JR Studio Design Blog

Today’s (this week’s, this hour’s…) economy calls for careful consideration when planning your next interior design move.  I can’t stress enough that the best investment today is… longevity.  Use this as your benchmark and impulse purchases will never measure up.  Here are my top 5 trends that will outlast the headlines and position you for brighter times to come.

1. Technology & Entertainment Integration: Thoroughly integrating technology and entertainment can transport digital media anywhere in the house, providing customizable opportunities to enjoy the modern lifestyle to its fullest.  Apple TV and the Sling Box are great products that take full advantage of audio and video downloaded onto computers and DVRs, delivering them effortlessly to handhelds, computers and home stereo systems.  A significant plasma television purchase makes much more sense if it means that screen can become a media center worthy of a science fiction fantasy.  Investing in technology that intelligently adds to your lifestyle will defeat the urge to splurge on every new gadget that arrives as you grow your custom media center.  

2. High and Low Mix:  Today’s modern homes thrive on using eclectic furnishings from a variety of resources.  I encourage clients to splurge on everyday “high touch” pieces like sofas, window coverings, bedding, and dining furniture and home investments such as closet design, kitchen remodeling and landscaping.  Secondary pieces such as extra seating, lamps, pillows, and accessories can come from less expensive sources, providing of-the-moment interest without buyers remorse should styles change just after the dust settles.  

3. Repurposing dated furnishings with modern fabrics & finishes:  Classic traditional furniture in need of TLC and ready for reupholstery is easy to find at terrific values in vintage shops and the family attic.  These pieces have stood the test of time and look great dressed in modern prints and fabrics.  Dusty wing chairs recovered in a modern ethnic print are freshly familiar and instantly appreciated. Their classic form guarantees longevity while the new look brings them into today’s lifestyles.  Most importantly, repurposing is part of our formula for “Greener Living.”  There is nothing better than recycling great vintage furniture. 

4. Metal furnishings:   Interesting and formidable metal tables and chairs can be found everywhere now from high end showrooms to mass market retailers right now.  These sturdy furnishings add to a room’s eclectic layering and are almost bulletproof additions worthy of investment.  Finished in powder coated finishes in every color of the rainbow, they bring powerful life into a design scheme.  Gary Hutton Design has wonderful pieces – some I have had powdercoated especially to be used out of doors when the mood to rearrange strikes.  

5. Functional Accessorizing:  Fashionably functional gets a lot of respect in our office.  When I refresh an interior, I start by removing accessories that clutter a room and add no aesthetic value. (They can bring value, however, through sales at consignment shops!)  Your furnishings live best when they can accomplish two tasks at once – aesthetics & storage, display & serving, etc…  One functional accessory can take the place of an entire table of insignificant objects.  You will be happier in an edited space that works as well as it looks.

Should these ideas appeal to your home economics and you are looking for a partner with the savvy to bring them together for you, contact our studio for a consultation! Our services are yours for the living…www.jrstudiodesign.com

content credit: Joel Robare of JR Studio Design  

photo credit: image of currency of public domain