Design Tips to Add Value to a Home

By Chelsi Christensen

When designing your interior space, it’s important to consider design trends that will add value to your home while also creating a space of your own. Many of the latest trends are powerful in the sense that they help create a memorable impression when one first enters. However, emerging interior design trends should always be approached with caution, as some quickly get outdated, while others can last with their timeless aesthetic.

Tackle Texture

Using multiple textures are always successful in creating impact. They keep the eye entertained and help avoid a bland looking room. Items such as embroidered fabrics, shiny objects, stone or wood elements and textured wallpaper such as grass cloth wallpaper are great examples of how to incorporate multiple textures all in one space. There are also a number of less permanent ways to incorporate texture:

  • Light fixtures that are a combination of glass, fabric and shiny chrome are popular and we are also seeing more chrome furniture as well.
  • Embroidered fabrics always make a great addition to a space. Incorporate them with pillows, window treatments or a layering element such as a throw.
  • Stone elements can be introduced by having a slate stacked fireplace as an example, or a beautiful carved accent piece on a shelf or table. Wood boxes, live edge tables, sculpture or a carved wood chair is a nice way of adding a wood texture.

Careful Contrast

High contrast design is another timeless approach. It’s always been popular to use colors and materials and contrast them with something in an opposite spectrum to create a wow factor. Contrast a black walled room with white trimmed windows, or white furniture as a successful way to execute the high drama of such a dark wall color.

For example, at Sconset Landing, the South Shore’s newest and largest residential community, in the Brant model home we used high contrasting navy blue and white accents within the window treatment fabrics, accent pillows, area rug and an accent chair with contrasting white welting. We also used wood and metal cocktail tables and end tables, along with glass and shiny chrome accessories.

Using Caution with Color

There are many emerging trends that should be executed cautiously, including the 2017 color trends: wallpaper and wild patterns.

  • Wallpaper is making a comeback, however you need to be cautious about how you use this feature. While we all love some of the wild patterns and colors, the eye can get tired of this quickly. Use wallpaper more as a texture element with a soft color and pattern; a wallpaper with a bit of sparkle is great too, but choose it in a neutral color.
  • The 2017 pantone colors are very bright and vibrant this year. They are a mixture of bright pinks, yellows, blues, greens – which are nice at first, but can be overwhelming if used on a large scale. It is best to execute this in small pops such as toss pillows, throws, an accessory, an area rug or bedding.

Sometimes less is more and it is best to approach design in a simplistic way with a clean design and incorporate the small vibrate accents. For example, we designed the Essex Townhome living room, with bone colors such as a white sofa and light grey accent chars. From there we high contrasted the room with pops of orange using accent pillows and a fun area rug. We used lots of texture by having embroidered fabrics, a shiny chrome mirror over the mantle, metal and stone cocktail table and end tables and glass accents with the accessories.

Wood With a Wow Factor

Wall features such as cleaver molding design, wood patterns and functioning elements are gaining popularity.

  • Use shiplap in powder rooms or as one accent wall in a room. It can be painted, left rough or natural.
  • Interior sliding barn doors are a beautiful way to save on space and add a memorable custom design element. Barn doors with a high contrasting wood tone, painted to match the molding or made entirely of glass, offer a great solution. According to a Zillow study homes that feature barn doors can sell for as much as 13 percent more than expected.
  • Creative wall molding design can be a fun way to do a dramatic wall color in a safe way. Bringing a wall molding three quarters of the way up a wall and adding a dark paint color above the molding and a more neutral wall color or trim color below, gives a fun and custom look to a room design. Accent walls with wood elements such as herringbone patterns, tall boxed wainscoting, vertical boards or diagonal boards can add some excitement or elegance to a space.

Within Sconset Landing we had a lot of fun in the Clubhouse. We used ¾ height wainscoting trim painted white and contrasting this with navy blue paint above. We also used an area rug with a contrasting pinstripe pattern, metal and wood cocktail and end tables, wood accented sofas and chairs as well as shiny chrome light fixtures.

Simplifying Scale

Finally, the last important factor to consider with design is scale. There has never been a more distracting way to ruin a design than to have a huge, overpowering element in a room such as an oversized sofa, entertainment unit or poster bed. It is important to measure your space and the furniture you want to use. Make sure it fits and relates to each other. We have noticed that home buyers today are looking to live in smaller homes than previous years and many want maintenance free lifestyles.

As an interior designer, our job is to really understand specific demographics and target these buyers by doing a design that will make them feel at home and part of the community. A design should feel welcoming, warm and fun, a place where the residents can gather and will be proud to bring their friends and family.

Chelsi Christensen, Design East Interiors