Decor Weds Fashion


The infusion of fashion in décor lends your home a sleek elegance blended with comfort. However, fashion trends change with the seasons, as do decor trends. Redecorate your pad keeping the latest fashion trends in mind and up the style ante. By Preethi Shanker

Fashion is not something that starts with the runway and ends on the red carpet; it somehow manages to ooze out and find a way to influence every facet of modern day living. Everything from the model of our car to the mobile accessories we choose has a dash of fashion in it. Home décor is no different. For a while now home décor has been drawing very strong inspiration from fashion.

Lovely Lace
If there is one thing to take away from this season on the runway, it is that lace is definitely in. Every fashion house from Louis Vuitton, Prada, Oscar De La Renta to Valentino and Alexander McQueen has beautifully integrated lace into several pieces and thus another wonderful trend has been born.

Contrary to perceptions, lace is not just for old women or Victorian cottages. When it comes to décor, there is nothing quite as romantic as lace, its delicate patterns contrasting boldly with the rich tones of wood. And there is nothing quite like the shadows created when sunlight streams in through lace decorated windows. The latest trend in lace décor is actually considerably more sophisticated and vintage looking. Starting with the more traditional yet still very hot décor ideas try adding lace curtains to a window or doorway. For a more sophisticated look, go for bigger lace patterns. Also you are no longer confined to using white lace. Coloured lace is a particularly hot décor idea and suits this latest trend in using lace in contemporary homes perfectly. Lace acts like a screen allowing light to come through while giving you some privacy during the day. It also softens the hard edges that are always present in a room thereby balancing the room. Lace automatically brings texture to a space, visual as well as actual.

One of the most popular, and easiest, ways to incorporate lace in your home is through accessories. Try some lacy tableware to add an air of sophistication to your table without breaking the bank. Doilies are something that never go out of trend. The key, again, is pattern. Lace on your walls might sound like overkill, but the patterns making their way on to the latest trend in wall coverings feature subtle colours like rose, pink and taupe. Finally, don't be afraid to throw some lace on your bed in the form of a patterned duvet or sheet set. Just don't overdo it, and stick to modern colours such as turquoise, olive or honeysuckle.

Sheer Delight
A little tease with a see-through dress adds oomph to a woman’s look. Not only is sheer sexy, it is also practical; a sheer – sleeved top can smooth over imperfect arms while still letting a little skin show - very chic indeed! International fashion house Chloe redefined fluidity and femininity giving it a boyish twist using sheer fabric. Sheer fabrics certainly seem appropriate for the warm weather of spring and summer, and Michael Kors used chiffon, both in see-through panels and as dress fabric, for a light and airy feel. Other fashion legends including Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Betsy Johnson, Jason Wu, Mulberry and Chanel embraced the sheer trend of the Spring 2012 season.

Sheer curtains are usually made of net, tulle, loosely – woven voile or cotton. Incorporating sheer curtains is one of the simplest and most elegant ways to mix fabrics in interior design. Use layers to add volume and give your room depth. Sheer curtains are very trendy and go with almost all windows, French windows and doorways. They come in any desired colour, allowing the homeowner to easily coordinate them with the colours chosen for a room. When used alone, they let muted sunlight in, giving the room a warm, inviting feel. In addition, when one uses coloured panels, the light entering the room from the outside will be tinted, enhancing the décor and colours of the room.

Sheer curtains are the perfect way to create a faux canopy to really dress up a bed. There are some very easy ways to do this. First, you need to buy three curtain rods. Hang one at the head of the bed, and then hang the other two on either side of the head of the bed. Now, simply hang your sheer curtains on them! This will create three sides to your bed and give the feel of a canopied bed. Sheer curtains can also be used to partition your dresser, giving it a whimsical feel.

Pretty in Print
Prints were in vogue in S/S ’12. Combined prints were all over the runway this season. Flowers go together with checks, leopard with geometrical prints, kaleidoscopic prints with hearts, etc. Mary Katrantzou’s Spring line was filled with print on print separates. Chanel, Christopher Kane, Missoni, DKNY, Salvatore Feregamo, Dolce and Gabbana, Preen, Michael Van Der Ham and BottegaVeneta were all in sync with this trend and had fun with it on the runway.

A mix of patterns makes a room visually interesting. It adds texture, colour, and diversity. It gives a monochromatic design depth, and adds visual cues to the most colourful and complex rooms. Patterns can be anything from fabric to wallpaper, tiles and lighting. When it comes to walls and furniture, bright, bold colours are now stylish in a way they have not been for years. Add a big dynamic pattern and bring an entire room to life. In the case of mixing prints, feel free to combine patterns that are not in the same ‘family’. Sure floral with floral or lines with lines makes sense, but the current trend is a bit more daring. Try combining a traditional floral print with a large geometric one. To maintain a well-balanced look make sure you maintain the same colour scale – pair pale colours with pale colours and deep tones with darker hues. By mixing patterns with colours of the same intensity, the overall look you get will be stunning. Mix similar patterns in similar colour schemes, but vary the scale of the pattern, starting with the largest on the floor and diminishing in scale as they go up towards the ceiling. If the pattern is large and linear, vary the direction of the lines. Keep in mind a design rule – limit the mix to three patterns.

Burning Brights
This season designers from across the globe incorporated childlike brights into their collections. Yellow was one of the hottest shades this year with designers J. Mendel, Rebecca Taylor and Nanette Lepore opting excessively for this colour. Other hues of the season include tangerine (Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Tam and Jenny Packman), Kelly green (Diance Von Furstenberg) and coral pink (Jill Stuart and Tory Burch).

To most people home décor automatically sways towards the beiges, whites and off-whites. This season however all the boring neutrals take a back seat and bright, bold colours take centre stage. Whether it is through paint or through your furniture, induce some colour into your home and watch it transform. A stylish and well – coordinated interplay of calming and cheeky hues makes a good thing even better.

Add an accent; choose one dominant colour and then add in a stand-out accent. Team indigo walls with neutral tones and add a zesty yellow accent. Brighten up for impact; use the purest hue you can- no wishy-washy pastels. One hot pink cushion is more striking than a whole room in pale pink tones.
Look at the colour wheel when planning a bright scheme, contrasting colour are a win-win solution. Groupings such as red, blue and yellow can perk up any room. Triad colour combinations are great for contemporary decor. Consider triads of orange, green and purple, or red-orange, yellow-orange and yellow-green.

The 70,20,10 rule to get a really professional-looking, well-balanced scheme states keep 70% of the elements (say walls, floors) as one colour, 20% in a second colour (prints, furnishings), and add 10% of a vibrant accent (accessories or art). Always add a surprise: your focal point-whether it's a feature wall, a huge mirror or a piece of wall art – it is a shortcut to a 'wow' room.