16 TIMES • MARCH 19 - mARCH 25, 2015 The top home decorating trend: Font: Engravers Old English Normal Font: Engravers Old English Normal INFUSING NATURAL ELEMENTS INTO THE DECOR Nature is bringing a breath of freshness into home decorating, but it’s more than just incorporating flowering pots or opening windows. The latest home decorating trend features natural elements in the textures and finishes of furniture and accessories, giving homeowners an elegant - and often calming-- result of blending nature and home living into a beautiful space. “We really want to see the handprint of nature in our homes now,” says Elaine Griffin, New York interior designer and author of Design Rules. “Organic in the home is huge. It’s one of the biggest trends for the year, and it’s going to stay with us for a while.” Bring this elegance into your own home with the following decorating suggestions: • Bring exotic looks into your kitchen with new cabinets that go beyond the basic oak or cherry woods. Griffin suggests using rosewood or zebra wood - woods formerly reserved for custom furniture. And as both new construction and remodeling projects embrace the open floor plan concept, cabinets are visible from several rooms, which makes it a style upgrade not only for the kitchen, but for adjacent spaces, as well. • The latest furniture design trends also reflect the growing popularity of organic materials and textures, Griffin says, whether it’s a table tops left in the natural oak wood finish, or driftwood incorporated into furniture or accessories. The pale gray coloring of driftwood, combined with honey or pale colors used on other furniture or the walls is opening up spaces - moving away from the darker colors. • The natural look isn’t just for the kitchen and living areas; it’s also perfect for the bathroom. • The era of matching all fabrics, styles and materials in a room has shifted into combining elements of all into a beautiful room setting, Griffin says. “All great rooms need a mixture of finishes for furniture, with something that’s painted, something that’s wood, something that’s a metallic gold leaf, something that’s ceramic,” she says. “That’s the secret to professionally styled rooms.” A trend to consider: the Belgiuminfluenced neo-industrial style, which brings a softer, natural yet industrial touch to rooms. “It’s a soft industrial. It means you’ve combined the wood elements with metal. And that metal could be gold leaf,” Griffin advises. Creating warm, comfortable surroundings infused with a sense of eco-elegance is why the natural elements trend has been so embraced. About to embark on your own remodel or home refresh? Be sure to explore how bringing natural elements-- whether they’re salvaged materials or realistic pretenders-- into your decor can enhance the ambiance of the room. at home Courtesy BPT Spring Projects To Spruce Up Your Home Warmer weather and sunnier days are on their way and many homeowners are itching to begin home improvement projects. If you are one of them, consider these areas of your home when prepping for spring. Windows and doors From a full window replacement to a simple coat of paint, updating your windows and doors can have a big impact on your home. If your windows felt drafty this winter, it may be time for replacements. Replace your old single-pane windows with energy efficient double-pane windows. Double-pane windows can help you save on heating and cooling bills; they help keep the temperature in your home consistent year-round and help protect your furniture, carpet and window treatments from the sun’s fading rays. Need to bring some fresh color into your home but don’t want to paint? Try updating your blinds or shades. From different styles to colorful fabrics, blinds and shades can add a pop of color to your room. Motorized blinds and shades with Pella Insynctive technology come in more than 300 style and color options so you can find the right fit for your home’s decor. Your front door is a major focal point of your home, enhancing your home’s curb appeal. Make a bold statement and improve your home’s energy efficiency with a new ENERGY STAR-certified front door. Consider options with decorative glass accents, and sidelights to add more natural light while maintaining a sense of style and privacy. Looking for something even easier? A new coat of paint to your existing door is a quick and easy way to give your home a fresh, new look. Give Pantone’s Color of the Year marsala a try, or get inspired by your favorite Pinterest collection of favorite front doors. Gutters and downspouts Excess water near your foundation can cause thousands of dollars in damages. Luckily gutter cleaning and downspout repair is fairly low-cost. After all the snow melts, you’ll want to make sure to clean your gutters and clean out any debris that may keep spring rains from flowing freely through your downspouts. Along with replacing damaged gutter or downspout sections, you’ll also want to make sure you have added downspout extenders to ensure water is draining far away from your home’s foundation. Extenders should reach at least five feet into your yard. Gutter covers can also be added to minimize debris from gathering in gutters throughout the year. Air conditioning It may be a few more months before you’re turning on the A/C, but spring is a great time to start getting your cooling system ready. Often you have to call in the pros for air conditioning work but things like spraying off any overgrowth or debris, cleaning coils and changing filters are fixes you can easily do on your own. Also, trim back any shrubs that are near by. Keeping the outdoor unit clean from debris will boost your A/C system’s efficiency. You can keep part of your indoor duct work clean by removing register covers and wiping clean any of the visible parts. You’ll need to contact a professional for a full duct cleaning.
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