 |
Local interior designers discuss what’s hot and what’s not
Interior design companies around the world are unveiling their new lines for 2010. But what trends are local designers most excited about? And what looks are they sick and tired of? We asked a few local notables about what’s hot and what’s not.
ERIC ROSEFF
Eric Roseff Designs
Boston
Inspired: Repurposing and reinventing existing pieces of furniture. It can be as simple as reupholstering or refinishing a piece. Or taking a dining table and cutting it down to coffee-table height. It’s in keeping with recycling and the whole green thing. I think in this economy people are looking to reuse what they have, and there’s so much furniture that’s made well and really holds up.
Tired: Formulaic design. I see so many interiors that are beautiful, but they’re so expected. Everything doesn’t have to be shiny and new. It’s so much more interesting when you see something a little more eclectic.
ALYSSA MOSKOS
Selections coordinator, Charlie Allen Restorations
Cambridge
Inspired: Recycled paper and poured concrete countertops for the kitchen. For recycled paper counters, they actually use 100 percent post consumer recycled paper and they bond it - they use some sort of resin. It’s almost like using a wood. It’s heat-resistant, scratch-resistant. . . . With concrete, it’s pretty inexpensive. They can pour it right on site . . . [and] you can get them tinted in a variety of colors. The only thing with concrete is that you still have to seal it as you would a natural stone.
Tired: I’m so sick of looking at granite countertops and stainless appliances in kitchens. Everybody wants it but I’m just bored. The hottest trend in kitchen appliances is using color. They’re just sort of fun and different and less antiseptic looking. With the Viking line, you can get neutral colors, or you can get fire-engine red or cobalt blue.
LESLIE FINE
Leslie Fine
Boston
Inspired: Spa-like bathrooms. They’re spaces to escape from the difficult economic times, the turbulent global issues, and our 24/7 work environment.
Tired: Everything labeled “green.’’ As a designer, I do believe that we need to be aware of what we are using in our homes and how materials used affect our lives and our local and global community. [But] just labeling something as “green’’ is not enough; more information and education must be provided by vendors.
MICHAEL BARNUM
Barnum + Company Interiors
Boston
Inspired: Comfortable and interesting roomscapes. We are moving swiftly away from a decade of super “clean’’ and often stark interiors to a more real and less staged environment. I believe returning clients as well as new ones are going to want less stylized interiors and seek for designers to provide a more human approach; spaces they are actually comfortable in. (This is by no means advocating that horrific overstuffed ’90s shabby chic look.)
Tired: The color aqua and its deeper shades of teal. Bring on the purple!
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
