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Countdown to Laura M. Stein's
top 10 Design Trends for 2011 cont'd

5. The Belgian Influence
Rustic finishes, natural woods, organic fabrics and rough stone, all with a European flair are featured in this trend. Part farmhouse, part villa, this look is cozy and comfortable and it’s taken us by storm. It embraces the green trend of repurposing materials, where everything old is new again, and reclaimed wood is the key ingredient. Furniture is over-sized and architectural. Colours are neutral - grey, taupe, cream, beige, and brown. Super-retailer Restoration Hardware has been responsible for bringing Belgian style to the masses. Over the past year they’ve rebranded all their stores, and if they have anything to do with it, this look will be around for a long time.

4. Casual Chic
This look is exotic, global, sleek and elegant, but it’s also comfortable and casual, high end, but livable. It’s about mixing rustic finishes with polish and new pieces with old. It’s casual furniture with ultra-sleek lines. This is the direction contemporary style is moving -softer, but still refined. It’s the ultimate in perfectly balanced juxtaposition, saying “My home is uber-stylish, but feel free to kick up your feet”.

3. Pattern
Pattern is this year’s must have and it’s showing up everywhere. Not just for accents anymore, pattern is this year’s mainstay for sofas, ceilings, walls and just about every surface. Pattern creates depth and warmth, and gives a room an incredible sense of luxuriousness. The key is to create layers of pattern on pattern, like full rooms covered in wallpaper with patterned drapery. This year’s patterns are following the feminine trend with softer lines and curves, and are coming down in scale from the past few years with smaller, more classic styling. Popular designs include florals, botanicals, bird and feather motifs, ethnic-inspired patterns like mosaics and ikats, and graphic prints like trellis patterns, chevrons and medallions.

2. Sophisticated Femininity
Last year was all about classic styling, menswear-inspired fabrics, and neutral masculine colours. This year women are taking the reins and softening lines, injecting florals, adding curves, and throwing in loads of pinks and muted purples. Inspired by women’s fashion, this hot runway style for your home remains chic by pairing it with neutrals like cream, brown, navy and gold.

1. Colour
Every year there are new trends in colour, and this year is no exception. What’s different this year is colour itself. Expect to see a lot more of it in unexpected places, like large upholstery pieces or traditional wood furniture. This year’s colours are all about pretty, and pink is the prom queen. According to the trend-setting experts at Pantone, the colour of the year is honeysuckle, this sumptuous reddish-pink with warm undertones looks fantastic with cream and gold. Other popular colours include luxurious blues like deep indigo and sapphire, soft purples of every kind, the ubiquitous grey, bright citrine, and muted shades of green.