While trends come and go, interior design fads are slightly less disposable than last season’s must-have runway frocks. This fall, interior design stems in simplicity and neutral naturals that will last from season to season.

1
Designer Dyes
Along with the shift of weather during the fall timeframe comes a brilliant transition of hues as autumn settles in. Cloud cover filters the sun’s rays as the landscape below expresses a much more muted tone than months past. This fall, interior designs mimic this sentiment through complex paints that are multifaceted. “I think the key word this season is ‘chameleon neutrals’ as the new neutrals,” says Paige Bailey of Paige Bailey and Associates, Inc. and owner of One Posh Place in Phoenix. “These colors are sort of misty shades and veiled tones like smoky greens, smoky blues, warm grays and khakis. And the chameleon nature of it is that they literally change color depending on the time of day, the light source and the surrounding furniture.” Bailey adds that the slightly understated nature of these tones contribute a cleaner, more peaceful edge to rooms throughout the home.

 

2
Setting the Pace
While fashions for the feet typically revolve around Manolos and Choos, when it comes to designing inside spaces, what’s underfoot can have a huge style impact. Designer Debra May Himes of Chandler-based Debra May Himes Interior Design & Associates says the old dilemma of tile versus wood needn’t pose a problem because the two can be married seamlessly. Herringbone patterns of wider wood planks surrounding travertine or slate can serve as footing for nearly any design.

3
Nontraditional Timber
In selecting furniture to fill a home, international influences have impact, especially for wood furnishings. “We are seeing a lot of exotic woods, not only in furniture but also for built-ins,” Bailey says. Ranging from zebrawood and woods harvested from South America and the Far East, the exotic nature of these woods lies in grains and patterns not often found in the states.

 

4
Au Natural  
Following the tendency to favor natural materials and elements, the bathroom is one space where the outdoors can be brought in. Bailey says the evolution of this sanctuarylike space has come to include pebbled flooring of low-profile, river-type rocks that make a soothing yet bold statement. The pebbles can also dress a room from the floor up as an out-of-the-box wall treatment.

 

5
Bejeweled
Just as one might dress up a little black dress for a night on the town, some designers have noticed prevalence in the use of bling for the home. Clear glass lamps that are hefty yet contemporary or onyx lamps can enhance the ambience of a space and have been rising in popularity. “We see the jewelry trend not only in lamps, but in pendants, chandeliers and accessories like vases and candlesticks because it is very visually appealing,” Bailey says.

6
Design de Cuisine
This season’s kitchen aesthetic is about shaking up the structure with metallics and nontraditional materials. From metal- and glass-tiled backsplashes to thick glass countertops and polished nickel throughout, the conventional kitchen is gaining an industrial essence. “And lighting is leaning more toward pendants and chandeliers that look a little more industrial than they used to be,” Bailey says.

 

7
Keen on Green
As eco-consciousness blends into the everyday, designers remind us that keeping certain pieces can be as environment-friendly as purchasing newer, greener ones. “Design is not always about going out and getting a new chair or sofa,” Bailey says. “Taking an old dining room table and using it as an office desk” is one example. “Repurposing existing furniture can be done by reupholstering with more up-to-date fabrics and you really are taking care of the environment when you do that.”

 

8
Window to the World
Whether to frame a window fresco or shut the world away, for fall, window treatments are taking a cue from the runway. “We are seeing a lot of metallics in drapery,” Bailey says. This look can be accomplished through textural linens with a metallic thread woven through it. “It is subtle, but if you catch the right light you’ll definitely get the effect.” Also, à la mode woven shades, made out of grass, wood or bamboo, give a real textural look and natural feeling.

 

9
Tactile Elements
From big baskets with heavy weaves that exude an earthy tone to throws and pillows just longing to be touched, adding texture to the home can easily be accomplished by minimal accessorizing. “Texture is always important regardless of season and regardless of trend,” says David Michael Miller of Scottsdale’s David Michael Miller Associates. “To be comfortable, people need to be connected to the materials and textures in their home.”

10
Welcome Diversion
“The reality is that media is taking the place of traditional focal points,” Miller says. “I think people are more comfortable with the reality of television and online media as being a central part of our daily life.” Miller says that this realization has prompted designers to be less inclined to hide media and more inclined to showcase it. “It is just a modern day reality. It used to be that we’d put the TV’s in an armoire and conceal them, but in our contemporary and even minimalist work allowing media to be there is real.”

 

11
Rules Were Meant to Be…
Breaking the rules of real estate can lead to excellence in design for the day to day. “It used to be that everyone would follow the real estate rules and they’d have their dining room, living room, kitchen and family room,” Miller says. While some families do have uses for each of these rooms, Miller says that these days, most don’t. “I am seeing people being a little bit more adventurous and designing their houses to reflect their real-life lifestyles.”

 

12
Treetop Textiles
Reflected on interior fabrics is the leaf-changing nature of autumn. Quiet botanical patterns of branching structures or willows help to solidify a natural aesthetic appeal. “These patterns can be used in rooms throughout the home from the family room to the kitchen to bathrooms, and you can do this with contemporary, transitional or traditional styles,” Bailey says.

 

To Learn More:
David Michael Miller Associates 480.425.7545, www.davidmichaelmiller.com.
Debra May Himes Interior Design 480.497.2699, www.dmhdesign.com.
Paige Bailey and Associates 480.941.8954, www.oneposhplaceaz.com.