Decorator Show House dazzles with bold color and joy!

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida, March 16, 2024

Take a peak at some of the dazzling, beautiful rooms at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in West Palm Beach. And read about the takeaways and ideas on how we can adapt them to our own homes!

What you will not find: minimalism. There is a lot to see. What you will find: room designs that are filled with joy and happiness.

Located at 230 Miramar Way in the “SoSo” neighborhood of West Palm Beach, the home is anything but so-so as it showcases the creativity and design expertise of 23 of the nation’s most acclaimed interior designers and architects. It’s also a major fundraiser for Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.

As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I look forward to this event each year and come away with inspiration, trends and ideas for my clients. Each room is packed with the latest and most creative designs as each of the designers display their best and most exciting work.

At home: what’s trending now?

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • September 5, 2020

We love checking out the latest trends.

It’s not so much that we are going to repaint our white, two-year-old kitchen cabinets the popular color of the moment, but more that, it’s fun to know what’s new and fresh.

As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I always caution clients against following trends. Instead, I suggest that we take a favorite trend and find a way to work some version of it into your current décor without an expensive renovation. And I recommend that you always ask yourself if you will still love it in five years. The goal: classic and timeless. With a little fun included in the mix.

Kitchen cabinets and island painted in Sherwin Williams Pewter Green (SW6208). Pottery Barn’s Rory pendants in burnished brass shades. Fenton leather bar and counter stools. Available at www.potterybarn.com. Photo: Pottery Barn.

Not a normal year for trends

High Point Market, the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world, with over 10 million square feet and 2000 exhibitors throughout 180 buildings, takes place in the fall and spring. It’s where designers meet with suppliers and seek out the newest and most beautiful trends in the industry. It’s where it all happens. Walt Disney World for designers.

This past spring, the show was canceled because of COVID-19 and like in the fashion industry, there was no real excitement around design. We were all at home (and still are for the most part) trying to survive a pandemic. The usually flurry of articles and photos with the latest trends did not happen.

So, when a client recently asked me for trends, I thought it was time to take a look at what has come about in the past six months or so while we have all been at home and isolated.

Comfort and function

My go-to for the pulse of the industry is Kravet, the industry leader in to-the-trade home furnishings. The fifth generation family business offers a one-stop shopping venue for designers looking for fabrics, furniture, wall coverings, trimmings, carpets and accessories.

Naples showroom manager, Amy Jimenez, says “comfort” is key to current trends.

“After spending so much time at home, homeowners are looking for comfort, function and performance. Creating a cozy space with a modern feel at home is what’s important.”

Also important, according to Jimenez, is color. Blues, greens, soft shades and dark teals.

What’s trending now?

Kitchens

We are now using them for working at home, school work, entertaining, dining. Trends: Larger islands. Open layouts. Upgraded appliances. Bronze and brass hardware and lighting are hugely popular. Color for cabinets and islands. Think: sage green and navy blue.

Nooks/office space

With everyone working at home, zoom rooms have become a necessity. Okay, you really don’t need a whole room. A wall or a nook will do. But the point is that you need a background for your zoom meetings and a quiet space with privacy. A wall with a piece of art or a countertop with flowers. Lighting is important. A little creativity makes this one easy.

Reconfigure a guest bedroom so it can be used as an office. Rework a laundry room for crafts and a small desk area.

A calm home

This means a lot of neutral colors, open spaces, elements from outdoors, soft indirect light in public spaces, plants to purify the air, chemical-free household products.

Color

Wild and eco-friendly, dried grasses look like you just came back from a walk down a country road. These beautiful arrangements are easy and maintenance-free. Available at www.potterybarn.com. Photo: Pottery Barn

This is the one change that everyone can make with a minimum of expense. And most of my clients have been repainting. It lifts the mood and refreshes the space, almost instantly.

Trends: Neutrals like white, grey, beige are still popular because anything can be used to accent a color palette. Black is now considered a neutral. Blues work everywhere and navy is so popular. All shades of green for walls and fabric. Afraid to commit to a color in a room? Go with neutral walls and paint the ceiling a beautiful color that you have always wanted to try. Worried about imperfections in the wall? Use a matte finish.

Vintage

The days of cheap, fast furniture as a temporary fix have slipped away. Thankfully. Using what’s already here not only honors the skills of craftsmen of the past but it embraces quality that lasts. And vintage pieces will not end up in a landfill. There is a renewed love for vintage and antique pieces and new ideas for using them in your home.

Trends: Incorporate a rare and unique vintage piece. New paint and modern upholstery will give a collectible new life and provide an accent for your room.

Boho chic vibe

This is a look that is fun and provides a lot of comfort.

Trend: Rattan, cane and wicker. All new, this retro style of chairs and tables mixes with your sofas for an affordable, light style.

Bedrooms

Paint a dark wall behind the bed in midnight blue or charcoal. It’s a dramatic backdrop for artwork and photos. Sacrifice a fan for a gorgeous chandelier. As one of my favorite clients says, “we have air conditioning.”

Dried grasses

Wild and eco-friendly, dried grasses look like you just came back from a walk down a country road. Beautiful arrangements are easy and maintenance-free.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

What's in, what's out and resolutions for a new year

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • January 6, 2018

Keep it simple in the New Year. Pillow covers inspired by nature nautical accessories, plants, Leona metallic tables, Jackson chippy base lamps work with this Townsend sofa as a focal point of the room. Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.

The lights and decorations have come down and if you’re like me, it seems that things seem a bit gloomy. You may be looking around your home thinking that it needs a little sparkle as we settle in for a new year.

There are lots of interesting trends in the home interiors forecast for 2018. Some are fabulous and worth a try. As I always tell my Southwest Florida interior design clients, pick your changes according to what you love and not the latest trend. And there are the fun lists of what’s in and what’s out. It’s all great fun and I have offered a sampling as well as a few resolutions for your home in 2018. I promise you can keep them!

Happy decorating and best wishes for the New Year!

 Resolutions to do NOW!

 ·       Show gratitude for your home. We always have a wish list and it all never seems to get done. But keep in mind that many in our area are still dealing with severe hurricane damage and would love to be thinking about decorating. Be thankful for what you have and don’t stress out about the small things.

·       Be intentional about your home décor this year. Make a plan before making purchases. We all crave simplicity so don’t go overboard.

Give a little love in 2018 with Pottery Barn’s Love Gallery art pieces, pillows, Bella crystal round chandelier, Madison upholstered settee and metallic tables. Check out details at www.potterybarn.com. Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.

·       Give yourself a little self-care. The early days of a new year are perfect for thinking about what is important for the upcoming months. And these cool days are perfect for relaxing with a cup of tea and a good book, some soft music. In other words: give yourself a break.

Treat yourself to a break with this love is love tray and accessories. Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.

·       Manage clutter. Eliminate your junk drawer (who needs junk?).

·       Say “no” to what you don’t love in your home. 

·       Discard duplicates. Donate clothes that you don’t wear. Take excess books to the library.

·       Buy plants or fresh flowers and put them in every room in your house.

·       Try something new! Suggestions below!

What’s in (trends)

Metallics are the hot accessory for the new year. Pendants in nickel, brass, copper, bronze, white, vintage glass.  Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.

·       Keep it simple! And calm.

·       Fish scale tiles for the perfect backsplash.

·       Space for a coffee bar.

·       Velvet. Couches, rugs, pillows.

·       Metallics: rose gold, brass, copper. And it’s okay to mix them.

·       Rattan furniture. If you see it at a flea market, grab it.

·       Fringe.

·       Typography (signs with your favorite sayings).

·       Art gallery walls.

A serene spa-like powder room with classic white console, marble top, metal fixtures is set against a dramatic wall covering for a customized look. Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.

·       Chandeliers.

·       Wall coverings inspired by nature.

·       Floral patterns.

·       Nautical laccessories.

·       Daybeds.

·       Terrazzo flooring and counters. Even walls.

·       Spa bathrooms.

·       Statement ceilings with paint, wallpaper or textures.

·       Herringbone flooring, walls, backsplashes.

·       Three dimensional wall décor.

·       The color green. And plants everywhere. Real, if possible!

·       Repurposing anything.

·       Dark wood. Chocolate brown floor and furniture.

·       Colorful doors. The front door of course. But also interior doors.

·       Subway tiles. They are still a classic and are affordable. The best kitchen backsplash option.

·       Natural light. Large windows. Light shades and drapes.

·       Mirrors to reflect natural light.

·       Mixing antiques with modern pieces.

·       Marble everything. Flooring, walls, backsplashes, counters.

·       Jewel tones. Colors from nature. Bye-bye beige.

·       Large wall art to take up large spaces in open floor plans.

·       Black and white patterns, prints, flooring.

·       Woven textures and artisan accessories.

What’s out

·       Brushed metals.

·       Too many throw pillows.

·       Decorative painting. Enough said.

·       Huge oversized furniture. It’s ugly and space is a premium.

·       Bare walls.

·       Artwork at the wrong height: 57-58 inches. That’s the general rule.

·       Chevron. Thank goodness.

·       Furniture smashed against the walls.

·       Huge hoods in kitchen.

·       Tuscan. Thank goodness.

·       Overuse of the farmhouse look. Thank goodness.

·       Too much white on white on white.

·       Designing your space without a plan. The result: costly mistakes.

·       Keep it simple. Be intentional with what you bring into your home. Follow what you love. Not trends!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and certified gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and to solve decorating problems. Her article appears the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Trends from High Point Market: Bold, fearless and flirty with a touch of Bohemian

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • November 14, 2015

Once again I was at High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina. That glorious Disneyland for interior designers.

Trying to cover 11.5 million square feet of show space and tens of thousands of new product introductions. I was there along with 75,000 other designers and buyers in 180 buildings that provide dazzling displays of thousands of everything beautiful for your home.

If you can't find it here, it likely doesn't exist. Despite the miles that I put on my new, sensible walking shoes, I couldn't possibly cover all of the showrooms filled with gorgeous, pretty things. But I tried.

Upholstered seating with clean lines, bright color tones and bold patterns feature geometric and abstract designs. Sleek and comfortable sectional seating is iconic to mid-century styling and is functional for entertaining. From Lexington Home Brand's Take Five Collection. Photo: Courtesy of Lexington Home Brands.

Market, as it is called, takes place for one week each fall and spring. There are opportunities to take courses from experts and chances to meet favorite designers and television personalities. As a Fort Myers interior decorator, this is where I go for design inspiration. To look for new ways of creating beautiful rooms and to shop for my clients who are looking for something new and fresh. Whether it is an eclectic piece to be used as a focal point in a room or for to shop for furnishings and accessories for an entire home.

So take a trip with me as I offer a peek at a few of the amazing, edgy, stunning new trends that I saw at Market. You will soon be seeing these in your favorite retail spots and magazines.

The day before Market, I had a chance to visit Furnitureland South and had a little sneak preview of what the coming trends would be. Ron Bristow, Lexington Home Brands showroom manager, summed it up: "a touch of mid-century modern, clean lines and scale, animal prints, geometrics."

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A chic ottoman with a brass-plated stainless steel base and polished acrylic legs, upholstered in Australian sheepskin. From Lexington Home Brand's Take Five Collection.  Photo: Courtesy of Lexington Home Brands.

And this set the tone for what was to come.

My Favorite Trends:

• Singing the blues: from the most muted shades to the most vibrant sapphires and indigo tones.
• Less is more: a minimalist approach to upholstered chairs with open backs and arms. Sexy!
• Fashion forward: Home interiors are following fashion more than ever. If it's on the runway, plan on seeing it in your favorite shop or showroom very soon.
• Gold rush: It's back and there's lots of it. Furniture, lighting and accessories.
• Color, color, color: fearless color.
• Mirror, mirror on the wall: and mirrored furniture.
• Go natural: quartz, agate, natural materials in lighting and furnishings.
• Practical, streamlined and sexy: Comfort with a flirty flair. Redefined mid-century modern.
• In the pink: Variations in tones with hues from the 1980's.
• Go wild: Animal prints and faux fur on everything!
• Organic: Textures and patterns that reflect the outdoors and landscape. Tranquil colors that make us feel calm.
• Decadence: Lots of luxury and vintage glamour with nods to European tradition.

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A nod to decadent luxury and vintage glamour with a deep sense of nostalgia. ReflectingEuropean tradition, the trend is feminine and indulgent. Photo courtesy of Surya.

• Art walls: for photos or a collection.
• Forget plain and boring: Patterned lampshades for indoors and outdoors.

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Inspired by the colors and artisanal designs of African tribal textures, this Kuba collection from Surya is expressive and free spirited with a sense of cultural heritage passed down through generations. Photo courtesy of Surya.

You don't want to change your entire home because of trends. But a few touches here and there will give it a fresh look. And who doesn't want that?

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator. Her column, Home Inspirations appears the first Saturday of each month. Visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

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Design forecast: Fearless, bright, bold and brassy

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• November 8, 2014

Mid-century modern dining by Stanley Furniture. Photo: Wrenda Goodwyn

At High Point Market in North Carolina, along with 75,000 other buyers and designers from all over the world, I did my best to cover 11.5 million square feet of space that provide dazzling displays of thousands of new products.

This home decor mecca is Disneyland for designers. It takes place for one week each fall and spring. With so much to see that it's easy to find yourself on visual overload. In addition, there are opportunities to meet famous designers, take courses from experts and there are lots of opportunities to meet your favorite television personalities (my design crush: Tom Filicia). There is even a seminar that teaches you how to navigate Market, as it is called, and to make the most out of your time.

Lots of creative uses of books. Photo: Wrenda Goodwyn.

But who has time for that course with all of the spectacular showrooms waiting with beautiful, pretty things. The temptation is to just take the plunge with your to do list. And so I did.

As a Fort Myers interior decorator, this is where I go for design inspiration, to look for new ways of creating beautiful rooms and to shop for my clients who are looking for something new and fresh. Whether it is an eclectic piece to be used as a focal point in a room or for to shop for furnishings and accessories for an entire home.

Pretty and popular apple green accents with neutral tones. Photo: Wrenda Goodwyn.

If you can't find it here, it doesn't exist. Not that every showroom can be covered. Despite the miles that I put on my new, sensible walking shoes. So take a trip with me as I offer a peek at a few of the amazing, edgy, stunning new trends that I saw at Market. You will soon be seeing these in your favorite retail spots and magazines.

Trends

The market spotters were predicting "bright, bold and brassy," and that sums it up perfectly. Home design has taken a turn that is not for the faint of heart. Fearless decorating with bright tones and accessories that don't take themselves too seriously.

Brass and gold continue to be very important in home décor----not shiny brass or gold but wonderful antiqued and textured gold as well as brass with a natural patina.

Bold and sassy! Photo: Curry & Company.

Lighting

The jewelry of interior decorating, lighting is the hottest accessory and it takes center stage in every room. Never has lighting been prettier with more sparkle and bling! The choices are stunning. Think gold.

In the Currey and Company showroom, a showstopper in itself, each piece hanging from the ceiling looked like a sparkling gold bracelet twisted into arty shapes.

Orli Chandelier of Wrought Iron finished in Contemporary Gold Leaf. Photo: Currey & Company.

Wrought Iron with contemporary gold leaf and brass are popular finishes. And the dazzling La Mer Wall Sconce of wrought iron, shell and glass is a perfect accessory for a sophisticated coastal look that blends beach-inspired design with a traditional or contemporary look.

La Mer Wall Sconce. Photo: Currey & Company.

Color

As we said, bold and fearless! Lots of blues including navy, indigo, robins egg.  Red is also trending in sofas and accessories along with corals and pinks. Orange, jade, teals and that beautiful apple green are everywhere.

Furniture

Lots of soft curves that soften the silhouette of a chair or sofa and add visual interest. Canopy beds are trending with a breathtaking, modern new look. Blending antiques with almost any style as an accent piece. Reclaimed/distressed pieces. Driftwood. Lot of gold and brass tables. Table bases and coffee tables have emerged as artwork with sculptured designs. Bar carts are the rage with lots of gold and glass. Ottomans in bold patterns and jewel tones.

Coastal living retreat. Photo: Stanley Furniture.

Carved wooden coffee table. Photo: Wrenda Goodwyn.

And with furniture, it's all about customization. Changing the shape of a leg, an arm or a cushion, even changing the dimensions of a piece to fit a unique space, offers choices like never before to the consumer.

According to Kravet, premiering its new furniture showroom at Market, a lot of designers today are embracing an updated traditional look, which could mean a tufted sofa with a slim track arm, or a comfortable arm chair with sleek details.

Kravet Denham Chair. Photo: Kravet.

There is a resurgence of the chaise lounge, and they are popular in today’s interior design schemes. With regard to pattern and color, Kravet embraces a bright bold fabric statement on furniture, however many designers are choosing upholstery that is durable and neutral, which is a great investment for the life of your furniture, and your room.

Brass and bronze occasional tableswere everywhere with some of the most popular at Vanguard Furniture to complement the extensive furniture collection that is popular with southwest Florida homeowners because of its personalization options. And furniture is painted every color imaginable!

Art and accessories

So many fresh, new choices here. Artifact decor is hugely popular as an accent. Buddha's in every color are a huge accent piece with all styles of decor. Books have taken on a huge role in artwork and accessories serving as a focal point and covered in papers and fabric. Glass is seen in bold colors and shapes.

Popular Buddha is incorporated into all styles of design. Photo: Wrenda Goodwyn.

Rugs

Bold and exotic. Intricate patterns. Lots of metallics. Washes and patinas create a soft look.  Viscose yarn is used with pearlescent shimmer to add dimension to neutral tones. Easy care with custom sizing, beautiful indoor/outdoor selections.

Blue Bye You. Photo: Company C.

Summary:

Have fun with the latest trends and don't take your decorating too seriously!

For more details on trends and other fun sightings at High Point Market, visit www.spectacularspaces.com/blogor call Wrenda Goodwyn at 239-949-1808 or wrenda@spectacularspaces.com