We started last year thinking that second homes, cocktail parties, self-pampering and strong, hot colors were among the “ins” for 2001.
Then came 9/11.
Our priorities made a U-turn: The lure of vacation getaways was replaced with the security of staying home. Eating out and socializing took a back seat to less expensive family dinners and New York City relief benefits. Self-indulgence gave way to sharing, and the only vibrant hues that seemed to matter were red, white and blue.
“The most important decorative element is our American flag,” says Lisa Newsom.
Quite a statement, coming from the editor of Veranda, the glossy interior design magazine based in Atlanta.
She’s among some two dozen experts in the fields of home and garden who agreed to predict five things that will be hot and five not in 2002.
Several threads run through our third annual list: patriotism, for sure. Simplifying. Low maintenance. Environmental stewardship.
All signal a wake-up call to something often taken for granted: our homes.
“Gardening is in, especially given the events of Sept. 11,” says Mildred Pinnell, horticulturist at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. “Parents are seeking out activities to do with children. People want to provide or have their own spot of peace, tranquillity and beauty in the world.”
And one final theme that’s clear, thanks to instant communication: What suddenly is in today can just as quickly be out tomorrow.
“So many of these `new looks’ born in the 20th Century exist at the same time, until it becomes increasingly harder to distinguish what is actually `new,”‘ says Scott Reilly, owner of Retromodern.com, an Atlanta furnishings store. “What was seemingly new in October 2001 could again be `new’ in February 2002, having already been `out’ once in December 2001.”
Take colors. While Atlanta interior designer Bill Stewart’s tarot cards indicate tomato-red as the hot hue for the new year, Reilly’s predicting the rise of pinks, yellows and charcoal grays–“although they may already be out by the time this goes to press.”
What’s hot and what’s not in the new year
In
The American flag as decor
Gardening for peace, stress relief
Smaller, superbly outfitted homes
Drought-tolerant native plants
Candle chandeliers
Fragrant plants
Fitted, pressed slipcovers
Oversize glazed garden containers
Vibrant color, including tomato-red
Bold tropical foliage
Monochromatic garden schemes
Dyed faux-fur pillows, throws
Accessories with beads, crystals
Polished concrete floors, countertops
Bamboo flooring
Organic gardening
Paint as a quick fix
Indoor-outdoor rooms
Stone, stainless steel kitchens, baths
Leather anything
Out
Heavy draperies
Pattern on pattern
Shrubs pruned like meatballs
Kitschy yard art
Lots of accessories
Plastic garden containers
Small framed photos
High-maintenance lawns
Anything teal
Leyland cypress hedges
Golden oak furniture, cabinets
Weed-barrier fabric
Rooms just for show
Ponds edged with rocks
Zen
Chain-link fences
Houses on steroids
Noisy leaf blowers
Novelty drawer pulls
