Robin Garceau - The Interior Designer: A Surprising Twist in Home Furnishing Trends for 2017

Robin Garceau - The Interior Designer: A Surprising Twist in Home Furnishing Trends for 2017

Twice per year, High Point North Carolina is home to the International Home Furnishings Market for trade professionals. It is the largest furnishings industry show in the world encompassing 180 buildings, over 11 Million square feet of showroom space and thousands of vendors & manufacturers from all over the world. This is the place you could very well see and have conversations with your favorite designers...Bobby Berk, Thom Filicia, Tobi Fairley, Candice Olson...or attend launch parties for new and upcoming designers and furniture lines.  

Attending this event is not for the faint of heart, but it is always inspiring.  It is an important way seasoned Interior Designers stay current & on trend.  You sit in a thousand chairs, touch a thousand lights and walk on a thousand rugs. Many items are not even available for months to come. You attend seminars with international Interior Designers and Magazine Editors.  The ultimate goal is to become the eyes and hands for clients...to know what will be fashionable around the corner in order to create beautiful and fresh interiors.

This year was an eye opener...long gone is the “Restoration Hardware” look of beige linen and rustic metals. Deep, rich color is emerging again...strong and bold mixed with subtle color.  Linen is being replaced with lush velvet and mohair creating warmth that surrounds you. Along with such bold colors, the steady trend of mixing old and new, modern with mid-century is still going strong.  Contemporary art styled along a tufted velvet sofa, mixed with rich warm woods create a classic look. Mid-century styles fused with crystal and glass radiates sophistication and elegance.  All of this combined with the technological advances in stain resistant fabrics make having an elegant space suitable for kids and animals.

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It’s hard to not feel relaxed and secure in such a sensuous environment. The approach of staying current & fresh in your own space without replacing your beige linen sofa, is to integrate it with color & warmth. Throw a few velvet pillows on it - teal, red, emerald green or even deep rose. Add bold accessories throughout your room, replace a rug or hang new artwork to update your look. Wallpaper makes a statement as an accent wall or placed inside wall moldings. Fresh bold paint always makes a statement. Take what you have and make it new again with just a few thoughtful additions.

Always remember to be brave!  Approach your space with intent and confidence or hire a seasoned Interior Designer to work with you. (Read my previous article...Steps to Hiring An Interior Designer). Some feel decorating and updating a room is unimportant or insignificant, but the feeling you get from walking through your door to a warm and inviting space that you love is priceless. Just hold your breath and  jump into the bold colors of 2017.

Robin Garceau is among RI’s most prominent interior designers.  Her signature style of sophisticated & fresh design brings an elevated level of subtle luxury to client’s homes and offices. 

A native Rhode Islander with more than 20 years in the design field, Robin specializes in comprehensive upscale projects. She also received her real estate license in 2011 and has worked with builders, real estate developers, business owners & homeowners to develop a broad and extensive knowledge of living & office spaces. Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhode Island College’s Fine Arts Program and is a longstanding member of the Interior Design Society & RI Association of Realtors.

Robin can be reached at 401-743-4889 and on her website, RobinGarceau.com.