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Community Corner

What's Popular in Home Decor in 2013

Lisa Loper of the Scott Loper Team discusses trends in home decorating that are popular now and will appeal to home buyers

Everything changes with time and history has a way of repeating itself, the smaller affordable homes of the last few years are giving way to the return of bigger and fancier as homebuyers are feeling more secure with their financial situation and simply worn down from frugal fatigue. 

“Green” homes are still hugely popular as plastic and other artificial man-made products are taking a back seat to the more luxurious (and expensive) natural woods and stone.  

The world didn’t end in 2012 but there were certainly enough headlines of human tragedies and natural disasters.  A general feel of “life is short” has moved homeowners to really start making a home uniquely theirs and add artwork, statues and fabrics that represent them and their taste.

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What we are dubbing as the year of the French Revolution, here is a sampling of what will be popular with homebuyers in 2013:

What’s In

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French Renaissance – This theme is always popular when money is not an issue.  However, more and more homeowners are adding back elegant and detailed trim work, crystal chandeliers, and luxurious cream colored fabrics to their home decorating.

French Country Kitchens (i.e. White/Off White Kitchen Cabinets) – Inspired by the French style, white and cream cabinets are back and back strong.  It is hard to look at a contemporary kitchen design and not see light colored cabinets.  A mix of light and dark cabinets (i.e. cream cabinets with a dark wood center island) is also immensely popular right now.

Florals, Patterns, and Stripes – Inspired by the great French artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet, print fabrics are back but just not too heavy, too dark or too overbearing.

French Doors – add them anywhere to update the look of your home – to the master bedroom, instead of sliders to the back patio, to the home office or even the doorway to the finished basement.  French doors add character and interest to the home decor.

Two-Panel Doors with Levered Brushed Metal Handles – We suppose the six-panel doors couldn’t last forever.  How else can they keep selling doors?  But if you are waiting for the hollow wood veneer doors to make a comeback, keep waiting.  Not this year.

Wallpaper – We can’t believe we are saying this but what was on the No-No list for 2012 is making a comeback in 2013.  Darn French.  Bedding, curtains, and wall hangings that looks like wallpaper is possibility for those timid (and rightfully so) about stepping back into the world of wallpaper.

Highly Stylized Décor – Homebuyers have a greater appreciation of features such as exposed wooden beams, stained glass, stone flooring, marble tops and textured walls.  But for selling, make sure the décor works together and flows naturally throughout the house.  Commit to the style you choose.

Artwork – Part of the highly stylized décor requires adding some original artwork to the home.

Decorated Ceilings – The plain white ceilings of recent years are giving was to great trim work, moldings, coffered beams, wood beams, planks, color and finishes.

Blues, Greens, and Whites – If you never changed from the blues and greens of the 1980’s, you are in luck this year.  However, you might want to freshen up the color.  Also hugely popular are white walls with detailed white trim, white curtains, and white accessories.  It is a striking clean look but you need plenty of style elements to keep it from looking sterile (and no small children around to dirty it up).

Walk-in Closets, Linen Closets, and Pantries – The only true repeat from 2012, storage space is critical to buyers and walk-in storage areas are a must-have for many. 

What’s Out

Bold Paint Colors – Softer, soothing colors are more popular than the crimson, sienna, and eggplant of a few years back.

Polished Yellow Brass – Whether it is the builder grade chandelier hanging in your dining room, bathroom faucets or the round doorknobs throughout your home, polished yellow brass elements are being replaced with brushed metals and more unique fixtures.

Stucco – The rage of bad stucco jobs that have cost homeowners thousands of dollars to repair have made homebuyers very leery of stucco homes.  If selling, get your stucco checked to assuage the would-be buyer.

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