Central Oregon Homes  | Interior Design Trends

RED HOT IN 2007

Simple, clean, functional: Three words that describe design in many modern homes. Now add the word personality. Though the postmodern urban look has its niche, a growing number of designers are approaching home decorating with greater attention to the personal and custom elements that add life and character to a house.

“People want houses that are a piece of art within themselves,” said Chris Flynn, who has been a designer for 18 years and has won design awards in the Seattle area.

Flynn, a partner at Eagle Rock Home and Garden with Doug Strain, recently moved to Bend after spending six years in Spain.

Color is, of course, a fundamental element in home decor, and neutral hues continue to be more popular than other colors in the spectrum. Eighty-fi ve percent of Melonie Rose’s clients at Sky and Earth Design choose neutral colors. Don’t be misled, though, neutral does not necessarily mean a drab taupe or flat khaki. The color itself can range from an earthy brown to a rusty red or deep merlot tone; it provides the backdrop rather than the focal point of the room.

“We’re getting away from boring and getting back to a palette of color—anything that has a little spice to it,” says Flynn, who often recommends pumpkin, chocolate or amber tones to clients. “Neutrals never go away, they’re just a little stronger now—they have passion.”

Rose is a firm believer that parts of the house should be lively, not stagnant. She likes to brighten up laundry rooms by using vibrant colors to give the utilitarian space a more inviting atmosphere.

“Pick colors that work in the house,” Rose advises. Warm colors are soothing for a bedroom, bright colors add cheer to an office, and soft hues bring peace to a child’s room. To test your selected color in a room, Rose recommends painting a large sheet or posterboard with that color, taping it to a wall and living with it for a while before making a final decision.

Wall texture is as important to a room’s design as the color of paint that covers it. It is increasingly common to fi nd hand-plastered walls made of clay and sheet rock mud, rather than the standard spray-on orange-peel texture that has been so prevalent in home construction. “People are just learning that they have a say in [wall textures],” said Jen Potter of Cascade Design Center.

Textures can also be added to a room by accenting it with woven grasses on a headboard, choosing Berber wool or shag carpets or picking a bold paisley pattern for soft furnishings such as sofas, pillows and comforters.

“Textures should be subtle, yet strong,” Flynn notes.

Cork floors are back in style as well. They are warmer to the touch than traditional wood f ooring because of their honey-combed cellular structure. Available in both tiles and planks, large-cell cork has a natural stony look, while small-cell pieces can have a terra-cotta appearance. Bamboo is another versatile fl oor choice, ranging from a natural yellow hue to a warm brown or caramel color. In addition to the varied grain and colors of cork and bamboo, both materials are also sustainable, which has added to their popularity in home design.

Rose, whose approach to home design focuses on natural products, recently attended a design show in California, where green building design and philosophy has gone from trendy to typical. Kay Thompson of Cascade Design Center has noticed a similar eco-consciousness arising in Bend. “There is a tremendous desire to want to be environmentally correct,” she says. Many  designers now offer a wide range of natural and sustainable products at affordable prices to meet that desire.

While the influx of newcomers to Central Oregon brings a variety of tastes and ideas, home design is ultimately moving toward an increased emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and sustainability.

In the kaleidoscope of design fads and fashions, Rose is mindful of the importance of looking at a trend to identify what a client will like and what will work best in his or her home. After all, she says, “You’re the one living in the house.”