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Welcome to the fourth issue of Design Directions. I recently attended several trade events that forecast the trends for 2010 and 2011 and I have acquired several new furniture collections that I am very excited to make available to my clients.
What better time to share this with you than as we celebrate the New Year.
Warm regards,
Tracy Kundell
President
Avalon Interiors
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TIME IS RUNNING OUT! - Only available for the
2009 tax year.
The Home
Renovation Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit based on eligible expenses
for improvements to your house, condo or cottage. It can be claimed on your
2009 income tax return. It applies to work performed or goods acquired after
January 27, 2009, and before February 1, 2010 under an agreement
entered into after January 27, 2009.
Eligible expenses for goods acquired during this period, even if they are
installed after January 2010, will still qualify. If an eligible expense
involves work performed by a contractor or a third party, and the work is not
completed by the end of the eligible period, only the portion that is completed
before February 1, 2010 will qualify even if a payment has been made.
The HRTC applies to eligible expenses of
more than $1,000, but not more than $10,000, resulting in a maximum
non-refundable tax credit of $1,350 [($10,000 − $1,000) × 15%].
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Trends Forecast 2010- Feeling Blue?
Blue is the leader of the pack for colour forecasting in 2010. There are 2 major influences with the blues we'll be seeing the first is that of the Spa Experience (be sure to read my upcoming blog for more on this), paired with warm grays as opposed to brown as we have seen in the past (though browns win over gray moving into 2012). It will be airy, open and hopeful.
The second influence of blue will be the aqua/turquoise blues that as we crave escapism put us in vacation mode. Turquoise #15-5519 is the Pantone and Para colour of the year. All of the blues from deep jewel tones, cool blues, spa and electric blues will dominate the palette. Green is the Benjamin Moore colour of the year emphasizing the positive outlook on renewing both for the economy and the environment.
Spring 2010 is all about the feminine hues. A contrast of mixing warm, tranquil and calming colours paired with vibrant tones and delicate lighter neutrals that will transcend the season.
Purple continues to influence the palette but this year it will be more in the lavender family and more romantic than dramatic. Even Zen has gone feminine with cherry blossom design and more organic shapes leading the way. Coral (emerging now) will lead the way into the warmer hues (look for darker red-cast browns in 2011). Orange is also still in the limelight.
The industrial chic look a la Restoration Hardware is also very big. The contrast of rustic, industrial along with finer items gives a collected look rather than 'just bought'.
For years we having been stating what is the new "black", it has been gray, it has been brown, but this year the good news is that the new black is "Black".
Nail head details are on all kinds of furnishings from decorating arms, outlining backs and brightening up aprons. Now you can also get the traditional detail with a twist, instead of the familiar brass/silver tacks you can get crystal or stone. Look for these on headboards and accent tables.
For upholstered pieces wings and club chairs stood out, frames that played with the scale of the traditional wing chair in terms of height and depth were all over the market as well as sofas with that were low profile on tapered wooden or chrome legs. Tufting was also all over the place in a very 'in your face' non-subtle way, these pieces are a modern take on the traditional as they are done in metallic and high gloss fabrics. I call it the 'Mode' look a la Ugly Betty. Don't get me wrong, I like the look.
Surface interest stood out for me at most of the shows I visited. I'm sure I bored my family with my excitement over flexible slate tiles and light reflective textured Plexiglas panels. The market is full of both visual and tactile materials. The finishes we will be seeing are high gloss instead of matte with texture also introduced more and more along with metallic finishes and graphic bold patterns.
Wood surfaces which have tended to be dark in recent years are moving to a lighter shade, which the North American market is slow to adapt to. The European market is flooded with bleached woods...no don't worry not the 'pickled' pinkish bleached woods but the cooler grey barn woods and antique elms.
Did anyone else pick up on the British invasion? If not let me be the first to say that I predict it will be hot, hot, hot.
New in kitchen and bath design are square & organic edges that have taken over in Europe. Lit cabinets, shelves, pot drawers and base cabinets that have lights that turn on/off as they open and close, especially with the soft close piston motion feature. Backlit islands and counter tops are hot now that LED is the key with fiber optic strip lights. I also now will eat my words that hate LED. I officially love LED now that they have perfected the warm light, just in time too as we move towards 2012 when incandescent will be obsolete.
A new innovation is the pop up socket, great for island/counter use to meet with our electrical codes and avoid unsightly sockets that ruin beautiful backsplashes and cabinet surfaces. I love this tower of power!
 For the condo owner integration is the new trend with floating/sliding and movable cabinets that integrate storage. Islands with movable tops, rolling cutting boards and integrated seating/dining are also hot.
I noticed a major shift geared to the younger consumer.
"Generation Y, Generation X, twentysomethings. Millennials. Echo Boomers. Students. No matter what you call them today's global 15-34 year olds are evolving at warp speed". These ADDer's who need constant change to keep them interested. It's like doing the same drive to work everyday, you get bored and go into auto pilot. Now cabinet designers are alternating the way doors open, from slide, lift up, left hinge, right hinge, drop down, push to open, pull to open...you get the picture. This keeps the buyer interested and makes the living space exciting.
Integrated hardware is also big with hinges that allow access with almost zero clearance.
All in all a lot to be excited about for 2010, so much so that will spread the excitement through the year in my upcoming blog, be sure to sign up for it!
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The new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)
How will effect you?
It's coming and
there will be no avoiding the new government HST. "On July 1, 2010, Ontario's tax system will
see its biggest change in a generation with the introduction of a single, harmonized sales tax
(HST)."
Look for more information on HST, and how it will have an impact on many things including my services, in my upcoming newsletter in March.
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