Nashville area homeowners and commercial location managers eager to refresh their homes or offices can tap into the professional guidance of Leslie Murphy, owner and creative director for Murphy Maude Interiors.
As for spring and summer trends, Leslie says, “We are trending toward darker-toned woods after a significant love affair with light, almost raw wood tones in kitchens.”
She sees a resurgence of chocolate browns and deeper natural hues, such as almond, flax and other earth tones. “It’s only a matter of time before we start embracing poppy color and wild patterns again as the norm. Cool and icy gray is now a thing of the past, as is the all-white kitchen trend.”
Leslie also sees curvier, sexier lines and more organic shapes replacing the modern, clean lines in furniture from recent years.
To avoid getting caught in any specific trend, Leslie recommends choosing “enduring furniture silhouettes in neutral tones,” and adding accents with pillows, throws, art or accent rugs. She also suggests using wallpaper. “Our team of designers at Murphy Maude Interiors uses wallpaper from our sister company, Mable Originals, in this way to add color and pattern to neutral rooms. Wallpaper is a great way to add a punch and is now offered in peel and stick, but even the "permanent" options are much easier to install and remove than the wallpapers of the past!”
Her quick design tip for any space? An antiqued mirror. “We love using a lightly antiqued mirror even in contemporary designs!”
Leslie says her favorite spaces to design for clients are unique. “I love to design specialty areas that are custom and specific to the client and intended to improve their quality of life. Think meditation rooms, home gyms, wine-tasting rooms, dressing rooms, music-listening rooms and recording studios. Anything that is designed specifically with an eye toward improving the life of the client is my happy place!”
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