4 spring decor trends to freshen up your home – Duluth News Tribune

Julie Alin is a design consultant for Altering Spaces and Visual Display, based out of Scheels Home & Hardware in Fargo. Her 22 years spent studying home decor trends have given her a keen eye regarding the market and the products flooding it.

Here are four trends Alin predicts will dominate the home decor market this spring.

Beach retreat

Think casual and relaxed. This trend is achieved through splashes of bright colors, preferably those of the tropical nature, like aqua, azure, kiwi and tangerine.

Alin says the goal is to create a feeling of a getaway retreat with a cool, calm vibe.

Consider incorporating this trend in bathrooms, where water is a natural element, or a sunroom, where natural elements can play a role. Alin says she's also seen this trend worked into teenagers' bedrooms or an office space to invite tranquility.

Neoclassic

For this trend, traditional meets modern in an urban glam setting.

Alin points out the use of rich and unexpected textures in creating this atmosphere as well as metallics and mercury glass necessary to imbue an interesting, light-catching accent.

This trend focuses on creating an artistic statement by allowing unexpected components to offer a high-end look in main living spaces as well as bedrooms. Nailheads in furniture (like upholstered headboards or sofas) are an important design element of this trend, but Alin warns against going overboard with this detail.

"Don't overdo it you need to leave something without nailheads," she says.

This trend can be amplified by using small pops of soft colors like blush pink, robin's egg blue or pale mint green.

Rustic chic

If you're a fan of organic yet eclectic, refined yet modern home decor, this trend is for you. Think mixing metallics like gold and copper as well as global pieces that spark conversation naturally.

This trend also embraces a lot of texture, similar to neoclassic style. It's also a trend that works well for pieces of furniture with live, unpredictable edges like dining room and end tables.

"Thanks to the 'rustic' component, this trend emphasizes warm and cool neutrals as well as rich, earthy tones like topaz and copper," Alin says.

Vintage flea market

This trend capitalizes on the en vogue market of reclaimed or repurposed items. Anything that looks a bit aged or weathered fits here.

In addition to the decor that looks like it has been collected over time, Alin says you should incorporate items like birds and romantic blooms like hydrangeas, lilacs, roses and daisies. Other greenery appropriate for this trend include terns, topiaries and herbs while burlap, linen, twine and rope also play a part.

"Think natural: flowers and greens you'd find in your garden and non-synthetic fabrics," Alin says.

Alin and her business partner Steve Johnson have also been seeing a move toward florals as a general trend.

"But these are bold, stylized florals that are fun and free-flowing," Johnson says.

The nice thing about all of these trends is that homeowners don't need to choose just one to incorporate into a space they each play off another nicely so two trends can be melded, Alin says.

Another comforting factor for homeowners is that no trend just ceases. In the 1950s, the life of a trend was about 15 years, Alin says. Now, it's more like 1.5 to 3 years, but the trend lingers for a while before it completely fades out.

"These days, trends don't just end with a chop; they continue with a 'dot dot dot,'" she says. "And if you really love a trend, find a way to add newness to it."

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4 spring decor trends to freshen up your home - Duluth News Tribune