A new year suggests a fresh start. It's a clean canvas on which you can create a new version of yourself. One way of tuning your mind into this “New year, new me” mindset is to make changes in your immediate environment. You can do so with interior design trends that can breathe new life into your condo space and trigger the right emotional responses.
The home design trends in 2018 involve colors, patterns, materials, and a healthy approach in creating living spaces. With more people shifting to work-at-home lifestyles, it's imperative to make the home conducive to productive and creative pursuit while keeping a relaxing environment. Here are five interior design trends that can help you maximize the benefits of condo living.
1. The powers of ultra violet
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What are the interior color trends for 2018? There's a lot, actually. Pantone has announced that Ultra Violet as the color of the year 2018. “The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection,” according to the color authority.
In chromotherapy, or the use of colors to cure diseases, violet have anti-inflammatory properties. It's also soothing to all systems. You can paint the walls of your living room with violet or simply place an accent chair in ultra violet as the focal point of your interior design.
2. Feng Shui design elements
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The Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 16. But you can start prepping your condo now for the Year of the Dog. What are the interior design do's and don’ts in feng shui?
Lucky elements:
Colors: Green, Red and Purple
Flowers: Rose, Oncidium and Cymbidium Orchids
Directions: South, east and southeast
Unlucky elements:
Colors: Blue, white, gold
Directions: North and west
Before dismissing these design tips as superstitious, you may consider the benefits of the lucky elements regardless of your belief. Green, like blue, has calming effects that can help you decompress after a long day. Red is known as an energy booster while purple is regarded for its meditative effects. Adding flowering plants gives a nature feel in your condo space and clean the indoor air.
3. Discover the magic of geometric patterns
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One of the current decorating trends you should take note of is geometric patterns. “Large scale prints and geometrics will continue to become more widely used especially in wallpaper and there is an increasing trend to move away from flat or plain surfaces. Interestingly geometric designs are being used more and more as a prominent feature in kitchens and the use of statement glass or ceramic tiles with bold designs are becoming increasingly popular,” interior designer Jane Cappleman told East Anglian Daily Times.
Here are some tips In using geometric patterns to design your home:
- Use geometric patterns to complement your interior design. If you're going for a modern minimalist, you can decorate with simple shapes in monochromatic tones.
- For a uniquely eye-catching design, try blending geometric patterns with photographs in vintage color palette. You can turn your living room wall into an art gallery.
- Combine geometric patterns with tone coloring. You can do this by choosing a few colors and applying different saturations on the surface. A two-color palette can create an illusion of space in your condo room.
4. Wood and stone that never go out of style
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Natural elements have been a trend for years. For 2018, home builders and designers recommend bringing the outdoors into homes. These natural elements include wood, stone, and plants. “Choose natural elements that incorporate your style and connect you to your interiors,” interior design website Freshome advises.
You don't have to worry about breaking the bank to buy expensive mahogany tables and marble countertops. You can score beautiful pieces in antique and secondhand shops. You can learn DIY tips on how to repurpose wooden pallets, drawers, and other stuff gathering dust in your parents' basement. Then, add cacti plants in lovely pots.
5. The amazing indoor plants
The easiest way to bring natural elements into your home is through indoor plants. Decades ago, NASA scientists found that certain plants have air-cleaning properties. These include the Boston Fern, Spider Plant, Bamboo Palm, and English Ivy.
For your guidance, here are the recommended indoor plants for every room in your condo:
- Warneck dracaena and geraniums can eliminate kitchen odor and add a touch of beauty in your cooking area.
- Filter your bathroom air of formaldehyde with the Snake plant. You can also display a pot of English Ivy to get rid of fecal-matter particles in the air.
- Chrysanthemum cleans the air of the pollutants benzene and trichloroethylene in cleaning materials. You can have this indoor plant by your bedroom window. You can also have a Bamboo Palm that can rid of benzene and trichloroethylene.
- For your living room, you should have the weeping fig or the Chinese Evergreen that filters airborne particles from carpeting and furniture.
Let condo living work for you by making your space pleasing, comfortable, and a place in which you want to spend time. Explore condo design trends to try this 2018 and incorporate them into your home. Instead of painting your walls ultra violet, you can mount curtains in beautiful purple palettes. Invite positive feng shui into your space by adding elements of green. You can place indoor plants in every room. The Spider plant, weeping fig, and Chinese Evergreen are trendy natural design elements that can also clean the air of pollutants. Most importantly, choose design elements that “spark joy in your heart,” to borrow the words of organizing guru Marie Kondo.