Every year, home decor trends change, drastically at times, so no one is recommending that you gut your home on a year-to-year basis. Rather, it might be nice to add certain elements of these home decor trends for 2015 so that they have longevity and don’t make you shudder in disgust come the next year.

Here are 5 home decor trends for 2015.

Multi-speed jets/handheld shower heads

The shower is one of the places that the home decor trends for 2015 is headed.

The master bathroom shower should be a place to escape and enjoy a hot, relaxing moment away from the world, so it’s fitting that the new trend would be to have multi-speed jets built into the walls. Imagine the feel of the water against your back, relieving those sore muscles… sounds delightful.

Navy and plum

Don’t bust out the buckets of paint just yet. While these rich varieties of blue and purple are a welcome treat for many, going at the walls with such hues may make a room feel smaller and may not appeal to home buyers at large if you plan on selling.

Rather, invest in furniture or accessories in these colours. Plum throw pillows work well with yellows, lime green and even beige. A navy couch works well with yellow, white and dark brown.

Wood window frames, doors and garage doors

If you’re the type of person who prefers a home that exudes beauty from end to end and are willing to deal with the required upkeep (or pay someone to deal with it), may I introduce wood on the outside. Yup, despite our brutal winters in many provinces, many homeowners are opting to have window frames and front and garage doors made of wood.

It’s absolutely gorgeous, but the upkeep is not exactly a walk in the park. You need to wash it once a year and if it begins to erode, you need to prime and finish it. But it sure is beautiful.

Oversized paintings on canvas

If you aren’t a big fan of wallpaper or painting your walls all kinds of freaky colours complete with texture, you may want to invest in over-sized paintings instead. They don’t have to be priceless works because, let’s face it, not many of us will be found at a Sotheby’s auction anytime soon.

There are some incredibly beautiful and original paintings that make great conversation pieces and are timeless enough that they won’t make you cringe in two years’ time.

Metal backsplash in kitchens

Move over ceramic, here comes something sleeker. New home builders are opting for a metal backsplash in the kitchen over the typical ceramic because it is easy to maintain and simpler to install. And while some may think that it looks too industrial, there are many varieties, including some that actually have a tile look, that will blow your mind.

These home decor trends for 2015 may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think we can all agree that there are some elements here that appeal to the decorator in all of us.

Source: Rosy Saadeh, comFree Living

There are two main options when buying a home: Either you buy new – a completely new build – or you buy used.

If you’re buying a new home, make sure you check out the builder, their track record and speak to people who have bought their home from the same builder.

Were they happy with their new home? Did they have any problems within the first year? Second year? What types of problems were they? Did they require major fixes, like a leaking basement, a problem with the HVAC or electrical issues? How helpful was the builder when it came to fixing the problem?

Just because a house is new doesn’t mean it won’t have issues. I’ve seen brand new homes, not even five years old, with major fixes that nearly bankrupt the homeowner. A new home shouldn’t have major problems, but too many times it does.

If you’re looking at used homes, be careful with ones that were flipped. These homes are especially a problem because they are deliberately made to look good, but aren’t necessarily built or renovated to be good. They take advantage of homebuyers’ lack of knowledge when it comes to picking out shoddy workmanship.

Looks are deceiving. A home that’s been flipped banks on it.

I don’t like flips because most of them are done with one purpose: To make a profit. In most cases, the homeowners don’t care about quality because they won’t be living there. Their top priority is to sell fast to save on mortgage payments. And once it’s sold, any problems in the home become the responsibility of the new owners.

How do you know if it’s a flip? There are some warning signs, but again, it comes down to doing your homework. Most people think you need to be a pro to pick out the warning signs, but a lot of it is just common sense.

For example, if the homeowner tells you that they just finished renovating the kitchen and bathroom, how much do you want to bet that they had enough money to do both renovations right?

A standard kitchen renovation done properly will cost at least $30,000. A bathroom reno can cost close to $20,000. If the only reason for renovating was to sell, I would be cautious on how the work was done. Good work takes time, and it isn’t cheap. Ask the homeowner details about the reno, such as how long it took to find the right contractor, set up the job, choose materials and for the work to be done. If all it took was a few weeks, I would be cautious.

If a home looks like it’s been renovated, do a search for any permits on work completed. If changes were made to the plumbing, electrical or structure, permits needed to be pulled.

Also look for cheap materials, such as MDF for cabinetry or laminate flooring. Keep an eye out for bad trim and sloppy paint jobs — these are red flags for quick and cheap renos. When the trim is off or doesn’t line up, you can bet that the workmanship isn’t top quality. If they fumbled on the finishes, they probably cut corners on the stuff they know most buyers will not see — the stuff behind walls and below flooring.

If windows were replaced, check to make sure that they are at least Energy Star rated. If the home has bad windows, you will pay for them for years in extra energy costs. And the cost of replacing them will run you at least $10,000. So if they need replacing, as a buyer, you need to know.

One last thing home buyers can look into is getting a home-history report on a property. Some home inspectors even include this service as part of their basic home inspection. A home-history report uses municipal, provincial and federal data to gather the most up-to-date property information. It’s an extra tool that helps protect a home buyer, so you know exactly what you’re walking into.

A home-history report can tell you the home’s previous sales price, sale dates, building permit information, information on structure or any previous insurance claims related to the property. You should know if a home you’re looking at had major water damage, flooding, a fire or damage from a natural disaster. Some home-history reports can even tell you if a house was ever used for illicit purposes, like a grow-op or meth lab.

The more information you have on a property, the better. You will know if the electrical or plumbing needs to be looked at by a professional to make sure it’s safe, or if the structure of the home has been modified or undermined. It puts you in a better position to buy the right home and buy it smart.

Source: Mike Holmes, Postmedia News

The weather forecast for this weekend is sun, sun, sun (well, in Vancouver at any rate!). With the garden slowly waking up, our thoughts turn to creating beautiful outdoor spaces to enjoy for the next few months (until the rains come again).

Here’s a great article that I found on GalTime.com by Kathy Woodard, Home Decor Stylist, who shares tips on designing a warm and welcoming outdoor patio space as inviting as any interior room.

Patios allow you to enjoy the outdoors in comfort, and outdoor living has never been more a part of our everyday living. Even if your budget is tight and your space small, you can carve out a little oasis to whisk you away from the hustle of daily life for you and your loved ones.

The first step in creating a stylish patio or outdoor room is to locate the right place for it. If you have a built-in covered porch or patio, you have a natural area. However, sometimes it’s nice to create a space farther away from buildings and the commotion of others, so feel free to look for unused spots under a tree in the garden or in a private side yard to create an unattached patio.

Once you have your chosen spot for your sanctuary, you need only follow a few easy steps to create a patio “room” that anyone would enjoy relaxing in after a long day.

Step One: Give Your Patio Room Floors, Walls and Ceilings

No, I’m not talking hiring a contractor here; there are easy ways to add the sense of boundaries and privacy without spending big bucks. Use inexpensive fabric panels or hanging planters to create a private wall on a porch, or trellising, evergreens in planters or hedging out in the garden. Trees, vine covered arbors, or the brilliant blue sky all make an excellent ceiling. Flooring can consist of grass, gravel, paving or decking. My favorite technique to dress up a plain concrete floor is to paint on a faux area rug. Clean the concrete first, paint and stencil your rug using masking tape and house paint, then seal with an exterior grade polyurethane.

Step Two: Add Furniture and Accessories

Even a simple chair tucked in a quiet corner can make your oasis special. Consider resin or aluminum furniture to keep costs down. Plastic or resin chairs can be spray painted with specialty paints to give them a more upscale look. Add a table for those glasses of lemonade! Don’t be afraid to bring traditional decorating items into your rooms. Pillows, throws and candles all make charming and useful additions, and add comfort to your space. If your room is open to the elements, you can either purchase weather resistant fabrics, or bring your fabric items indoors during bad weather. Remember you are in an outdoor room, so decorate with nature. Planters of flowers, garden signs, and even old tools, birdhouses and watering cans are at home in an outdoor room.

Step Three: Light Up the Night Sky

To make your special spot really magical, add lighting to create a nighttime glow. Strings of inexpensive white holiday lights can be wrapped around tree branches or decking, tiki torches and candles add a festive flair, and solar lights can accent the pathway or steps.

Love this! We’re always on the lookout for great new design ideas. They don’t get much better than this …

Forget a waterbed, the Aquarium Headboard by Las Vegas-based Acrylic Tank Manufacturing is where it’s at. This customized aquarium can hold up to 650-gallons of water and is the perfect way to upgrade your existing bedroom.

The massive aquarium is completely custom made to give your bedroom a one of a kind aquatic look, and can probably double as a swimming pool if you feel like swimming with your pets. Price? US$11,500.

For further information, check out Acrylic Tank Manufacturing.

Source: thisiswhyimbroke.com and complexmag.ca

It’s the one room in the house where everyone gathers every day. As the most popular spot in every home, why not make your kitchen the most attractive and inviting room, too? Here are some hot trends in kitchen decor:

The showcase kitchen

Without a doubt, today’s kitchen is much more than a place to prepare food. With the continued emphasis on lifestyle and food, the kitchen is more of a draw than ever. Contemporary design capitalizes on this trend with lots of exciting elements to make the kitchen more of a living space.

Take lighting. Out are those little glass pendants suspended over an island. In are sizeable lighting fixtures that make a splash in the middle of the room. A good example is the drum pendant light fixture now taking center stage in kitchen design centers and magazines. Simply changing your main fixture to one that’s brighter and more prominent may be all it takes to give your kitchen a welcome makeover.

Specialty-focused

Kitchens continue to be focused on features like sustainability, cooking options and ease of use. Trends that favor energy savings are a key development. Touchless faucets save on water and energy-stingy appliances can trim electric bills.

Integrated appliances are another important development. Topping the lists are appliances integrated into the cabinetry, making your kitchen more livable with their furniture-like appearance. Drawer appliances are part of the same trend. Warming drawers have risen in popularity in the past few years, and refrigerated drawers to hold produce or drinks are finding their way into more kitchens. We could even see microwave and dishwashing drawers soon. Such appliances will become more popular due to their ease of use and accessibility.

Countertop shift

While granite and marble remain the standard-bearers, we’ll see more engineered countertops take hold, such as quartz and glass. These surfaces sport an attractive natural look, emphasize sustainability and are easy-care.

Despite granite’s reign as the ultimate countertop material, it’s not easy to keep looking good. The high polishes on granite mean stains, smears and cleaning marks from sponges show up easily. Matte and less-polished finishes will become more popular as homeowners weary of all that rubbing.

Shift to neutral

Wild colors are taking a back seat to the high-contrast black-and-white kitchens rising in popularity. The clean backdrop of black and white makes food and accent colors pop, and the look is timeless. Kitchens will also shift into quiet mode as the trend toward neutral colors continues in other parts of the house. Countertops and cabinets in similar color tones are also trending for their ability to look unified, neat and relaxing.

Source: Kathryn Weber, Tribune Content Agency

What’s hot – and not – in housing for 2014? Below is a look at some of the trends, including what colours and accessories the best homes will be sporting this year.

Colour

Purple is the colour of the year for 2014. Unless it’s blue. Or maybe yellow.

Radiant orchid is the big one, says the international colour authority Pantone Color Institute. It’s showing up everywhere from wallpaper to accessories. The institute touts purple as inducing creativity, confidence and other good things.

It complements olive, deeper hunter greens, turquoise, teal, light yellows, grey and other colours, the institute says.

Which is good, since Sico earlier this year earmarked yellow as a dominant colour, while blue continues to be high on the Color Marketing Group’s favourites list.

“We’re seeing blue in a lot of new fabrics,” says Catherine Pulcine of Decorating Den Interiors in Ottawa. “It’s tending to cobalt blue, which ties into orchid. We’ve been seeing pretty vibrant colours over the past few years.”

Hello, walls

Once the stuff of Grandma’s house, wallpaper has made a big comeback in recent years, whether for an accent wall in a powder or dining room or cosily surrounding you in a bedroom.

Geometric patterns and radiant orchid, sometimes in tandem, are among wallpaper trends.

Wallpaper “adds panache to a space, but you have to ask yourself if it’s something you’re going to get tired of,” Pulcine says. It’s an important question: The stuff can get pricey and isn’t always easy to remove.

Wallpaper, mouldings and wall tiles all add texture, says Suzanne Dimma, editor-in-chief of House & Home magazine. “It gives so much more character and an architectural feel than just the drywall you get in a builder house.”

So-called statement walls, including those with handpainted murals, number among the magazine’s top 10 trends for 2014. Also on the list: painting trim and walls the same bold colour to eliminate contrast and increase the sense of spaciousness.

Recipes for a trendy kitchen Dramatic and sophisticated, black countertops in granite and quartz are zipping up the kitchen hit parade, according to the online real estate information service Zillow. Marble and light-grey counters in the same room provide contrast.

Also hot, Zillow says: open shelves, glass-fronted cabinetry and dark colours such as copper and deep red (because they make rooms feel smaller, such colours work best as accents).

“Glass (in doors) is popular, but what’s very trendy is frosted glass,” designer Dominique Girard says. “Most people don’t want to display everything.”

She says high-gloss cabinetry in PVC and other manufactured materials as well as sleek, linear lines – discreet cabinet door handles are becoming de rigueur – are also trending.

“The biggest trend is larger refrigerators. Samsung supports the fresh food craze with its

T9000 model ($4,200): it has two fridge and two freezer doors, but one freezer compartment converts to a refrigerator on demand.

Stainless steel remains No. 1 in finishes, but Businessweek.com reports that appliance makers are softening that with lessaustere designs, matte finishes, rounded edges and furniturelike handles.

Furnishings and accessories

We’re increasingly viewing furniture as an investment rather than disposable fashion items, Dimma says. If there’s a trend at all, it’s toward traditional or modern classic styles that will work for years.

Pulcine says the industrial look is fading. “People like to add warmth to their space, particularly for us who have to deal with winter.” That warmth is showing up, for example, in rustic items such as tables with barnboard tops and black or grey-black iron bases.

Some accessories are taking their hint from what Dimma calls the Woodstock Revival. Sears’s spring 2014 home collection, for example, includes owl lanterns that look like they’re made of macramé, as well as cheery, folk-art inspired cushions and table napkins. Boomers should totally relate.

To that list, those in the know add sculptural light fixtures, animal prints such as crocodile and zebra, and furnishings and accessories inspired by classical Greece and Rome.

Other top trenders

Watch for hot new tiles in bathrooms and elsewhere. They include patterned floor tiles in keeping with the geometric patterns emblazoning everything from fabrics to wall hangings.

Persian rugs: “Hot, hot, hot!” House & Home’s Dimma says.

Fancified basements with curved bulkheads, mini brew pubs, luxurious home theatres.

Outside, look for resortstyle backyards inspired by Canadians’ love of winter jaunts to Mexico and Cuba, landscape designer Welwyn Wong says. We’ll be capturing a bit of that southern paradise feel by surrounding our pools with lush island plantings, little bridges and rock outcroppings, she says.

Source: Patrick Langston, The Ottawa Citizen

Red and green may be the trademark colours of the holiday season, but if you want to wow your guests, try experimenting with alternative colour combos. British design icon and television personality Debbie Travis has named berry pink the colour of the season.

“This was a hot colour this year for clothes and we know home always follows fashion,” she says.

This deep, cheerful pink with a hint of purple is a refreshing twist on the traditional cherry red of the holiday season. Travis chose the colour because it adds a touch of sophistication and fun and goes well with modern decor, complementing dark wood and metals such as silver and gold, which have risen in home decor popularity in the last couple of years.

“I think it’s a really happy colour for the holidays and it’s got that little bit of an edge to it,” she says.

Travis has teamed up with Canadian Tire, offering an exclusive line of berry pink holiday decor. She offers her top tips for holiday decorating with the hue.

1. Break decor rules

“The whole point of the holidays is that it’s the one time of the year to throw all those decorating rules out the window and have some fun (with colour and combinations),” says Travis. While berry pink may not be a colour you would choose for your living room walls, she says we should forget trying to match holiday decor with our everyday themes. Ignore the idea that you need to use traditional colours if you have traditional living room furniture or contemporary ones if you have a modern living space.

2. Switch it up

Change your holiday decor each year to create interest in your home, she says, since we tend to have the same people over at Christmas. While you don’t have to throw away all of your decorations and start anew each year, simply adding a new colour of the season and pairing it with holiday staples such as gold, silver and white can create a whole new look that will keep friends and family guessing what your home will look like.

3. Choose a main colour

Select one colour as your main thread, then add complementary winter colours such as white or silver. Although Travis says it’s impossible to go overboard with colour during the holiday season, toning it down with a contemporary metal such as gold, silver or a neutral brown tone can make the colour really pop in your space.

4. Experiment

Take a twist on the traditional red and green colour combination and try something unique, like pairing berry pink with peppermint or lime green to give your decor a more contemporary look.

5. Get organized

Before hanging decorations, Travis spreads everything out on the floor to see how ornaments look next to each other. Try incorporating a variety of textures, patterns and materials to create interest such as mixing ribbons in quilted and knitted textures with feathers and ornaments.

6. All the rest

Decorating is not just about the tree. It’s important to create a unified look by adding touches of holiday colours throughout all areas of the home where guests will be, says Travis. Hand towels in the powder room, ribbons on the backs of chairs, table decorations and a wreathe on the front door or in the window above the kitchen sink — all incorporating your chosen holiday colour — help to create a cohesiveness to your holiday look.

Source: Lisa Evans, In Homes

Quadrilaterals, cubes, polyhedrons … sound like 10th grade math class?

Perhaps, but they’re also examples of one of this fall’s biggest trends in home decor. Crisp, contemporary and pleasing to the eye, geometrics work well for tables, lighting, accessories and soft furnishings.

Nate Berkus is a fan of these modern motifs, as his fall collection at Target attests. One of his favorites is a wall-mounted art piece made of hexagonal metal. His inspiration came out of a trip to a gem and mineral show, where he saw a table of crystallized honeycombs.

“They were breathtaking,” he said.

A series of polyresin marble trays are emblazoned with a scattering of rhombuses. Check out the zig-zagged enamel photo frames here as well. (www.target.com)

Restoration Hardware’s curated “Curiosities” collection includes some Belgian “maquettes” – wooden scale models used to teach architecture. The large polygonal star or pyramidal cone would make a striking accessory. (www.restorationhardware.com)

Canadian design duo Gabriel Kakon and Scott Richler have created the Welles light fixture, a cluster of blackened steel polygons with interiors available in nickel, brass or copper. (www.gabrielscott.com)

Also in lighting, Seattle-based design house Iacoli and McAllister offers open-framed rhomboid pendants, available in different configurations, crafted in metallics as well as fun, powder-coated colors like tomato, blue and white. (www.iacolimcallister.com)

Ridgely, a Toronto studio, welds cut steel rods into crisscross shapes on screens that can be left raw or powder-coated with several different colors. They can be used as room or landscape dividers, or as wall art. (www.ridgelystudioworks.com)

Flor.com has a range of carpet tiles that replicate graphic patterns like zigzags and rectangles. (www.flor.com)

At www.overstock.com , circles are the focus on the Metro wool rug, with disc shapes in vibrant fall shades of rust, olive and steel blue on a charcoal background. The retailer’s Ivory Geometric Circles rug has a midcentury vibe with concentric seafoam, magenta, gold and olive swirls on a background of cream.

Another Canadian talent, Renato Foti, makes tables, accessories and other home decor elements out of colored glass; his Martini tables and Geo Square basins feature geometric shapes embedded in the hand-worked glass. (www.triodesignglassware.com)

New York designer Jill Malek’s Voyageur wallpaper takes non-Euclidean geometry to the next level, with a range of papers printed with lines radiating from points, like a compass gone wild. They’re available in several color combinations, including Red Eye (white on black) and CandyLand (white on red). Her Luci Della Cita wallpaper evokes city lights at night, with spherical shapes playing across a moody, out-of-focus background. (www.jillmalek.com)

You can solve for “x” with one of Modshop’s side tables, with zebrawood, hickory, rosewood or oak veneer tops on sleek, chrome, X-shaped legs. (www.modshop1.com)

Finally, if you’re the crafty type, check out Brett Bara’s tutorial on creating your own geometric patchwork wall art using triangle fabric shapes in an Ikea frame. It’s so simple that you’re guaranteed an easy “A” in this geometry class, at least.

Source: Brett Bara, Miami Herald

With a love of paisley and an affinity for mixing florals and stripes, Sarah Richardson has plenty of passion for prints that often accent rooms she helps refurbish.

The designer has brought her own distinct imprint to a new collection of about 70 fabrics for Kravet, which manufactures fabrics sold to the trade. It’s a project two years in the making she describes as a “huge dream come true.”

“What I love about fabric is it covers all the surfaces,” says Richardson, host of the new HGTV Canada series Real Potential. “It’s what you sit on. It’s what you touch and it’s what you interact with every day.

“Anyone who knows my work knows I love patterns and prints and combining a collection of different fabrics together.”

For those looking to refresh their decor heading into fall, Richardson shares tips for selecting the right hues and ways to pair fabrics and colours within a designated space.

1. Determine your design esthetic

When it comes to decorating a space, Richardson says people often ask what the best way is to create a “jumping off point” for a room.

For those ready to make the leap, she recommends finding a fabric that appeals to their individual style sensibility. This not only helps to narrow the focus on choosing the right hue, but can also help to drive the decor direction in the rest of the space, such as those who may be looking to drench walls or coverings in a fresh colour.

“I always think that you should zone in and see if you like the colours,” Richardson says.

She says she always strives to balance contemporary and traditional elements within each room she designs, a mantra she applies in selecting fabrics featuring contrasting styles within a shared space.

2. Opt for a neutral foundation

Selecting a combination of neutrals as a base for large-scale furnishings is safe and timeless.

“You know you can live with it. It’s not like doing a hot pink sofa that you know you may not love next year.”

She says there has been a shift away from beige, oatmeal and flax-toned hues as the prime neutrals.

Heading into fall, expect to see grey emerge as the big colour and neutral alternative, she adds. Richardson recommends pairing the smoky shade with soft yellow for a “fresher take” on neutrals, mixing cool and warm colours within the room.

“I tend to look to the natural landscape for all of my inspiration for palettes and for combinations.”

3. Select a standout colour

Primed to add colour to help enliven staid surroundings? By keeping big-ticket items like chairs, sofas, drapes and any other items with longevity in neutral hues, Richardson recommends opting for a lone hue as an accent to inject into the room.

“Choose one colour that you want to add to layer in to bring your neutral palette to life, and you’ve made a great dynamic statement.

Source: Lauren La Rose, Canadian Press

Each decade has had its share of questionable home design, from the extensive wood panelling and Harvest Gold appliances of the 1970s to the next decade’s overuse of glass blocks, vertical blinds and country-style decor.

Some of these serve as powerful buyer-repellant; others just ding the price, as people figure in the cost of covering up, ripping out or otherwise correcting these home fashion faux pas.

Shag carpeting

This deep-pile carpeting, named for its shaggy texture, was popular in the 1970s in a bright array of colours, including ‘Apache Flame’ and ‘Arroyo Gold.’

Sure, it was kid-friendly, but it trapped dirt and got matted easily, requiring the regular use of a shag rake to keep it from looking like a dog with mange.

While shag area rugs are now making a minor comeback with hipsters, agents say most buyers recoil at the old wall-to-wall stuff.

Popcorn ceilings

This ceiling treatment was popular between the 1950s and 1980s and was designed to reduce noise and hide imperfections. But this spray-on stucco has become the pariah of interior finishes, spawning a ‘cottage cheese’ removal industry. Agents and designers alike say they have seen far too much of this messy stuff.

What’s worse is that the earliest versions of this finish often contained asbestos fibres, so homeowners should get it tested before they try to scrape it off.

Colourful sinks and toilets

Real-estate agent Michelle Fitzgerald of Century 21 Affiliated in Beloit, Wis., has seen toilets in blue, green and pink. She says tubs are easier to hide from sellers, behind a shower curtain.

But the toilet and sink are front and centre.

‘It brings down the price they are going to offer, because they know they are going to have to fix it,’ Fitzgerald says.

Wood panelling

Big in the 1970s, this homey treatment is best left to vacation cabins, say designers and real-estate agents.

Installed on walls to convey a warm feeling — often paired with the aforementioned shag carpeting — buyers these days consider it dark and hard to deal with.

Mirrors everywhere!

Yes, mirrors do make a room look larger. But when glued across large expanses, they’re downright tacky.

Agents and designers often find themselves ripping out mirrored closet doors, backsplashes and — yuck — bedroom ceilings. We don’t have to tell you why that’s seedy, do we? Think rent-by-the-hour hotel rooms.

Source: Melinda Fulmer, MSN Real Estate