8 HOME DESIGN TRENDS TO USE NOW

from 2023 Haciendas: A Parade of Homes

SANCTUARY SAVED

Make way for color, custom tile, and the art of the mix

By Wendy Ilene Friedman

1. GO AWAY GRAY

Perhaps reflecting a transition away from the bleakness of the past few years, color is making its mark when it comes to interior paint. “We’re definitely moving away from stark grays,” says Naomi Boylan, a design consultant at Coronado Paint & Decorating, who has noticed a gray era on walls for the past several years. She surmises that the move toward a warmer feel is due to the amount of time spent at home during the pandemic. Boylan reports that warm beige and creams are the most asked-for paint colors of late. Her personal favorite is the Benjamin Moore shade Etiquette, which she describes as a neutral beige that blends well with the desert scenery here in the Southwest.

2. EMBRACE NEW NEUTRALS

“The new neutrals are colors that come from nature, like subtle blues, greens, and rich browns,” says Jennifer Ashton of Jennifer Ashton Interi- ors. She says her clients are leaning toward classic Santa Fe style by “thinning out” redundancies for a more modern feel.

3. MIX TEXTURES

While modern, Ashton says the ultimate feel isn’t stark. Her clients favor organic materials, such as straw baskets and woven wool blankets and rugs, as well as blending materials, such as leather and linen. “I call it the art of the mix,” Ashton explains, noting that clients are looking for customary Santa Fe style but being more artful about it. “It’s more about mixing textures and incorporating color and warmth by using furniture, wood-grain cabinetry, textiles, and hardware.” She notes that clients are integrating bronze and antique gold hardware to create an earthy feel.

“I find that we’re moving away from a more contemporary style, which is still around, but more toward the historic nature of Santa Fe and the reason people love it here,” she says. For instance, instead of a leather couch or circular sofa in white or cream, which Ashton says don’t lend themselves well to Santa Fe, she is seeing eggshell blue or leafy green linens and bouclé for furniture, even colored leather.

4. CURATE CUSTOM TILE DESIGNS

“We have an incredibly artistic market and tend to set our own trends,” says Lynsey Pompei-Storm of Allbright & Lockwood/Statements in Tile/Lighting/Kitchens/Flooring, who feels that people are constantly redefining Santa Fe style for themselves. One way to do that: custom tile patterns. A new backsplash or tile wall can update the feel of a kitchen or bath without huge costs. She says it’s about playing on the original look and elevating it to a new level.

Homeowners can create the same effect with floors by replacing older terra-cotta and Saltillo tile floors with modern and softer versions that still reflect a southwestern aesthetic. She points out that Santa Fe is flush with second homeowners from out of state who come here specifically for a Santa Fe–style home.

5. ADD A “WOW” FACTOR

Creative tilework is part of a larger trend Pompei-Storm has observed. She’s noticing a “wow factor” emerging in local interior design, with people adding pizazz with tile, paint, or even a standout light fixture. “Light fixtures make a huge impact and can completely change the look of a room,” she says.

6. COLOR, COLOR EVERYWHERE

Victoria Sanchez of Victoria at Home is known for trendsetting styles. Named a home decor “style maker” by Luxe magazine, she agrees with the consensus that organic materials and natural tones are setting the mood for home interiors, especially in new builds. “We’re getting away from the glass and shiny materials,” she says. “And gray is out. Everyone is sick of it.”

She says “color was everywhere” at this year’s Maison & Objet show in Paris — a kind of fashion week for interior designers. There Sanchez saw a range of colors in jewel tones, such as emerald green, often seen in 1980s fashion, and the pale yellows and pinks of the 1950s and ’60s. Even appliance companies like Kohler are welcoming color; it offers toilets in various shades.

“Domestically we’re following this trend,” Sanchez says, adding that Santa Fe is also feeling the color current.

7. GO OUTSIDE

Sanchez says that while enjoying outdoor spaces is not necessarily new to Santa Fe, the pandemic has led to a noticeable increase in clients wanting to invest in outdoor living areas — so much so that home furnishings companies Sanchez uses often, such as Kravet, Vanguard Furniture, and Century Furniture, have added outdoor collections. “I’ve helped clients expand their portals or create new outdoor seating areas,” she says.

8. FIND TRANQUILITY

From uncluttered views to simple lines, Sanchez says, her clients want their homes to reflect tranquility. Although clients are achieving this from the outset in newly built homes, anyone can incorporate this feeling into a home by paring down and eliminating things they no longer need, repainting the walls, changing cabinet hardware, and revamping outdoor areas with new furniture or perhaps a water feature.

And there’s always a place to add a spot of color.

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