How can you make your home look more updated without starting all over? As we mentioned in our recent post, How to Decorate Without Dating Your Home, the best way to decorate your home is to install the more expensive, permanent features, such as window coverings, cabinets and fireplaces with a classic look and then use accessories to add more trendy touches.

The current trend in accessories is minimalism. The decor is simple, bold and often large.

You’ll want to budget for accessories and art. Consider adding $200 – $300 for each large piece and $100 for small items. You’ll need at least $2000 for new accessories for a large room.

Power Pieces

Sometimes, all a room needs is a single impressive accessory. You might add a sculpture or a painting to the room. If there is a fireplace, consider finding a pair of imposing candle sticks for the mantle.

Since current decor embraces minimalism, that may be all you need.

Artwork

Southwest decor was popular earlier in the century, but one element of it is coming back. Artwork depicting single feathers or arrows has become popular again. The wall art often has an angular, tribal look. You don’t have to use this kind of art in your home, but don’t be afraid of it if you like it.

Do you love the work of a local artist or something you found in a gallery? Accessorizing a room with art is a lot like accessorizing an outfit with jewelry. You can express your personal style by using artwork to make a statement in an otherwise classically decorated room.

Heirlooms

Besides artwork, we all have heirlooms and beloved unique possessions that we love to display in our homes. We encourage you to keep your favorite items as you redecorate, but do be aware that you’ll want to refresh other items in the room.

If the accessories are older than about 10 years, the room will look dated. Consider retiring anything that is that old and isn’t unique. If you bought a painting from an artist on a fondly-remembered trip, keep it and decorate around it. But if you bought something for the living room from a retail store in 2005, it may be time to retire it or move it to a more private room.

Remember pickled cabinets? They were cabinets with a whitewashed sort of finish that was popular in the 1980s. How about the southwest decor of 20 years ago with the kiva fireplaces?

We loved those trends in their time, but what would you think if you saw them now? You would say to yourself, “Oh! This house hasn’t been updated in a long time!”.

If you want to maintain the value of your home, it’s helpful to keep the decor updated, particularly for homes in the $800,000 and above range. If you don’t keep the home updated, you’ll lose equity.

How Often Should I Update My Home Decor?

Did you know that nationally, the average amount of time between home decor updates for homes at the upper end of the price range is only nine years? Styles change and if your high-end home doesn’t look current on the inside, its value actually decreases.

Luckily, the average time between updates for Colorado Springs is a little bit longer. If you update your home every 12 to 15 years here, you’ll be fine.

Temporary Trends

If you are ready to redecorate, read our post How to Update Your Home Without Tearing Everything Out. As you’re thinking about what to change, remember to use classic styles for the most permanent features. In twenty years, something like a barn door is going to make people think nostalgically of 2017 and you will have to go to a lot of trouble to replace it.

Instead of using trends in the permanent architectural features of your home, consider adding trendy items to a classically decorated home and using current accessories. For example, we aren’t seeing a lot of knick knacks on mantlepieces right now. You can keep your fireplace in a classic color and shape, but with just a few easily-changed, bold items placed on the mantle.

Wall art, pillows and plants can also be incorporated. Read our post What We Learned From the Parade of Homes to learn more about the colors that are trendy right now and next week we’ll delve into how to use these other accessories.

What’s the latest in home decor? See last week’s post, What We Learned From the Parade of Homes.

How can you incorporate the newest Modern Farmhouse trend into your home without starting over? It can be done. Your home can look fresh and updated without remodeling everything.

The Kitchen is the Center

Keep in mind that the kitchen drives the decor of the home. It is usually in the center of the house and people spend a lot of time there. If the kitchen looks dated, the home will look dated… even if other rooms have been updated.

You can start by painting the cabinets. Try painting them in white or white with an espresso glaze on top. Another popular option is to re-stain them with a dark stain. Finish up by replacing the cabinet hardware with champagne gold metalware and the cabinets won’t need to be replaced.

You can also replace sinks and countertops. Calm-patterned countertops in quartz or granite will fit right in.

Redecorating Throughout the House

Consider replacing the light fixtures and the hardware in every room with something more current.

Paint is easily replaced with a neutral taupe for long wear or with peacock blue or navy for a show of updated color. We are seeing brighter colors in auxiliary rooms, like bathrooms, these days and some designers are even using large print wallpaper.

Carpet is also comparatively easy to replace, but consider sticking with popular neutral colors like gray or taupe. A more neutral color will look current for a longer time.

Window Treatments

What about our specialty, window treatments? If you invest in high-quality, neutral colored window coverings, you won’t have to replace them every time you want to update the look of your home. Shutters are timeless, as are draperies with box pleat panels and stationary side panels.

Keeping your window treatments simple will make them last. Simple patterns, neutral colors and quality construction will weather use and fashion updates for 15 years.

Contact us today and let us help you make your windows beautiful and timeless.

Did you see the Parade of Homes this year?

Every year, the Parade of Homes showcases beautiful high end homes built in Colorado Springs. Not only do we see the latest in architecture and floor plans, but the homes are also decorated in the most cutting edge styles.

Modern Farmhouse Has Come to Colorado Springs

In 2017, we saw Modern Farmhouse decor in many of the homes. What is Modern Farmhouse? It’s Heritage with a twist.

Color & Texture in Walls, Floors and Furniture

• Taupe, gray and wood tones are used for floors and furniture.
• Bedrooms and baths are painted with more color, like peacock blue and navy.
• Shiplap (a rustic-looking, horizontal paneling) is popular.
• Designers are using large-print wallpaper in baths and powder rooms.

Cabinets & Fixtures are Changing Color

• Cabinets are white, espresso or a combination of the two.
• Another trend seen in bathrooms is the floating vanity, a vanity that is secured to the wall and doesn’t touch the floor.
• Gold fixtures are coming back, but the gold is different. Faucets, lighting fixtures and hardware are being made in a champagne, brushed gold.

Accessories Look Natural & Less Sophisticated

• Upcycled accessories are being shown in the home.
• Natural materials with an organic feel give a room some softness.

The Parade of Homes can be an inspiration for homeowners wanting to update their homes. Keep in mind that your home should reflect your taste and personality. You don’t have to throw out everything you love and replace it with the latest thing. We can keep what you love and still make your home look more current.

We can make sure your home is beautiful, current and a place you love to spend your time. The Parade of Homes is fun and inspiring, but your home is your sanctuary and we want to help you love it. Call us today for a consultation!

The look of a Colorado lodge is a popular look for Colorado Springs homes, but are shutters your only choice if you want wooden window coverings to go with the dark wood of a lodge? Shutters aren’t right for every room, but if you want the warmth of wood without the heaviness of shutters, you still have options.

Shutters

Shutters are the king of wooden window coverings. They are dramatic and classic, like handmade furniture. Shutters screen out light and are easily opened and closed. However, they also block a lot of the window and even though many shutters can be opened, they will either swing out into the room or take up significant space on either side of the window.

Wooden Blinds

Most people know that blinds can be made with different materials, but did you know that wood blinds can be made from different woods? Hunter Douglas has a product made with abachi wood, a textured wood with an unusual effect called, Parkland Textures. They make other kinds of blinds from basswood, a responsibly harvested hardwood, that can be stained to match your cabinets.

Blinds can be painted, but if you are looking for something to complement your Colorado lodge-look home, a dark stain may give you more of the effect you want.

Woven Wood Shades

What if you prefer a shade? You’re in luck! High-quality shades woven from wood, reeds and grasses are available from Hunter Douglas too. Woven shades have the textural interest of a drape, but they let some light through and have a quiet, artistic effect on a room. Hunter-Douglas’ Provenance product comes in four styles and unlike woven wood shades from a big box store, they are meant to last a lifetime.

Woods perform well in Colorado’s low-humidity and they reflect the beauty of our natural surroundings. Would you like to include wooden window coverings in your decor? Contact us today and we’ll consult on your options!