DÉCOR:
SUMMER PATIO TRENDS

Now turning to summer patio trends.
Dazzling color is big to brighten our moods. Cheerful reds and yellows are key colors for this summer along with calming shades of leaf green and watery blue.

Also, bright-white frames are adding a contemporary twist to traditional styling – there is a trend away from large, traditional pieces.

As more homeowners move into smaller houses and condos, designers of outdoor furniture are responding to the downsizing movement. Sectionals are not so overbearing anymore. 

Styling is more contemporary, with a smaller scale and cleaner lines.

For homeowners wanting to splurge on a single item, a daybed with canopies are the big thing. 

DECOR TREND: DAZZLING COLOR


What's huge right now? Dazzling color.
Cheerful pinks, reds and yellows are key colors for the summer, along with calming shades of leaf green and watery blue.

Bright-white frames are very hot this season. Large, traditional pieces are a must as well.

For the patio: what's in is the combination of non-rusting aluminum frames and materials that look like wood or wicker.

As more homeowners move into smaller houses and condos, designers of outdoor furniture are responding to the downsizing movement. Sectionals are not so overbearing anymore. Styling is more contemporary, with a smaller scale and cleaner lines.

Style at Home:
The Well-Dressed Home


Hot off the press! Annette Tatum's gorgeous new decorating book, The Well Dressed Home, is a treasure trove of lush, fashion-inspired interiors. An LA-based interior designer (Marcia Cross and Minnie Driver love her Santa Monica store!) and fashion aficionado, Tatum's credo is “inspiration is everywhere… even where you might least expect it." The book is filled to the brim with genius ways to go from runway to room, making personal style about both what you wear and how you live.

TREND: AROMATIC SCULPTURES and USB DRIVES WITH SCENTS.


Now turning to Home fragrance: and Aromatic alternatives to candles…Hot these days are chic oil sculptures to potpourri “rocks” and even USB plug-ins for your computer, scents for the home are now available in an array of options.

Hollywood is loving DayNa Decker's Luminesse Sculptures ($300-$640; daynadecker.com).

L'Artisan's scented amber balls and new Chez Moi diffuser are decorative alternatives ($75-$500) Potpourri rocks from India Hicks ($30; Crabtree-Evelyn.com) and there are Scented USB drives, which stick right into your computer, ($30-$35; protocoldesign.com )

DECOR TREND:
COLOR APPLIANCES


The a big trend today in kitchenware's...forget the white on white....and stainless steel portable applainces... 2009 is all about COLOR....but not those old colors from the 60s.The latest Annual International Housewares Show highlighted BRIGHT colors, primary colors, pastel colors.