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Designer's Corner
"London: The Design Capital of the World"
The summer Olympics isn't the only event that will be attracting the world to visit London this year. The Ninth Annual London Design Festival will be held this September 17th - 25th. Events will take place throughout the city, with the Victoria & Albert museum of Decorative Arts and Design (The V & A) being the central hub of the festival, a natural home for an event which celebrates the best of design. The festival was set up to promote London as the design capital of the world and to celebrate the wealth of creative talent based there.
London is often looked at from around the world for fashion but interior design and architecture are also heavily influenced by the "London look." One of the design trends that will most likely be displayed at this year's design festival is "hyper-personalization". The idea is to bring the unexpected in and to create a space where the room is not only a work of art, but created by you. By customizing each room to fit the specific needs of the person or persons that will occupy it, we are creating an uplifting attitude towards the home, giving each room its own personality and ambiance. Many of the current design trends today compliment this design idea. Some of the hottest London design trends to help you achieve "hyper-personalization" include:
- Using Darker Tones - in particular black to create focal points. Off set by using lighter colors, all the way down the spectrum to white, producing balance in the space. This creates opportunities to have fun with colorful decor without overstimulating the mind and creating uneasiness in the space.
- Less is More! - to embrace as much space as possible people are trading their over-sized furniture pieces with small and more functional ones. Paired with thoughtful ways to create storage, a minimal approach gives more opportunity to utilize the space in a maximum way.
- Bold Colors & Bright Patterns - create focal points and personality in a room. Not only do bright colors make a room cheery, but it can be an easy and inexpensive way to give a room a make-over. By adding color and patterns in things like rugs, pillows, lamp shades, and art; you can achieve this design trend without remodeling your entire space.
- All White Furniture - though all white may sound boring, it is one of the most popular design trends today. A white piece of furniture can serve as a focal point to a colorful room or be a backdrop to something ornament that you wish to draw attention to. Again, you are causing contrast between light and bold colors, creating balance in the space. If white isn't your thing, using light grays and browns should have similar affects.
- Practicality - innovative ways to use space is the biggest goal in interior design. A room should not only be beautiful, but a space that you want to spend your time in. It's all about using the space you have, to fit the life you want, no matter how big or small.
The current trends are all about celebrating your personality, which will never go out of style. By taking care of details to make a room function specifically for the person that will occupy it - a pleasant, comfortable, and highly personal - interior design will be created. A room that celebrates personality is a beautifully functioning space, because it is from your perspective. So if you are looking for design ideas and trends, look at one of the world's leaders in design - London; and come see me at American Cabinet & Flooring to get your remodel project started!
(Pictured Above: Moderner London kitchen expresses the all white furniture trend paired with colored accents - backsplash & fruit bowl - as focal points in this space.)
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