Home Decor Ideas

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The latest trend in backyard design is blending the lines between indoors and out. From kitchen cabinets that rival the look of interior versions to smart grills that alert you when dinner is ready and glare-proof outdoor televisions that mean you don’t have to miss a minute of baseball season, these are the biggest and best innovations in outdoor living this year. 

Smart grills

This smart grill can be controlled with an app on your phone. Image: Memphis Grills

Manufacturers such as Memphis Grills, Lynx and Charbroil now offer grills that can be entirely controlled with a smartphone app. Among the conveniences the new technology affords: the ability to fire up the grill while you prep side dishes indoors, get an alert when it’s time to flip the burgers, and track cooking temperature while you’re lounging by the pool. Lynx’s smart grill even features voice-activation technology.

Gourmet upgrades

Gourmet additions are no longer reserved for indoors. Image: Kalamazoo Gournmet

Smart grills are only the start of what constitutes a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen today. Increasingly popular add-ons for outdoor kitchens include hibachi cooktops, professional pizza ovens and built-in smoker cabinets.

All-weather televisions

Outdoor televisions provide a clear viewing experience even in full sun, Image: SkyVue

Outdoor televisions are nothing new, but new top-of-the-line models can rival an indoor viewing experience even in full sun. The SunBriteTV’s Pro-Series line, for example, which comes in sizes up to 84 inches, can be installed poolside while still guaranteeing clear visuals (it boasts 800 nits of brightness). The technology comes at a cost, though. The largest Pro-Series model rings in at more than $24,000. If you’re looking for a less-costly option, consider housing your screen in partial or full shade, like beneath a trellis or covered patio. SunBrite, MirageVision and SkyVue all offer all-weather televisions meant for partial or full shade beginning at a far more affordable $1,400.

Motorized screens and pergolas

Climate control comes courtesy of remote shade systems. Image: Somfy

Brands like Somfy now offer motorized shades, screens and pergola awnings that can diffuse light, keep bugs at bay, block a breeze or create shelter from the rain with the push of a button. Somfy’s systems can also be integrated with most smart-home technology and automation systems for seamless operation.

Custom outdoor cabinetry

Outdoor cabinetry can mimic the look of your kitchen inside. Image: Brown Jordan

Until now, function and longevity were the biggest drivers behind outdoor kitchen cabinet design. But form has recently caught up. Outdoor kitchen manufacturers recently began offering cabinet lines with door styles and finishes that mimic those in indoor spaces. Brown-Jordan Outdoor Kitchens, for example, supplies 10 color options and eight wood-grain finishes for its powder-coated aluminum kitchens that are designed to match its lines of outdoor furniture, plus cabinet doors in popular interior styles like Shaker, beadboard and louvered.

Year-round considerations

Built-in infrared heating can boost outdoor temps by 10 degrees or more. Image: Infratech

More and more homeowners are installing technology and features meant to extend the use of (and substantial investments in) their outdoor rooms. In other words, they’re transforming their backyards into four-season spaces. Popular options for year-round backyards include: built-in heating systems (like the one pictured above from Infratech), which are installed into covered patios and pavilions and can increase ambient temperature by 10 degrees or more; outdoor refrigerators designed to run year round (early models needed to be unplugged when temperatures outside dipped below the temps inside the refrigerator); and fire pits to add supplementary heating.

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Navy is our new neutral. Image: Diane James Home

Usually, when we talk about neutrals, blacks, whites and grays steal the spotlight — and for good reason! They go with everything, they’ve been around forever, and, frankly, they will always be in style. That said, there’s no need for monochromatic colors to be the only game in town.

Thanks to 2017’s design trends, another color is ready to mix up your neutral color palate. Navy is here and there’s no stopping it. As the year progresses, we’re seeing this color get steadily more popular and we predict it won’t be long before you’re seeing it everywhere.

For those ready to dive in, we’ll show you how to best incorporate this powerful shade of blue into your next design project. Those of you who need a bit more convincing, stick with us. Read on and we’ll show you exactly why this faux-neutral needs to be on your radar.

Add a punch of visual interest by putting navy on your walls. Image: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

Make a big impact with paint

When you’re ready for a completely new look, adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls is by far the best option. Not only will a bold shade like navy blue bring a huge dose of visual interest into the space, but it will do so without costing much. (One of our favorite interior design secrets? Paint costs pennies on the dollar compared to other design elements and is usually the best bang for your buck.) All you need to do is know how to use it the right way.

Where navy is concerned, you have two options. The first is to focus on how the color is perceived. Typically, people believe navy connotes elegance and sophistication, which makes it a natural fit for the more serious spaces in your home. Consider using wall-to-wall color in places such as a formal dining room or home office.

The second option is to take color psychology into account. In this case, blue tones evoke feelings of calmness and serenity, meaning navy may be a good choice for bedrooms. Using it on a focal wall behind the bed will certainly draw attention.

Give your rooms a pop of color with some navy furniture. Image: Tim Cuppett Architects

Focus on furniture

Believe it or not, navy blue furniture exists. Not only that, but since unconventional furniture fabrics like velvet are becoming steadily more common, we can only anticipate that we’ll see more and more of it as the trend grows.

To use navy blue furniture successfully, you need to make a choice. Either it should be used as your dominant color, as shown above, or as a statement piece. Be sure to take the size of the room into consideration as you make the final decision.

Navy is a strong color, so too much of it can overwhelm tight spaces and lead to them feeling even smaller. In cozy rooms, a single piece of navy furniture such as an arm chair or sofa can easily serve as the room’s focal point. However, if you have the room to spread out, there’s no reason not to buy as many pieces as your heart desires.

Consider navy kitchen cabinets to get in on one of 2017’s hottest trends. Image: Heidi Caillier Design

Kitchen cabinets are peak 2017 navy trend

No one is saying that white cabinets with gray granite countertops are gone for good. However, in 2017, we’re starting to see a few alternatives pop up. By positioning itself as a faux-neutral, navy kitchen cabinets are becoming increasingly common.

Pulling off this trend is all about creating contrast. As you can see in the picture above, the lower cabinets are used as an accent against plenty of stark white. Again, this is a situation where connotations come into play. A navy-blue-and-white combo brings to mind images of a clean and crisp naval uniform, which are undoubtedly positive attributes to describe any cooking space.

However, keep in mind that color isn’t the only way to create contrast. Navy blue cabinets can also benefit from being surrounded by a range of materials. Think about offsetting them with smooth marble countertops, sleek stainless steel appliances and a few natural-looking décor elements.

Try out navy through textiles. Image: INTRO INRED

Try it out in textiles

If you’re not quite sure where you fall in regard to the navy trend, trying it out via textiles is a great way to see how you feel. Since items such as pillows, blankets and rugs are relatively affordable purchases, textiles are often seen as the design equivalent of dipping your toe in the shallow end of the pool. That said, with navy, there are a few special considerations.

Since navy is such a bold shade of blue, using only solid-color textiles may come off feeling a bit harsh. To temper the look, search for navy items in a variety of patterns, prints and textures. This will allow you to incorporate pops of the hue among other, more familiar shades.

As for which other colors will mix-and-match best, there are plenty of options. Navy works well with just about everything. To bring brightness to the room, consider either a sunny yellow shade or a bright orange. However, if you’d rather focus on the room’s richness, opt for something like a regal purple or ruby red.

Contrast navy and white to bring a calm and clean look to any space. Image: Peterssen/Keller Architecture

Neutral colors aren’t just limited to black, white and gray anymore. A new navy trend has recently popped up and has been steadily gaining popularity. Whether you’re all-in on this faux-neutral or you aren’t quite sure how to feel, keep this post close at hand. Use our suggestions to help you create a design that feels on-trend while looking timeless.

What do you think of this navy trend? Will you be giving it a try? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Navy Is the New Black: How to Incorporate 2017’s Navy Trend Into Your Home appeared first on Freshome.com.

Alexandr is a remodeled flat located in Moscow, Russia. This remodeling project, by Geometrium, is for a young family, including their 2-year-old son and Russian blue cat. The clients wanted their home to be a reflection of their lives and interests: the wife works at home and needed space to complete her work, as well as her painting on the side, while the husband wanted space for his football and cycling hobbies. Lastly, they wanted a soothing atmosphere to enjoy wine at home in the evenings.

This was no minor remodeling project. This 109 square meter (1,173 square feet) flat was given an entirely new floor plan, with the addition of a bathroom, increased closet and storage space, and a wine chiller in the walk-in cabinet. The kitchen was connected to the living room, and the bathroom borrowed some space from the corridor. The living room was further defined from the connecting corridor by the addition of a floating cabinet, which serves as storage and to gently divide the space.

The colors are natural and muted, with an emphasis on natural wood tones, charcoal walls and metallic accents. There is also an emphasis on marble accents in the kitchen and foyer.

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