FEATURE STORY

INTERIOR DESIGN: 2020 Trends and Tips

By Amy Falkofske

Does your home need a fresh look? Have the kids outgrown their bedroom décor? If so, then it’s time to think about redecorating. There is so much to consider when taking on a redecorating project in your home, but we’ve got advice and tips to help you get started.

Where to Start The experts all seem to agree that the first thing to take into consideration is budget.

“Budget, budget, budget. This is what most people tend to overlook when starting a design project. How much do you want to spend?” asks Diego El-Amin, loyalty manager with IKEA.

Rita Miller and Philip J. Rowe, both interior designers at Green Front Furniture, agree that budget is a top consideration when taking on an interior design project.

The next thing you need to do is decide what you want the finished product to look like. Sean Porter, owner of Loveless Porter Architects, LLC says, “Just go online and search images of a style you like to get inspiration for your own interior. Begin to create a scrapbook of ideas.”

Rowe and Miller agree, saying that you should look in magazines to see what you like as far as style. “I actually would love it if someone would tear stuff out of magazines and bring it to me and show me,” says Rowe. “If you pick up a magazine and you like what’s on the cover, you’ll like what’s on the inside, and chances are, that’s the style you’re going to go with,” says Miller.

Porter and El-Amin both suggest meeting with an interior designer, as well. “If you’re looking for a large remodel, I would say enlist an interior designer. They’re more in the know of common trends, common palates, colors of the year and would be a good starting point at least to get some ideas,” Porter says.

“Don’t underestimate getting professional assistance with your redesign project. A professional can help you navigate through many challenges you might face in redesigning your space, like understanding the relationship between space and its occupants, health, safety and welfare issues associated with creating a space that will contribute to your sense of well-being,” says El-Amin.

Dave Funk of David Funk Painting gives guidance on whether you should tackle a project alone or hire a professional. If painting is part of your redecorating plan, your choice really depends on time and money. “I think that if somebody has the time and the energy and the desire, there’s nothing wrong with trying it for yourself, and certainly a little bit of research on YouTube or elsewhere on the internet will go a long way and it will pay off. I think where it pays off to hire somebody is when someone has more expendable money than they have time,” Funk says.

If you do decide to undertake the painting yourself, it’s important (continues on page 6)

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to prepare. “The very first thing is to make sure that you get the proper tools and to slow down and take your time for all the preparation that goes into painting a room and just to make sure that you allow enough time,” he says. “If somebody thought to themselves, hey, this is going to take me one day, I would plan for two.”

Another big consideration, according to El-Amin, is the depth of your project. “Give some serious thought to whether your project is a major remodel. For example, if you have plumbing or electrical involved, then it may be a major remodel,” he says.

He also says to consider those resources you may need such as a contractor, a plumber or an electrician if you plan to do something such as open up a wall.

El-Amin believes interior design is really about “functional, safe and beautiful spaces that consider lifestyle and style preferences. For example, if you are a young family, you’ll want to take into consideration things like sharp edges and having protected corners on your furniture, having durable flooring and sofa finishes, and having enough storage.”

He points out that two adults without children who entertain often will have different needs, and a young single adult will want to live in a space that is multifunctional for both comfortable living and entertaining.

Current Trends If you haven’t redecorated in a while, you might be wondering what styles, colors, etc. are popular right now. Like Porter says, looking online is a good start, or like Miller and Rowe suggest, current interior design magazines will give you lots of design styles to choose from. But they also offer some specific things that are popular right now.

“The trends that we are seeing in design are more Earth tones and more rustic design as far as applications and details,” says Porter.

Rowe echoes Porter. He says that gray, cool tones are popular right now, and colors like warm red are only used if a person’s interior art dictates it. “People who are starting fresh tend to be leaning toward gray, cool tones and blue tones and things like that,” he says.

“In terms of color, grays are incredibly popular if you’re trying to sell your home, or if you’re trying to buy a home, people are picking a lot of grays,” says Funk.

As far as furniture goes, Miller and Rowe say the traditional look and matching furniture has fallen by the wayside. “We see less and less traditional, rolled-arm sofa people. There are definitely clean lines. I attribute that to people having busy lifestyles and wanting simpler, cleaner interiors,” says Rowe.

“We still see some reclaimed shabby chic, type of slip cover look, so you’ve got a little bit of a farmhouse look still going on,” says Miller.

Rowe says that customers are picking more statement or iconic pieces these days, meaning impressive pieces with a “wow” factor that you can build a room around. “I think everyone is trying to gain a collection at home, meaning they’re not picking suited (matching) pieces any longer; they’re picking more pieces that they might want to carry with them regardless of the current home,” he says.

El-Amin has a different take on trends entirely. “Personally, I tend to shy away from design trends when it comes to redesigning or redecorating my home, as they tend to change from year to year. What I recommend is updating things like textiles such as rugs, curtains, cushion covers and throws. That will give you an updated look and the selection of these items can be based on trends, because it’s going to be less expensive to make a fresh new look.”

Future Trends If redecorating is not on the immediate horizon, but you want to know what to be on the lookout for, our experts shared where they think the design trends are headed from here.

Porter says he thinks people are still going to want a lot of clean lines and contemporary designs in the future, but according to Funk, there could be a change in what people are looking for in terms of color.

“I would say that we’re going to see the grays and the whites stick around for quite a while before they fizzle out. I think that people who buy homes a few years down the road, the bolder colors are going to come back,” says Funk. “Wallpaper seems to be making a comeback, too. That’s been a little bit more popular in recent years,” he said. “And I’m willing to bet, that maybe 10 years out, I bet decorative (or faux) finishing makes a comeback too.”

Miller and Rowe say they expect to continue to see customers buying iconic pieces.

El-Amin’s thoughts on future design trends are not so much about colors and furniture, but how the spaces in our homes will be used. “In the near future, I see rooms not being used in the way they traditionally have been used in the past. People are starting to consider sustainability and healthy living a lot more than they used to,” he said. “Consumers are now making more conscious decisions and asking questions such as, ‘How was the product madew?’, ‘Is it recyclable?’ and ‘Does it contribute to a negative carbon footprint?’” He also thinks the internet and the emergence of smart homes will influence home design in the future.

n Do make sure whatever you do works for your lifestyle.

n Do be realistic about your budget and your time. He uses the example of wanting to redecorate his own bedroom in one day and making it a surprise for his wife. He wanted to change all of the furniture in the room and that couldn’t be done in one day. In the end he decided to forgo the surprise and give himself time to do the project the way he wanted to.

n Do write down some of the challenges you face in your current space and how you hope redesigning the room will address those issues (i.e., the need for more storage).

n Do write a list of activities you want to do in each of the rooms you plan to redesign.

n Do consider maintenance issues when selecting fabric, wall and floor finishes, especially depending on whether or not you have children.

n Don’t forget about storage. “One of the biggest needs in our market is storage. Most people do not have enough space for the number of things that they own,” said El-Amin.

The key to taking on a redecoration project in your home is, ultimately, preparation. Prepare your budget, decide what look you are going for and acquire examples of what you want online or in magazines, then make a plan. Give yourself enough time to complete your project, and make sure you have all the tools you need before you get started. And remember, there are a wealth of professionals in our area just waiting to help if you need it.

Tips for Redecorating According to El-Amin, there are some dos and don’ts of redecorating your home. Amy Falkfoske (afalkfoske@princewilliamliving.com) is a freelance writer and photographer. She has a Master’s degree in Film-TV with a concentration in screenwriting. She lives in Bristow with her husband, two boys and two Beagle dogs.

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on a high note

A Touch of Romance in Every Novel With Author Natalina Reis

By Amy Taylor

If a crackling fire, a mug of cocoa and a romance novel sounds like your idea of a great night in, we’re with you. Now that Valentine’s Day is on everyone’s minds, you might be looking for a dose of romance. We caught up with local romance author Natalina Reis to learn more about the craft of creating romance novels.

A Lifetime of Writing Her journey into writing romance novels began as a teenager.

“I always liked a good romance even as a kid. When I started writing in my teens, I always seemed to add a heavy romance element to everything I wrote, so I guess it was not surprising that I would end up writing romance. Romances have a sort of magic to them; they are full of hope and optimism and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside,” Reis said.

She hit a few bumps along the road to publication, but she didn’t let those discourage her for long. After a rough patch of many rejections, she got back up and found a way to publish her work.

“I started writing romances about the time I had my first son and kept it up for a few years. Then I got disillusioned with all the rejections (back then self-publishing was not an option and most publishers were not taking unsolicited manuscripts) and I stopped for a long time. Then about five years ago, I joined a

local writing group, learned about NaNoWriMo, wrote a novel that I pitched during a Twitter's Pitch Madness and was lucky enough to be picked by a small publisher. Even though I didn't stay with that publisher after my first book, it gave me the boost I needed to continue publishing. I am now a hybrid author. Most of my books are traditionally published by a small press, and I have a couple of self-pubs,” she said.

Author Nataline Reis writes romantic novels, often with a twist of fantasy and the supernatural.

The universal notion of love and positivity of romance drew Natalina Reis to add romance to all her novels.

might expect. You can find a variety of genre elements in each of her novels.

“I am one of those people who absolutely hate to place books in these little genre boxes. My books have a very strong romance element to them — some more than others — but they are also so much more than that. I was a devout mystery reader for many years, so most of my books, from romantic comedies to paranormal, have some elements of mystery. In my portfolio you will find a fantasy series, romantic comedies with a twist, a dystopian/sci-fi and paranormal romances. I have even written some short horror and suspense pieces (not published), but even in those I tend to insert some romance,” Reis said.

The universal notion of love and positivity of romance drew her to add elements of romance to all her novels.

“… the optimism, the idea that love can change the world, that love can sustain you. The idea that there is someone who completes you, who feels like home no matter where you are is a very attractive concept. Also, the fact that love is something that unites us all no matter what nationality, what ethnicity, what sexual orientation ... everyone deep down inside has a need for love,” Reis said.

Writing Process — From “Pantsing” to Publication Every writer has their own process when crafting their work. Reis calls herself a “pantser” — a writer who flies by the seat of their pants.

“I'm a pantser, which means I do no planning. I will get an idea (something I saw or heard, a song, a painting) and I will just start writing. The plot and even the characters develop as I write, and I'm not lying when I say that I often get surprised by what my characters do. I could be writing something with no specific goal, and all of a sudden something just pops up in my head and the story takes a whole different route. And that's the one thing I love the most about writing,” she said.

She has published books through several different avenues. Her advice for new writers is to never give up.

“I'm not an expert and it took me a long time to get published, but it can and does happen all the time. So whether you want to be traditionally published or be self-published, the best advice I can give a new novelist is to keep at it. Don't give up. Writing is not for the faint of heart. The romance genre is by far the one that sells the most, but it is also the one with the most competition in terms of numbers of authors and works. It's not easy and don't expect to make a living out of it, at least at first. Go in for the love rather than the money or you will be sorely disappointed,” she advised.

“My other gem of wisdom is to keep educating yourself. Go to workshops, classes, read lots of books on the craft of writing. Just having great ideas is not enough. You have to be able to express them clearly and in a way that pleases and hooks readers,” she said.

Her books published to date are We Will Always Have the Closet, Loved You Always, Blind Magic, Her Real Man, Fictional-ish, The Jewel Chronicles, Lavender Fields, Dark Feathers, Infinite Blue and Heart's Prey.

Her 13th book, Of Magic & Scales, will be published in February 2020. For more information about Natalina Reis, visit her website at natalinareis.com.

Amy Taylor (Ataylor@princewilliamliving.com) is a freelance writer and editor. She earned her BLS in English from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.