W8 UPDATE / 28 March 2013
Annual Housing Fair, Tampere
by Ulla Lange interior designer / founding partner
White kitchens are making a comeback because they are spacious and airy. Adding splashes of color and contrasting materials keeps them from looking too cold or bland.
Feature walls—created either with tile or wallpaper are a great way to give a little punch to a room without overwhelming it.
Creating a design element with a continuing pattern from a wall to the ceiling is an interesting idea, and can be work well, but it also can go awry. . .
Just like kitchens, white cabinetry in bathrooms feels clean and is far from mundane, if its shape and geometry have a fresh look and other complementary materials are brought into the mix.
Textural white tile is a simple and understated way to add some visual interest to a bathroom.
Light fixtures can play an important role in an interior as design elements, but their main function—to provide at least some level of illumination—should not be overlooked. I saw some interesting examples of new takes on pendants, innovative textures, materials and constructions. Some more successful than others. I’ll let you form your own opinions.
Too much of a “good” thing is never good. Blingy chandeliers in modern houses can be really fun, but careful consideration of scale, number of fixtures and placement are key for things to come together.
Just when you thought oak was dead, it’s back! But this time around in new hues, gray being the most prominent one.
Circles are everywhere! Motifs in cutout fabrics (another BIG trend), light fixtures and wall art.
Placing stairs in the middle of a large room could form a real visual barrier. Not so in this space, where the airiness and lightness of these stairs is a real delight. New Finnish design at its best.
It’s soon time to plan for my annual trip and see what I can find next time.
Cheers,
Ulla
