Are you excited to bring out your holiday decorations each year? Do your design accents inspire and uplift you? There are more decorating choices than ever for consumers in 2013 but even with the variety of options, this may not be the year to transition into a completely new look.
With so much geometric movement and tribal design trends in rugs, pillows and accent pieces, it is hard to put a lot of color energy into any other décor item. Metals, earthenware and baskets top the list for all basic floral décor, whether year around or specifically for the holidays. In fact, there is so much neutral in holiday decorations that you could simply call it “winter” and leave it on display until spring.
Neutrals are king. Whites, beiges and grays are such a strong trend in florals that it is expected to influence other design areas and stay strong for quite some time. In fact, floral designers say they are deliberately creating more simple and conservative designs that can be used for longer periods of time to better meet the consumers’ needs.
Watch for These Color Combinations in Floral Décor
Forget about shiny and bling. Floral décor has very earthy simple components such as shades of olive, gray and cocoa brown. For a bit of balance and a splash of color, various shades of blue, especially aqua, are ideal for creating the feeling of an oasis at home. This color combination provides very good calming sanctuary-type Feng Shui energy.
The Muted Garden Party. Some floral designers use berry colors for punching up the energy of their arrangements. The colors range from deep purples and magentas to rich raspberry. No true red in these décor products. The favored green comes in the form of succulent rosettes. They’re available in powdery gray, blue and brown greens. Since the florals continue to read muted as the colors blend quietly with the neutrals, size becomes the focal point. The focal statement is often made through the design itself which can be quite oversized.
Texture is everywhere. Ribbons are coming back in a variety of textures ranging from burlap, wrap-able metal and jute to fabric ribbons with words or a tone on tone damask look. Small neutral non-descript birds are also everywhere along with the snowy white owl in a variety of sizes. And, felt is back. The fabric that grandmothers used to create handmade charming crafts and ornaments has made a triumphant return, especially in the Christmas category.
Holidays 2013
If you are going to transition into a new look for the holidays for 2013 begin now because it might require an entire makeover since there is very little traditional red and green. For you traditionalists, never fear, there is always a bit of traditional holiday décor to be found every year. Just know that this is not the year where tradition predominates. And, if you love metallics, be aware that while gold is never out of style this will definitely be the year of silver.
Nature-made and handmade along with woodland animals predominate along with neutral fibers, neutral colors and silver. The colors include the aqua or soft blues, mint and light teal greens, coppers, gray and chocolate – the only bling accent is silver.
Nature-made – this look replaces anything glitzy, glittery and plastic. It is filled with all the shades of nature such as burlap, rough-hewn wood, birch trees, earth tones and industrial colors. It is actually a very pretty woodland look, very peaceful and can stay displayed for the entire winter season. It features lots of woodland animals, especially bears – the real kind not the teddy – deer, squirrel, raccoon and moose. This look uses very grounding colors: the perfect calming antidote for a home filled with chaos.
Handmade – for the felt enthusiast and crafter, this look is a dream come true. Felt ornaments adorn trees, often embroidered or stitch embellished and often feature woodland animals. Call it the self-made look if you wish, it features knitted and crocheted ornaments along with ornaments wrapped in twine, burlap flowers and metal ribbons. This style category is great for families trying to reconnect with relationships and traditions of the past, while also integrating them into today’s hectic lifestyle.
Anything goes – this is sort of an eclectic category that goes toward the glitz and shine of the art deco era of the 1930’s and features silvers, gray, mirrors, whites and beiges with lots of stars. Or, it is very whimsical and leans toward farm animals, tractors, robots, musical instruments, notes, space aliens, and foods like hot dogs, tacos, pizza and strawberry tarts. This category was the most colorful, fun and funky. If you are a collector, this is the perfect setting for all those colorful treasures hidden in drawers and attics. They will be full of fond memories and provide uplifting energy.
Love it or hate it, change is in the air when it comes to this year’s home décor floral and Christmas trends. If you are ready to turn over a new leaf and get a fresh start, some of these new trends might be perfect. If you love what you have and it gives you great peace and joy, hang on for another year as some of these new trends may not last very long. (To see some pictures of the holiday trends go to my Facebook page and look in the Atlanta Gift Show 2013 Album, you must login in to Facebook first to see the pictures.)
© Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2013
Pat Heydlauff, a “flow of focus” expert, speaker and consultant designs home and workplace environments that unleash the flow of focus and maximize performance while creating balance and increasing prosperity. She is author of the forthcoming book, Engage, Unleash the Power of Focus and published books, Feng Shui, So Easy a Child Can Do It and Selling Your Home with a Competitive Edge. Contact her at 561-799-3443 or www.balancingenergy@energy-by-design.com.