Be Bold

Make statements in your décor

By Terri L. Jones

Home décor is becoming bigger and bolder this year, according to interior designer David Barden of David Barden Home. With vivid color, large-scale patterns and generously sized accent pieces replacing subtle hues and detail, upcoming styles are fresher, more youthful and much more fun than they have been for years.

This designer sees his clients taking decorating less seriously these days. “People used to think that they were stuck with a room for the next 25 or 30 years,” Barden says. But his clients, many of whom are baby boomers, aren’t worrying about the coming decades. Living life in the moment, they want to make their homes look exactly the way they want them right now. This is when “the party really starts,” Barden says about this stage in his boomer clients’ lives. They are determined to have fun with everything they do, including their home décor.

Accent On Impact

Nowadays, less is more when it comes to accent pieces. Barden prefers one large, dramatic piece to anchor a table or dresser, rather than an assortment of small items vying for attention.

He sees many people choosing accessories that they can use “rather than pieces that just look pretty.”

These bone-white pieces make an even more striking statement when used against a contrasting backdrop of color on walls. Barden points out that you can also achieve this same level of impact with painted white furniture against vividly colored walls.

Full-Of-Life Fabrics

Barden says that new fabrics on the market are coming alive with natural, organic patterns like shells, coral, vines and flowers. And no more tiny, intricate repeats — these fabrics by Carole Fabrics and Lee Jofa take center stage with large-scale, graphic designs and bold, assertive lines.

This year’s colors are also very dynamic. Every shade of orange is making a comeback, along with a whole palette of colors that aren’t the slightest bit washed out or subtle like the hues of years past. To reinforce their powerful intensity, many patterns are monochromatic, printing in white on a field of vivid color or in color on white. To underscore this contrast, Barden recommends creating clean, crisp lines on furniture, duvets and pillows using stark-white piping and trim.

Barden anticipates that his clients will have no argument with this move toward high-wattage color. “Richmonders love bright colors; they always have,” says this Richmond-raised designer who got his start in one of the mecca's of interior design, New York City. “It just so happens that bright color is back in now.”

Seamless Transition

“Just because you have hardwood floors doesn’t mean you must have an Oriental rug,” Barden stresses. Many home owners buy expensive Oriental rugs and then build the rooms around the rugs, which can be a frustrating - and compromising - way to decorate.

With the advent of these custom-designed floor coverings by Davis and Davis and Stark Carpet Corporation, room design no longer has to be ruled by that venerable old Oriental. You choose your room’s fabrics, colors, furnishings and accessories, and then design the floor covering to blend seamlessly with everything around it.

And “custom design” means just that. Both Davis and Davis and Stark Carpet can digitize a pattern from a wall covering or fabric — or any design you choose — and reproduce it on your floor covering. If the design is copyrighted, they may be able to create a translation of that design. And your choice of colors is infinite. Both companies will even custom-dye the rugs to match a fabric or wall color in your room. According to Barden, this makes “your carpet a custom piece in your room.”

Put Up Walls With Attitude

Even your walls don’t have to recede into the background anymore. This designer finds very contemporary Mylars from Manuel Canovas going head to head with retro styles like flocking from both Manuel Canovas and Zoffany. As with fabrics, large scale patterns are enjoying a renaissance on walls. Thanks to clean, crisp lines and color combinations, Barden thinks these dramatically sized diamonds, fleur de lis and geometric shapes work just as well in a small powder room as in a spacious living room. If you prefer paint to wallpaper, you can replicate bold patterns such as stripes and graphic designs on your walls using faux finishes.

Styled For Big, Bold Comfort

Like the trend with accessories, “people want rooms that they can use,” notes Barden. Furniture must not only be stylish but also comfortable enough for stretching out, nestling in and even dozing on.

With turned legs and English saddle arms, this handcrafted George Smith-style sofa from the David Barden Home private label collection might look like it’s been in the family for a few centuries, but it’s hardly your great-grandmother’s stiff “parlor” sofa. Its cozy spring-down cushions and generous sizing make it a piece of furniture that fits you and your everyday lifestyle. (Barden, who is 6’2”, says he can stretch out completely on it.)

“Richmonders want classic, but they want their own style to come through,” Barden says from experience. Using the new bold-patterned fabrics, Barden puts an updated face on this more traditional design, so that it looks at home with contemporary styles as well as in a room full of antiques.

With so many new design options, the time couldn’t be better for you to go bold in your home.

Terri L. Jones is a 46-year-old single boomer who writes feature articles for various local publications as well as marketing copy for organizations and businesses. Her boldest design move of late has been painting the walls of her new master bedroom a deep, almost scary, shade of rose last year.