Fall Forecast

Thursday, September 11, 2008

What's in store for fall? Here's the forecast:

Yellow Paint

Color forecasters believe a citron yellow paint can help take the chill off the country's economic troubles.

One shade, St. Elmo's Fire by Benjamin Moore, is being promoted not only for kitchens, where yellow traditionally resides, but for any room. "Yellow is a color emblematic of transition," says Esther Perman, a spokeswoman for the paint company. She suggests pairing it with such unexpected hues as pink or gray. "Yellow is a feel-good color," she says.

St. Elmo's Fire has a bit of a chartreuse edge to it; it's not something you're likely to find coating the walls of a New England farmhouse. The name of the paint comes from a weather phenomenon called St. Elmo's Fire, which produces flashes of light during electrical storms, not the 1985 Demi Moore flick with the haunting theme song.

But we digress. Try painting a home office wall this fall with St. Elmo's Fire and see if it puts you in a better mood when you're paying bills.

Jura Koncius

Typography

Houndstooth, tweed and tartan may be the prints typically favored in the fall, but look for a new pattern to emerge this year: text.

Sentences, jumbled words, letters, numbers and symbols in classic fonts are being used to create edgy graphics and patterns for furnishings and accessories. Typography is becoming a new form of personalization, the modern way to monogram.

"It's part of the vintage-modern look that's so popular right now," says Abigail Jacobs, spokeswoman for Williams-Sonoma Home, which is selling a pillow hand-printed with French script. Other retailers are using typography to decorate rugs, wallpaper, lighting, wall art, shower curtains, pillows and mirrors. New York-based fabric and furnishings company Kravet has chrome tables shaped like letters of the alphabet.

Rather than coming across as computer-generated, typography design looks more like "something found in a romantic letter or a typewritten note," Jacobs says. "It's classic without being antiquated."

Terri Sapienza

Books

Washington coffee tables will have to make room for first design books by two of the city's top interior designers, Darryl Carter and Barry Dixon.

Dixon and Carter, though both traditionalists, take different paths. Dixon's look of rich textures and exuberant palettes taken from nature (think pumpkin and chocolate) is evident when you flip through the pages of "Barry Dixon Interiors" by Brian D. Coleman (Gibbs Smith, $40). Eleven homes, including Dixon's Warrenton estate, are featured. Catch Dixon at two book signings: The first is Sept. 30 at 3 p.m. at the Washington Design Center, 300 D St. SW. RSVP required; call 202-646-6114. The second is Oct. 3 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at John Rosselli, 1515 Wisconsin Ave. NW. To RSVP, call 202-337-7676.

Carter's maverick approach to traditional decorating with a restrained, modern touch is earning him a national reputation. He wrote "The New Traditional: Reinvent, Balance, Define Your Home" (Clarkson Potter, $45) to encourage readers to let their rooms reflect a strong sense of self. Carter will sign his book Oct. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Thomasville, 12995 Fair Lakes Shopping Center, Fairfax. To RVSP, call 703-222-1500.

Jura Koncius

Nailhead Trim

Nailheads are everywhere again! The silver or brass-tack trim looks like jewelry roped around a piece of furniture. It has been spotted on the arms of sofas and chairs and as a detail on a bed frame.

This season, Crate and Barrel is wrapping silver nailhead trim around velvet club chairs. It's especially fitting on a wing chair, even one draped in ivory leather or Scottish tartan plaid, as seen from Williams-Sonoma Home. West Elm has paired nailheads with undyed jute to create an upholstered headboard that's appealing to both traditional and contemporary tastes.

"Nailhead detail is a classic design that mixes very well with modern looks," said Kate Mulhearn, a spokeswoman for West Elm, which is also selling a nailhead linen window panel. "Nailhead is incredibly versatile. It creates a look that is sophisticated and relaxed at the same time."

Liz Seymour

Kitchens

The kitchen backsplash is getting more colorful, but it has nothing to do with tile.

Back-painted glass is a big trend, says Bethesda-based kitchen designer Jennifer Gilmer. This style, in which the back of installed glass is painted, is a popular choice because of its contemporary look and the seamless shot of color it provides, she says. Her showroom window currently features a glass backsplash painted a bright orange. "People like the non-interruption," she says. "No grout lines."

Gilmer also reports that kitchens are simplifying and that more folks are requesting fewer cabinets and more wall space.

Floating shelving can be installed to counter a lack of cabinetry. This type of open storage works best for often-used dishes and glasses. If there's no need for extra storage, the shelving can be used to display collections or artwork, making the space more personal.

Green materials continue to gain momentum, with renewable and engineered woods now included among the standard offerings of many manufacturers. Also on the upswing: Asian accents, Gilmer says. Subtle touches on cabinetry include sliding doors, which can remain open while you cook, and glass doors with horizontal panes of glass to resemble shoji screens.

Terri Sapienza

Gray Wood Finishes

Gray has taken a starring role in interior design lately, becoming the go-to shade for paint, upholstery, wall treatments and flooring. Now it's appearing on wood finishes.

"We see gray as the new neutral," says Kate Mulhearn, a spokeswoman for West Elm. "It's crisp, clean and elegant, and at the same time warm and welcoming." The California-based chain's current collection includes a gray coffee table, desk and wood-framed mirror.

Other retailers also appear to be taking a small break from the much darker wood finishes such as ebony and espresso that have dominated the design scene for the past few years. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is offering collections of light gray finished tables, and Pottery Barn has gray dining pieces, bedroom furniture and media suites.

Part of the appeal of this subtle shade of wood is its versatility. The tone lends itself to mixing well with just about any color and style. A gray-finished chair would look just as at home atop a worn and weathered antique Persian carpet as it would alongside a shiny lacquered Parsons table.

The color also allows the natural grains in the wood to stand out more. "It's not just the color; it's the texture," Mulhearn says. "It naturally creates its own pattern."

Terri Sapienza

Pattern

Lovers of modern design have been turning up their noses at patterned fabrics for quite a while. This season, the modernists are coming around on prints.

Companies including New York's John Robshaw Textiles are showing beds piled with shams and sheets inspired by such ethnic sources as Uzbek weavings, Indian board games and Indonesian sarongs. At formerly beige-besotted Pottery Barn, stacks of pillows have turned up in prints inspired by antique paisleys and Provencal motifs. And a new generation is discovering the bold, candy-colored prints of Marimekko.

"People today want to express personality in their homes, and I don't think you can always do that by being extremely minimal," says Douglas Burton, co-owner of Apartment Zero, the contemporary design shop in Penn Quarter. For fall, Burton is selling home fashions in the signature woven prints of Italy's Missoni family.

"A funky graphic print in a pillow, lampshade or a small accent chair is a great way to express yourself without taking a big risk," Burton says.

Jura Koncius

Purple

Purple is a popular color for clothing this season, and just as home design follows fashion, shades of plum and aubergine are showing up on walls, rugs and upholstery.

Some designers recommend pairing the hue with chocolate brown or pale gray. But most use it as the one spot of color in a room full of neutrals.

If you're searching for a single, colorful accessory, Ikea's Andrea rug is a two-tone swirl of plum and port. At Crate and Barrel, the Sasha dining chair comes in a vivid eggplant, and the Tux club chair has been upholstered with amethyst leather.

"It is the perfect marriage of clean design and a unique, but not crazy, color palette," says Becky Weber, the upholstery manager and buyer at Crate and Barrel. "And it is selling, so customers are certainly embracing the color."

Not interested in spending a lot? A throw or pillow will enliven and update any living room or bedroom.

Liz Seymour

Events

· Greening the World's Capital Cities. A lecture that examines the effects of green design on world-class architecture and public spaces. Sept. 18. National Building Museum, 202-272-2448 or http://www.nbm.org.

· Design in Spain Now. An evening with Martín Azúa and Juli Capella. The Spanish designers discuss current projects and Spain's role in influencing interior design. Sept. 23. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 202-639-1770 or http://www.corcoran.org/calendar.

· Casa Couture: Designers in Vogue. The Fall 2008 Design House features eight rooms inspired by trends from around the globe. Sept. 26 to Dec. 13. Washington Design Center, 202-646-6114 or http://www.dcdesigncenter.com.

· Remodeling & Home Decor Show. Home improvement exhibits and presentations. Sept. 26 to 28. Dulles Expo Center, http://www.capitalhomeshow.com.

· Timbuktu to Tibet: Rugs and Textiles of the Hajji Babas. Exhibition at the Textile Museum. Oct. 18 to March 8. 202-667-0441 or http://www.textilemuseum.com.

· Beyond Dragons: An East-West Fusion of Interior Design. The National Symphony Orchestra show house features rooms decorated by some of Washington's top young designers. Oct. 22 to 26. Woman's Club of Chevy Chase, 202-416-8148 or http://www.kennedy-center.org/celebrations.

· Trends in Tile for Kitchen, Bath & Beyond. A presentation by Jen Renzi, author of "The Art of Tile." Oct. 30. Washington Design Center, 202-646-6114 or http://www.dcdesigncenter.com.