Decorating & Design
10 Things That Will Instantly Bring Fresh Style To Your Rooms
Updated on July 26, 2023
These decorating elements are shaking up the status quo. Scroll down to see what’s hot this year!
1. Cocteau-inspired Walls
More than 70 years after Jean Cocteau drew a mural of Apollo in a French Riviera villa, his signature move lives on. Custom drawings accent a space’s architecture. Not an artist? Try a ready-made wallpaper that mimics the look of hand-drawn whimsy. This bold fresco by Florence Bamberger turns bare walls into art at L’Étoile des Baux hotel in France.
An artsy nook in Salt Lake City’s Laurel Brasserie & Bar. Design, Home Studios.
A playful wall treatment extends from the powder room to the inside of the door for a touch of drama in this NYC townhouse.
2. The Motel Tuck
Away with stacks of Euro shams and down-filled duvets! The new profile is flat with bedspreads flowing to the ground and a karate-chop tuck beneath two simple pillows. Think high style in a ’50s motel. In this NYC Soho townhouse, a checked coverlet offers contrast to the custom bed, but the look stays clean.
3. Tiled Tops
Countertops made from glazed ceramic tile have come back into vogue. It’s not the most practical surface to work on or clean, but it’s interesting to look at, offering texture and contrast to other surfaces in the well-considered, custom kitchen. Square tile embellishes every inch of this kitchen island in New York’s East Village.
The combo of a tiled sink and white faucet looks fresh.
4. Greek Revival
Fluted columns, earthenware and patinated finishes make us think of antiquity reborn. Designer Athena Calderone offers her own take on this look in her Brooklyn townhouse, with its well-curated stash of elements. A fluted pedestal by Athena fuses antiquity with present-day functionality.
5. Wood Walls
Designers are pumping up the drama by cladding plain walls in beautiful honey-toned woods. These are unadorned sheets of wood admired for their grain and patina. They can be as humble as plywood or as dressy as exotic veneers, and can spill onto ceilings and doors. Wood wraps the walls and ceiling of this Vancouver dining room designed by PlaidFox.
Wood walls are a classic staple of mid-century design. This California home was built by Donald Park and faithfully renovated by his granddaughter, designer Meghan Eisenberg.
6. Plaid
Classic tartans are prized for their symbolism, but the colors are often too familiar and a bit dated. Today’s Brit designers, including Ben Pentreath, are recoloring plaids to include hits of turquoise, pink and canary yellow — or, going the other way, muting them down to dusky neutrals. Either way, the look is new and fresh.
7. The Back Kitchen
A luxury, for sure. But if you have the space and the budget, a second working kitchen tucked away for the messy work and storage of “the uglies” is a great bonus. Cocktail parties can spill into the beautiful open kitchen while prep and cleanup stay unseen. This back kitchen combines a scullery and pantry with wine display and storage.
Bronze tile gives this back kitchen by Tiffany Skilling an opulent look.
8. Seagrass Woven Mats
The forerunner to broadloom, rolls of woven seagrass matting were stitched together to cover the cold, bare floors of English country houses long before central heating. We’re back at it! Rush matting sets a laid-back tone in this Connecticut kitchen by Billy Cotton.
9. Brown
The last decade in design has been all about greys, but brown is gearing up for a counterattack. Luscious and deep, brown sofas are as mouthwatering as lava cake, while browned-out walls serve as a base for quietly layered rooms. Isamu Noguchi’s paper globe lantern pops against the caramel brown walls, chocolatey blinds and a sand-hued dhurrie rug in this NYC apartment.
U.K.-based designer Sarah Brown uses a rich saddle leather hue on the walls to amp up warmth in this Edwardian home.
10. Cocktail Pools
Sometimes a dunk into cool water is all you need. A petite pool is a glamorous focal point in an outdoor space. It’s refreshing to look at and practical for small yards. A tiny pool in Texas is livened up by a mod scalloped tile border.
An elevated pool deck makes this small oasis feel even more gemlike.