Design Trends 2016

Every once in awhile our industry takes an about face.  It appears that 2016 is one of those years.  The design trends for kids' rooms are super strong and really drastic shift from the past few years.  Everything feels new and fresh and there are lots of great options for just about anyone's taste.  The largest trends are in finishes (washed and beautiful grain revealing stains), structural finishing techniques, Coastal Cottage designs, and a return to the ultra feminine and soft looks of yesteryear.

Finish Reigns Supreme in Design Trends:

Your basic dark espresso finish seems to be just about done in.  This super-dark stain is quickly being replaced with rich tones of cherry, brown, caramel, chocolate and other wood tones that are a bit warmer. The flat simple gray painted furniture is just not cutting it any longer.  We are seeing the gray finishes continue to be a force but the finishes are richer than a year ago.  Grays are multidimensional finishes now with rich undertones rather than just a simple gray paint.  Gray stains that show the wood grain are leading the pack.  This trend is evident from the fantastic new finishes Romina and Silva have just released (washed gray, oiled gray, flint).  Stella Furniture also has a beautiful gray with lots of depth on their Trinity Collection, called Chateau Gray.

White finishes are also moving away from the everyday bright white paint so traditionally present in nurseries.  Everyone wanted that sharp bright white color, often citing the 'purity' of the color for nurseries.  However we are seeing more dynamic white finishes coming on strong. Whites are getting creamier and in some cases are, like the grays, becoming stains that the grain shows through. Again Romina and Silva are leading this trend, but Dolce Babi has released two incredible groups with alternatives to the traditional white.  Lucca is a scraped white and is spot on on multiple trends including the 'coastal cottage' and structural finish trends (see below) The other Dolce Babi Collection is Angelina featuring a rich cream and stunning pearlized finish that is leading the pack on feminine grace.

Structural Finishes in Design Trends:

Wood is truly a gift and amazing things can be done with it in constructing furnishings.  The newest in design trends with respect to wood is allowing the grain pattern to not only become visual but tactile as well.  'Scraped' finishes are the end result of some new technology in wood work.

Wood grows with an annual ring pattern, as you know from 2nd grade biology.  Well these rings represent softer and denser wood grains.  Our wonderful manufactures have found that using certain tools and machines on the surface of the wood, they can selectively scrape or carve out the softer pieces and leave the denser grain intact.  This same thing happens when a piece of wood floats around the beach being tumbled by the surf.  The sand and water selectively remove the softer grained wood from the surface and the resulting flotsam is rough and detailed.  This 'scraping' technique is now becoming commonplace in the furniture industry, releasing the glorious patterns of grain and natural beauty of the wood into a physically tangible structure.  These beautiful finish techniques are throughout both nursery design and big kid's furniture.  Some highlights: the new driftwood finish from Dolce Babi on both the Naples and Maximo collections. Highlands Driftwood and Highlands Espresso from New Energy for big kid youth furniture also has some of this fantastic finishing. But the runaway star of the show is from Romina.  They have taken their absolutely beautiful Beech wood product and worked it like no other.  The finish is velvety soft but hand carved and scraped with deep grooves.  The scraped wood is then finished in two different colors to accentuate the details and the result is stunning beyond words.

Coastal Cottage Design Trends:

The Coastal Cottage design approach  is reflective of a shift from the ultra modern looks of the past few years.  Designers are looking for comfortable and accessible looks that compliment a return to home design that is 'homey' and 'warm'.  This goes hand in hand with the finish story above but is all about the bed and dresser design.  Paneled headboards, metal elements, shuttered doors, simple silhouettes and rich warm finishes are what set this look apart.  Two new introductions are clearly designed with this aesthetic in mind.

The stunning Lucca collection from Dolce Babi takes it's cues from what one would expect to see in a coastal town in the Northeast.  It reminds me of something you would find in an old home on the coast of Maine; weathered finishes, metal accents and graceful design. Lucca offers both nursery and youth collections.

The second introduction is from Stone and Leigh.  Stone and Leigh (the youth division of Stanley Furniture) has recently launched and brought their interpretation of Coastal Living to youth and nursery design.  The "Driftwood Park' collection features paneled headboards in both cribs and beds, a metal cup pull and two warm finishes.  The entire collection reminds one of something from the beach communities of the South East.

These relaxed looks are not just for water adjacent homes.  The relaxed comfortable design and warmth of these groups make them an accessible design for any home.

Ultra Feminine and Blinged Out Design Trends

Softer colors, feminine details and lots of sparkle are certainly making a return to nursery and big kid room decor. Girly stuff never really disappeared, but it certainly wasn't mainstream. Most color trends start in fashion and work their way down to home decor over time. The ubiquitous chevron pattern and the predominance of turquoise/aqua colors all started in fashion before hitting the furnishings world.  Pantone recently named a light pink and light baby blue to the colors of the year .

These softer colors represent a shift from the rich coral and aqua palettes that have dominated kids' rooms and nursery decor over the past few years and are a welcome change.

We expect to see more soft hues in a variety of fabrics make their way to both kid's rooms and nursery decor. We are seeing pinks paired with soft creams, fabrics with a bit of a sheen, and lots of sparkly knobs.

Angelina from Dolce Babi and Kids is a perfect example of this trend in furnishings.  The delicate carved flowers and details throughout the line appear to be the antithesis of the sleek modern looks that were so prevalent over the past 5 years.  For older kids and teens this collection offers twin and full beds with reversible upholstered and tufted headboard.  The finishes on this collection are cream or pearl and tie in beautifully with the delicate feminine design of the collection and the trend away from bright white for girls.