Top Three Interior Design Trends For Spring 2012

• Spring is here - and with Spring comes the urge to clean, renew and refresh - not just your design - but your life. Certainly - you notice that when you change something in your interior - it effects your whole attitude. Things like clean, new sheets, a fresh coat of paint, a stunning new accent piece of furniture, or a brand new accessory - can truly change your whole environment, as well as how you feel about it.

This Spring, there's three things to keep in mind when making these little changes to your interior design - and they hold true if you're doing a complete remodel or redesign as well. We've simplified for you - the trends for Spring 2012.

1/ Add luxury - we're not asking you to purchase hugely expensive furniture and do a complete remodel. We're asking you to add something - one thing, even- expensive - somewhere in your design. And, to add something expensive doesn't mean you have to spend a ton of money. There are fantastic sales and specials in Dallas furniture showrooms, as well as sales at upscale department stores. Find ONE stunning accessory - a lamp, a small sculpture, new bedding, a set of pillows or a throw - and add it somewhere to your design.

2/ Natural Patterns - wall decals, patterned wallpaper, and nature patterns are all the rage. This trend is actually TWO trends we've rolled into one - bringing nature in, and using patterns on the walls.

3/ Old is new - anything vintage can be a new (but old) way to spice up your design. This trend is especially hot now, with your fixtures, handles, light fixtures and smaller accessories. Brushed metal, antiqued wood - anything that looks old can add a charming, rustic and romantic statement this Spring.

Interior Color Trend: Yellow and Gray

We've been seeing the marriage of yellow and gray quite a bit lately. Just Google "Yellow and Gray" - and you'll be inundated with images of bedrooms, bathrooms, apparel, wedding invitations, photos, and so much more - using this seemingly odd color pairing.

The bright, happy yellow alongside the darker slatey-grays are quite dramatic. And what's more, the yellow is quite feminine, while the gray is more masculine. This gender-blender color combo has potential for certain rooms that require gender neutral appeal, with something to make it 'pop'.

We might point out - that not every yellow seems to work. The lighter, brighter lemony yellows are better when they are used more sparingly and in conjunction with various shades of gray, as seen in the example above. All of the grays seem to work great - it's mostly the yellow that either makes or breaks it. Oh, and how much yellow is used.

Two of the colors from Pantone's Color Preview for Fall 2012 were Honey Gold and Titanium. What do you think of this combination?

Interior Design Color Trends For Fall 2012

The interior design world follows the fashion world to a certain point. Colors that we see on the runways, often translate to our living spaces season to season.

According the Pantone's Fall 2012 Color Report - the color of the year, Tangerine Tango - will still be in the mix. Similar in value are other brighter hues like Pink Flambe and Bright Chartreuse.

Other colors are quite muted, actually - and some beautiful neutral colors like French Roast, which is a nice smoky-brown, and Titanium - a mid-value gray, as well as Rose Smoke, which is a creamy light fleshtone type of color.

For some reason - lately, we've been seeing a lot of pairings of yellows & grays in various design circles - such as the Titanium and Honey Gold. We've seen this in fabrics, apparel - and here and there quite a bit lately.

COLOR TIP: Layering isn't just for apparel or accessories. It's also a great technique for color. It's always best to start with a base, and layer. This keeps it easier to update later on - especially when we're talking about paint on the walls, large panels of window treatments - which tend to be expensive to change out. Select a more neutral base, and accessorize with the colors that pop. They'll tie in your design nicely, add color and pizazz - and be easy to update season to season.

What are your favorite pairings? What do you think is the best base color?

John Richard - The Difference Is In The Details

At J. Douglas Design, we've been using John Richard furnishings, accents and home accessories in our designs for years. Often in combination with other manufacturers and brands, and many times exclusively in a layout from start to finish with the exception of a few items. John Richard's collections include inspirations from around the world, and for all style types.

We like to think of John Richard as our 'secret weapon' because many times, a simple accessory or individual piece of furniture from one of their exclusive collections of fine furnishings and accessories can be the glue that truly ties, or unites an interior design - and sets it apart for us, as interior design experts.

Every piece is hand-crafted, and stylish - with tasteful and timeless colors and patterns - that can blend and accentuate nearly any interior concept. What's best about John Richard, is that every season, they literally introduce thousands of new items - from upholstered furnishings, to accent mirrors, benches, lighting, botanicals and more.

We salute John Richard furniture for being such a big player in our game of design.