As Homeworthy editors, we tend to spend a good portion of our days poring over some of the most beautiful homes in the world, and in doing so, have picked up on a few subtle and not-so-subtle design details that, for lack of a better word, are trending in the design community. Unlike trends that have a quick moment and then fade into the ether, these trends are more design moments that the best and brightest designers are realizing and incorporating into either their projects or their own homes in subtle ways here and there.
Think along the lines of swapping stark white walls with a cool-toned pastel that, from afar, could read white, but just a little more interesting; an updated take on the classic gallery walls; and statement lighting. Ahead, we take a look at seven design details we’ve seen again and again in Homeworthy home tours. What’s more, they’re pretty easy to incorporate into your own home, so if you’re in the market to change your space without doing a whole lot, you’ve come to the right place.
When designer Darcie Bundy and her husband Ken Cohen moved from Washington, DC, into a 1920s-style home in California’s Rancho Santa Fe, she admitted that it needed a lot of work. Rather than leave the walls stark white, she swathed most of them in a pale yet warm hue. “I want our home to look and feel intentional but never contrived and definitely not pretentious,” which explains her choice for the walls. The minty color expertly complements the interior architecture, including the fireplace (which is one of 19 in the home), and the cozy furniture.
California-cool gets an entirely new meaning in Kate and Chad Balsis Dana Point home, where a laid-back feel is paramount. Though the rest of the house boasts a somewhat moody feel, the kitchen is bright and airy, and complete with terrazzo (broken-up bits of marble) on both the walls and the floor. “We used wallpaper on the ceiling, which is cool, and some of my favorite terrazzo, and it’s just kind of an escape in the rest of the house,” says Kate. These caned bar stools, vintage finds, added to the cool factor without creating competition. “I try to weave in as many old beautiful things as I can just to add texture and a bit of a story.”
If New York’s Upper East Side can take on only one adjective to capture its essence, it would be “warm,” and Alexander Wilson’s uptown apartment is proof. In his living room, which also doubles as a foyer, green takes center stage, but in various tones. What’s more, the green isn’t just beautiful; it’s functional too: Wilson hated the marble surrounding the fireplace, so in order to make it stand out a little less, he painted the trim around it green (it used to be a bright white). In doing so, he covered the walls in a mossy-colored grasscloth and found furniture and decorative pieces that paired well with the room’s new earthy colors.
Some people prefer to paint a small space in a bright color to offer the illusion of more space, but in Tiffany and Tom Compton’s library, they opted for a dramatic, intimate feel. In addition to painting it in a glossy maroon color, they also took it a step further and hung an elaborate chandelier from the ceiling, dangling just above the glossy piano. “My electrician hated me because he had to attach all of these baubles individually, but this is one of my favorite pieces in this room,” Tiffany admits. “It definitely makes a statement, as it draws your eye up. It also gives it that relief this room needed because the space is so dark.”
Generally speaking, a particularly large room is hardly a bad thing in any home, but the exceptional width of designer Christian Bense’s living room proposed a challenge that he gladly accepted. “The living room actually feels quite disproportionate to the rest of the apartment, as it is by far the widest, and I knew it really was a great opportunity for us to sort of lay out all our art,” he says. “I wanted the apartment to feel like a quirky flat with art on every wall. And this was a great space to do that.”
When you think of a Ralph Lauren-inspired aesthetic, mountain homes or New York City townhouses may come to mind, but designer Jess Weeth managed to expertly execute the look on the beach—Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, that is. Her inspiration wasn’t just an idea; it was a place: Newport, Rhode Island. “I really do love the kind of old-school feel in a working kitchen,” Jess says. “We actually saw a few kind of working kitchens when we did some house tours in Newport over the last couple of summers, and I loved these old-school kitchens.”
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