colors serves as an inspiration to our private identity color scheme.

Timeless Classics … Chic Today… Chic Tomorrow…

Many manufacturers are sticking to color basics apropos a chic color palette for today’s kitchen. Consumers also perceive these chic neutrals as “safe purchases” because they are timeless classics, adding longevity to the product’s life.

© Canadian Home Trends Magazine