Do you pin your favorite bathroom makeover ideas on Pinterest, look for inspirational kitchen designs or dream about new decorating styles for your home? If so, you're not alone. Many homeowners are opting to makeover their homes this year instead of upgrading to a new one.
According to a recent survey by Better Homes & Gardens magazine, consumers rank "style upgrades" as the most important component of their upcoming home improvement plans, followed by storage. For future projects, consumers said their top style upgrades include flooring, countertops, faucets and fixtures.
Laminate flooring experts suggest beginning a style upgrade project by installing neutral-colored flooring. Neutral floors create the perfect canvas to help tie all of a room's design elements together.
What is a fresh, new and widely-popular neutral color within interior design circles? That would be grey. Some of the hottest hardwood flooring designs for 2012 offer traditionally American brown tones that are delicately infused with a grey influence.
Grey is the new brown
Grey is no longer viewed as a trend color in design circles, but is now viewed by professional designers as the new neutral.
"Grey is the new brown," says Erinn Valencich, L.A.-based interior designer and blogger for HGTV's Design Happens. "I used a grey-based floor in my new design studio because it goes well under a myriad of other wood tones. You don't have to use grey-based furniture on top of it - grey looks great with all wood tones." Another benefit to grey-based flooring, Valencich adds, is that it's very forgiving.
Just look to large furniture retailers to see how their offerings now highlight grey-based tones. The bleached-out, weathered Scandinavian look is very popular right now, Valencich says. It's perfect to pair with a new grey floor.
Colors that complement
Don't be afraid of color when designing a room with a grey-based floor, Valencich says. She suggests one of these color palettes to make a room shine:
* 50 shades of blue - Grey looks beautiful with any shade of blue, from soft powder blue to vibrant turquoise to charming daisy blue.
* Bananas Foster - A favorite color trio of Valencich's is yellow, chocolate and cream on top of a grey-based floor. The subtle flooring highlights the rich colors for a bold, decadent look.
* Lovely with lavender - Lavender is one of this year's hottest colors and a long-time partner for grey. Valencich suggests adding any color of purple to a grey floor for standout results. "Consider creating a focal point around a muted lavender wall and add some deep, rich, regal purple accents to bring it all together."
Getting started
When beginning a room makeover project, the first step is choosing a clear color palette. Wall color is a great place to begin, Valencich says, but any object - a rug, chair or artwork - can serve as your inspiration.
Next, think of the design process in layers - the trick is to coordinate and contrast. "If your paint, accessories, furniture and flooring are all the same color, the room will feel flat," Valencich advises. "So create drama by using a pop of color or by layering varying shades of the same color for a refined tone-on-tone look."
A well-executed color palette can transform any space with great results. (ARA)
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