Colour functionality, comfort at low cost

Environment
As 2012 drew to a close there was a buzz as renowned décor and style gurus threw themselves into the task of predicting trends for 2013, what styles, colours and themes would be taking the world by storm?

As 2012 drew to a close there was a buzz as renowned décor and style gurus threw themselves into the task of predicting trends for 2013, what styles, colours and themes would be taking the world by storm?

Home and Garden with Helen Devmac

All very hectic you will agree. Are we really likely to be pulling out our well-worn carpets and repainting our walls in keeping with what Pantone has predicted to be the colour of the year for 2013 ?

Well, the answer is quite simply a very loud and unequivocal no! And this is not just here in Zimbabwe, worldwide there is a trend for people to spend less money while spending more time at home for their holidays, it is much less costly and practical in these times of economic hardship.

What has happened, is that there is now a move more than ever for the home to be more comfortable, stylish convenient and able to cater for the entertainment needs of friends and family.

Towards the end of last year we ran a number of articles on home entertainment areas; remember the patios, outside kitchens, etc. This is a trend that will be with us in 2013, as people continue to penny pinch and spend much more time at home than they have ever done.

Even the men are getting to be more stay at home, and you should be hearing about “men caves”, a sort of an all-male entertainment area where the guys hang out for a drink, play pool and watch sport.

All done within a stone’s throw of the kitchen and your beady eye!

Vintage back in fashion

Furniture is functional and multi-purpose, cabinets and tables with ample storage space and items such as ottomans that serve both as tables and seats. Instead of going to spend money on new items, a lot of recycling and repurposing of furniture will take place.

Vintage furniture will be painted over with high gloss lacquer in the bold colours of 2013 and find its way into kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. So while you were de-cluttering last week, I hope you had the foresight to set aside some of that furniture handed down by Granny for future use.

Prints and patterns make a resurgence, stripes, geometrics, chevron designs and florals are all in for upholstery curtains cushions throws and blinds. Animal prints, ethnic patterns have all made a comeback.

But just as with any décor theme, remember less is more, all these patterns will look great in moderation. You will also see animal prints like zebra-patterned fabrics and floor rugs with a difference, forget the black and white patterns we are more accustomed to, and look out for zebra patterns in bold pinks and blues on a white background!

Décor trends in store for 2013

Other décor trends in store for us in 2013: Colour is really big in 2013 with all things being bright, beautiful and bold, neutrals, thank God, are still in. Because the colours for 2013 are so vibrant with earthy tones here and there, a lot of décor schemes will have neutral colours as the staple, with accents of bold and bright colour in soft furnishings such as lamp shades, cushions, rugs and throws and perhaps even curtains and blinds.

Emerald green is the colour everybody is raving about. But there are other more earthy shades of green and blue that have made it almost to the top. Yellow is definitely a colour to look out for in 2013, but it all depends on the shade of yellow, a very pale lemon sorbet is being touted as a favourite.

There are other fruity colours which are in the top echelon; lime, nectarine and almost a passion fruit violet. What is going to be important though is how we incorporate all this colour into existing schemes.

Handmade items for the home such as wicker chairs, basketry, embroidered linen with crotchet motifs on tablecloths are back with a bang as are handmade quilts.

All this laying emphasis on going back to basics, saving money, making things with our hands and caring for handmade heirlooms and skills which we hand down from generation to generation.

Simplicity and a leaning towards conservation and nature is shown by the use of natural materials and fibres, such as bamboo flooring and blinds, grass cloth for walls and here in Zimbabwe we have our own favourites grass mats and bonde or rukukwe which do very well as roller blinds and floor mats.

Gardens too return to basics favouring indigenous plants with less demands on water and insecticides as we make our contribution towards saving the environment.

All in all, colour functionality and comfort at low cost are the bywords for 2013!