A Fresh Look for Your Home

The paint colors for 2017 work beautifully with a nautical theme in any season. Sherwin Williams’ Poised Taupe and Benjamin Moore’s Shadow show the sharp contrast of what can be used in today’s home, whether you want drama, serenity or a little of both when paired together. For spring, add fresh flowers to get rid of the winter blahs, and tweak your lighting. Add more lamps for a brighter space. And when it comes to redecorating, shop your home first: move the furniture and accessories by repurposing some pieces from another room. -Deborah DeChristofaro, DeCristo Designs, East Providence and Narragansett

Add varying textures: Different materials and textures give a room depth. They’re the pieces that make the space feel like home and not a furniture showroom floor. Play around with velvets, chunky knits and other materials in your throws, pillows and your accessories. You might even consider using texture on walls. -Lee Chartier, Inside Style, Wakefield. 

Start with one thing that inspires you. There is an old saying everyone will recognize and it fits perfectly in design: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Make this your starting point. Use that old rocking chair passed down from grandma. Set it in the corner, add a new embroidered pillow in the color you love and you now have a start to your design: a diagonally placed piece with mid-level color. Now follow the previous tip and add eye- and floor-level accents around the room. -Sherry Pierce, Watch Hill Designs, Watch Hill. 

Add some new art to your walls. Check out your local galleries, art fairs or Etsy. Art should be a reflection of you and will personalize your space - so take down that poster you’ve had since college and buy something that speaks to you. Most artists sell prints of their originals at a much more affordable price. Stores like IKEA and Michael’s have discounts on decent frames to complete the look. Be sure your art is size appropriate for the wall and hang at eye level. Mix it up with decorative mirrors, which reflect light and make the room look larger, photography, and something sculptural to add variety and texture. Try clustering more than one piece on a wall. Avoid putting the same size rectangle on all four walls – diversity is key to keep the room interesting. -Jessica Becker, Jessica Becker Designs, Providence and Westerly. 

Texture is huge right now. Velvet is making a comeback, and is even available in outdoor fabrics. Add some texture by using rugs such as shags and heavy piles, and also nubby weaves. The use of brick on walls is coming back, as is the use of textured wall covering like grass cloth and flocking. Fabrics and wall coverings in large scale are now back, also. Think chairs, drapes and walls covered in large florals or geometrics. -Kim Elliott Peterson, KEP Interior Designs, West Greenwich.