Dabbieri Blog

Design Trend: Caramel Tones

Warm and vibrant colors are a staple when it comes to interior design in the winter. When talking about winter decor, warm colors naturally come to mind. Despite being the trendiest colors in this period for home décor, colors like cinnamon, caramel, and terracotta, immediately add a warmer touch in any interior. If you are looking to incorporate these warm tones into your overall décor, try adding warm colored throws, or go all out with a caramel colored leather couch like below.

Update your furniture

Trade in your old recliner for a new cozy chair in a caramel tone so that you have a bit of warmth to spice up your room year round. The nice thing about brown hues is that they can easily go with any piece of furniture that is already in the room and even pair well with cooler hues like green and blue to ground them in warmer earthy tones.

Soft leather chairs and couches are a great way to tie in brown shades while also keeping to a traditional style.

Incorporate caramel tones into the small details

Perhaps the easiest way to infuse warmth into your home is by adding wall art and décor in varying shades of terracotta brown.

Another easy way to use caramel tones this season is to trade out your old flat pillows for some fluffy new ones. Add texture and warmth with pillows by selecting ones made from naturally warm fibers like lamb’s wool or choose a plush velvet or faux fur decorative pillow to plump up the couch.

Update your window treatments

Most window treatments only have a life of about seven or eight years and it’s likely yours need to be updated. Trade out your old curtains for plush caramel drapes or honeycomb blinds in a soft brown. This isn’t just trendy but also a practical way to reduce your heating bill as window treatments can keep warmth inside and block cold drafts from the outdoors.

How have you incorporated the trend of caramel tones into your interior design?

Design Trend: Cozy Textures

If you don’t feel like getting out of bed most fall mornings, there’s a good chance your room is designed just right! But even the comfiest of bedrooms can use an extra dash of texture especially with winter right around the corner. Have you noticed all of the sheepskin rugs and faux fur throws offered this season? Cozy textures are a go-to trend during the colder months of winter and can be achieved by layering fuzzy rugs and knitted throw blankets.  

Add textures throughout the room

Don’t be afraid to play with your space and infuse not just your floors but your walls with warmth too. Try hanging a decorative area rug on a wall to elevate the texture and warmth of the room. This serves a dual purpose as both a work of art and a way to preserve heat during the cold winter months –this way you save money on an expensive canvas and also increase the cozy factor of your room. 

Maybe your living room could use a new seat –try to find something in velvet this winter so you have a permanent texture already incorporated into the space. Then you can add some fuzzy pillows or a sheepskin rug at the base of the chair to make it even more warm and inviting.

Asymmetry is your best friend

Don’t worry about coordinating every last detail of the room décor –embrace the imperfection of it all by allowing for asymmetry to take center stage. Traditional or antique statement pieces balanced on imperfect surfaces can add character and a sense of homemade comfort to your home.

Natural wood floors are a great way to introduce asymmetry in any room as they have slight flaws like knots and distressing that can introduce a traditional or rustic aspect to a space.

Try layering

Perhaps your bedroom already has a carpet in it but you want to add more texture and color. Purchase a few area rugs and pile them up in a way that’s both functional and pleasing –by your bed is an ideal place because your feet will have something soft to sink into when you get up in the morning.

If you have wood floors, area rugs are a great way to tally up warmth in the winter and stay on trend as they’re easy to switch out or replace. Try piling a couple different textured rugs near your couch –this will make a great spot for your pets to curl up at your feet while you enjoy a good book and a cup of tea.

Don’t be afraid to pile up as many soft blankets and throws on your furniture as you see fit. Layer a Sherpa fleece with velvet plush for a luxurious feel or leave a knitted throw on your office chair for when you get chilly during an afternoon meeting.

Incorporate natural fibers

Choose wool or sisal rugs with high pile, tassels and fringing. Try incorporating these rugs with natural, raw materials like leather, stone and wood floors which when textured together will convey the warmth of a room.

Be it chunky knits, cozy furs, wool rugs, velvet furniture or soft linens, there’s an endless list of ways to bring cozy textures into your home this winter season.

Design Trend: Two-Toned Kitchens

Say goodbye to the stark white kitchens of the past and hello to the mix of colors that define the kitchen trends of the present. A two-toned kitchen is a really easy way to create instant visual interest, as seen below. While two-toned kitchens have been around for a few years, it's clear that this dynamic trend is here to stay. It involves playing with different color variations, usually when it comes to the upper and lower cabinets in your kitchen.

Whether looking to remodel the kitchen or just spruce it up a bit with a fresh coat of paint, consider this winter’s two-toned kitchen trend. Painting cabinets in two striking colors can give a contemporary fresh air to a more traditional kitchen, but painting isn’t the only option. Try different materials in upper and lower cabinets. Maybe even choose to mix and match wood and metal elements to create a different texture throughout the space.

Choose your colors wisely

With the average American spending at least 37 minutes in their kitchen every day, the kitchen should be a place of inspiration and comfort for functional cooking. Colors can influence mood and even appetite –a two-toned kitchen can help control both of these.

Colors like blues, greens and grays will infuse a sense of calm, cool, collectedness into the space and can even give smaller kitchens the illusion of space. Bright colors such reds, oranges and yellows stimulate the senses and have been psychologically proven to increase appetite.

Dark below, light above

Use darker shades for the bottom half of the cabinets and a lighter shade for the top cabinets. This helps to ground the space and make it look larger as eyes will be drawn upward to the lighter colors.

Try a trendy blue for the bottom cabinets and a soft white cream for the upper to create a lovely mix of traditional and contemporary in your kitchen. Soft grays and jewel-toned greens are also trending in two-tone kitchens this season.

Don’t forget to coordinate

If you choose to use two different colors for your cabinets or two different materials, be sure they balance each other out aesthetically. Look at color wheel and see which colors are complimentary or even try the same color just in different shades of intensity.

If you do decide to use two clearly distinct hues, make sure that you tie the kitchen together with coordinating details like matching hardware.

While the goal of two-tone kitchens is to infuse some color and add unique personality, the space should still feel cohesive. The best way to ensure this is through grounding details like stainless steel appliances and décor that marries the two colors.