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Acrylic items, also known by the brand name “Lucite,” first emerged in the early 20th century, rising to popularity in the ’60s and ’70s. The see-through material comes in a range of hues and was a hit because it’s sturdier than glass. That meant it could (and still can!) be reliably used in a variety of applications, from waterfall tables and floating shelves to makeup organizers, trays, and beyond. Over the past decade or so, acrylic has again gained traction as a go-to material for furnishings and decor, this time more for its versatility and design chameleon-like aspects versus its novelty. Since it’s translucent, acrylic doesn’t take up a lot of visual space, allowing it to blend into the background of a room that might already be home to visually-heavy items like upholstered chairs, bookshelves, and wooden tables. Decorating pros say the material works well with almost any style of home or design, too, by adding a bit of a futuristic, modern touch to even the most traditional rooms.
For all of these reasons, acrylic tops the list of pretty meets practical choices for a coffee table in particular (I mean, how many CB2 peekaboos have you seen in your lifetime?). The one thing no one ever really tells you about acrylic, though? It’s sometimes hard to see if you’re buzzing around your apartment or room, which means you might literally bump into (or stumble over) pieces from time to time. That’s why I was so excited to see a stylish solution to this very problem pop up in a recent house tour.
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Lucy Goldberg, who is an art director, visual stylist, and set decorator, knows this almost non-issue issue all too well. Her own Manhattan home features an acrylic waterfall coffee table in the living room, which she says was actually left over from a shoot she worked on. “It’s truly a micro size and perfect as a coffee table,” she says. “but since it was clear I kept tripping over it.” Instead of swapping out the bright and airy table for something else, she decided to DIY the table into something that worked better for her. “I had some paint markers laying around and one day just started writing some lyrics that were stuck in my head on the table,” she shares, “I kept going until the table was covered, and now it’s a fun (and visible) art piece.”
The best part about this DIY, aside from the fact that Goldberg no longer trips over her coffee table, is that this design idea can be totally customized to whatever you choose. You can opt to scribble words or lyrics over a table like Goldberg did, repeat a motif like hearts, carefully draw out some stripes, or doodle a little bit here and there (and let your guests or company partake!) until the project is complete. You an also pick whatever colors work with your room, too. Now that’s true a design win-win from my perspective.
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Maybe you’ve sensed a shift in the world of interior design back toward more traditional, ornate spaces — your social media feeds and favorite magazine pages flooded with homes featuring crown and picture frame molding, classic plaid upholstery, board-and-batten walls, and stately Persian rugs. Homes with original character have long been coveted, but a renewed reverence for traditional details seems to be playing out in the housing market and many of home renovations I’m seeing right now on Instagram and TikTok. Renters are getting in on the action in reversible ways, and those that have moved into more modern homes are also emulating these intricate details to add character to otherwise bland spaces.
So far, a lot of the DIYing in this mini-design movement has centered on adding some classic architectural features. But what if I told you though that the latest (and maybe most-budget friendly?) iteration of the adding vintage character trend has people reaching for paint cans and brushes versus their tool boxes? That’s right, trompe-l’oeil (French for “to fool the eye”) architectural charm is trendy, old-meets-new paint application. Translation: Instead of hanging moldings or picture frame trim, people are starting to paint them instead.
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Take this 500-square-foot studio rented by Calvin Hrezik, for example. The apartment itself is fairly standard for New York City living: plain white walls, wood floors, and not a whole lot of living space. In spite of that, Hrezik has created an opulent, Parisian-feeling home — not only with furnishings and decor, but also the clever use of paint. An interior designer by trade, he thought outside the box to add character into a “blank canvas of a box” apartment. “I brought in my oh-so-talented muralist friend Colton Ackerman to collaborate on trompe-l’œil paintings throughout but in a cartoonish, campy, ‘Mary Poppins’ way,” he says.
The entry hallway is home to a row of closets painted entirely in Benjamin Moore’s San Antonio Rose (027) for a cohesive, enveloping look. On top of that peachy-orange base, the duo created whimsical, almost doodle-like renderings of picture frame molding in a contrasting red color. Benjamin Moore’s Coastal Cottage (1164) rules the living space, where painted garlands and curtains extend down from the apartment’s ceiling line. “The tassels dance on the tops of the Benjamin Moore Coastal Cottage walls around the main area,” Hrezik adds, “tying off a faux curtain into the entrance and closet hallway, complete with a painting of my cat, Disco Stardust, participating in her favorite pastime of pawing at pigeons.”
In the bathroom, you’ll find even more fool-the-eye fodder, this time in the form of “wallpaper.” Here, Hrezik commissioned Ackerman to paint “frames filled with a few of my favorite things, inspired by the idea of flooding all of the bathroom walls with my queer art collection.” The color used for these whimsical outlines was Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray (2062-20), and the design sits above the bath’s tall blue tiled wainscoting in the shower surround.
Sure, these painted features may be a little more stylized than your typical crown molding or box panels, but there’s no denying that the painted mural trend could be headed from abstract geometric shapes and arches into this trompe-l’oeil territory.
While this trend requires some skill and time, it’s a super-budget friendly way to add character and charm to your home. You can freehand these designs if you’re comfortable with that or team up with a pro like Hrezik did. When it comes to picture frame molding in particular though, the look can be really achieved with just a few colors and some strategic measuring, painting, and taping to create the shadows that pieces of real molding would cast. I can’t wait to see more of this in 2023 because the year is young for paint ideas!
If you’re someone who likes to inject inspiration from your travels into your home, you’ll want to take note of the storied East Village apartment of Meher Goel. “I’ve lived across six countries,” Goel says, “which has allowed me to borrow inspiration from all the cultures I’ve been lucky enough to carry with me.” Her New York home has a little nod to each of her previous homes (and plenty of smart DIYs!), but my favorite element might be the ornate painted arches in the entryway.
“Over the pandemic, as part of my ever-evolving healing process,” Goel says, “I had gone back to making things with my hands and taken a special interest in sustainable interior design and refurbishing furniture. My entryway was a bonding activity between two friends and lot of late night laughter.” Sounds like an ideal mid-pandemic activity, the results are just stunning.
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Since the original entry was a standard, white-walled one, and Goel describes her style as “modern-eclectic, transitional, and Parisian, with a splash of maximalist,” clearly, a design disconnect existed in this small space. She wanted a bit of Morocco, Mexico, and Rajasthan, India, in her home, so she took inspiration from the vibrancy of the Museo Frida Kahlo and the architecture of the fresco-adorned mansions of India’s Shekhawati region, called Havelis. That’s how she came up with the bold blue faux archway paint project you see here in the after shot. The two-toned mural spans the entire door wall!
First, Goel sketched the dual arches design out onto scrap paper to create a stencil for herself. Then she traced it onto the walls and over a previously plain door. Expert placement of the arches allowed her to frame the doorway and part of the blank wall space to its right, where she wanted to create a vignette for a shoe rack meets entry table.
With the help of her two above-mentioned friends, she painted around the arch shapes in a vibrant cobalt blue and finished off the space with an upcycled IKEA STÄLL shoe rack (that she also zhuzed up with hardware and a new tabletop), thrifted candle holders, and textile prints from Italy. The final result is an elegant and updated take on the ever-popular painted arch, and it will surely transport any visitor in Goel’s home to a place far from the East Village of New York.
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If your kitchen is in need of a little extra love but an affordable, quick fix is all you have in mind at the moment, you’ve come to the right place. I asked designers about the best items to purchase to add instant polish to the kitchen for under $50, and they delivered! Below you’ll find eight go-to, pro-approved product picks that you can add to your online shopping cart right now. They’re just the finishing touches to bring a little bit of class and sophistication to your space — I promise!
Credit: Anthropologie
Shop for a set of sweet serving plates
Whether you like to shop vintage or prefer more contemporary pieces, one way to zhuzh up your kitchen is by upgrading your tableware collection. “I love using pretty plates to make every morning feel like a celebration,” says designer Michelle Gage.”I stock my cabinet with vintage and artisan styles for everyday use,” she adds, noting that Anthropologie is one of her favorite places to shop for these types of goods new. Why not make the everyday feel a little more whimsical with a cute floral dessert plate, which is equally useful for serving English muffins in the morning or pastries in the evening.
Accessorizing with produce? Hey, why not! Designer Mary Kathryn Wells enjoys displaying a bowl of citrus fruits — think lemons, limes, or oranges — on her kitchen counter at all times. “They add the same punch of color and life that fresh flowers can but at a fraction of the cost,” she notes. “Plus, they require no arranging, and they’re actually edible or great for a festive drink garnish.” The exact vessel you choose to house these fruits is entirely up to you. “Whether you use a simple, basic bowl or something really fun and punchy, dumping a bag of clementines or lemons into a bowl on the counter is such an easy way to add a pop of sophisticated color,” Wells concludes. In fact, this is one of the things almost every interior stylist does to add color to a cook space when prepping it for a shoot.
A timeless marble bowl like this subtly-footed one will add a luxe touch to any countertop and can be used to house other natural displays, too. Fill it with pinecones or air plants if you wish, or change it up depending on the season.
Designer Ellie Mroz is a proponent of picking up a special bottle of hand lotion or soap to place next to the sink. “It’s a splurge in comparison to regular soap but overall a small luxury that can make you smile and also serve a function,” she notes. As an alternative, you can simply purchase decorative reusable soap bottles you can refill time and time again. A white ceramic design will look nice and sleek. Plus, they’ll work with virtually any style of kitchen, from ultra-modern to English cottage.
“Incorporating a stone trivet, cake stand, or footed bowl on your countertop is a great way to add polish and visual interest to a kitchen,” explains designer Molly Torres Portnof of DATE Interiors. Many ways to use such vessels and pieces exist, depending on the occasion. “Display dessert, fruit, florals, or leave it bare to instantly elevate your space,” Portnof suggests. Designer Djalna McSween likes pedestal bowls in particular. “A pedestal bowl is a perfect balance of style and function,” she says. “Its heightened scale makes it sure to stand out and pop from the countertop.”
Whether you own your home or rent, this hack that designer Paige Garland recommends will greatly improve the state of your kitchen. “The quickest (and likely cheapest) way to update the look of your cabinets is to swap out basic outdated hardware,” she notes. “A touch of gold or silver makes a world of difference to the overall aesthetic.” If you rent, be sure to keep the original pieces on hand so that you can re-install them prior to move out!
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It’s a new year, and I’m most excited to see what’s on the horizon for living rooms, arguably one of the most used spaces in the home. “In general, people want a home aesthetic that is simple and easy but still beautiful,” says designer Meredith Goforth, founder of House of Prim, a design and organizing firm. In other words, form and function are both “in” for living areas, and you just have to figure out what that means for you. Need a little inspiration? I chatted with a few of my favorite designers to get their take on what a stylish living room will look like in 2023, and here’s what they had to say.
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Color, color, and more color
Almost all of the designers I spoke to agreed that a more adventurous approach to color was coming to a living room near you. Designer Anastasia Casey of IDCO Studio definitely sees bold hues in the forecast for 2023. “Colored sofas are definitely going to be having a major moment,” she says. “I also think we’ll see a lot of living room furniture with contrast piping details along the edges — likely natural linen pieces with chartreuse or terracotta detailing.” The latter example is perfect for those who are vibrant color curious but want to keep their larger pieces as a neutral foundation on the whole.
Goforth singled out a special shade that she thinks is really going to take off: cobalt blue. “Cobalt blue has been prominent in fashion, which home design trends tend to follow,” she says. “It’s a vibrant, rich, and happy color that feels so good to be around. It’s a great alternative to white, black, and neutrals, which have been dominating living rooms forever.” Goforth says she’s also noticed clients gravitating towards similarly saturated, deeper hues in the purple and green families, too, and she expects that trend to continue as well.
Designer Christina Lehman of C Lehman Home predicts more color in terms of decorative accessories, and designer Samantha Struck of StruckSured Interiors agrees, at least when it comes to what she considers happy, zingy hues. “Color after a dreary season can brighten the mood!” says Struck.
Sculptural wooden focal walls
Think of this wall covering trend as wood paneling, version 2.0. “Although I don’t see the reemerged nostalgic charm of wooden slat walls going anywhere anytime soon, introducing carved or sculptural wooden panels is something I’m starting to see more of,” says designer and Small/Cool alum David Quarles IV. “Whether geometrical or more organic in shape, these sculptural panels bring another element of depth, focus, and care into any living space.” If you don’t have the budget for a full wall, think about incorporating this trend into a piece of furniture like a media console. Plenty of pieces out there have beautiful carvings and feature interesting inset designs (a shown above) that can make a similar decorative impact.
Eco-conscious furnishings
Goforth says shoppers are increasingly concerned about the environment, which will affect what furnishings they’re buying for the living room and beyond. “We’ll see this carry through to home design choices, as people opt for eco-friendly pieces made from renewable and recyclable materials,” she says. “A lot of living room furniture pieces — tables, consoles, chairs — are starting to incorporate sustainable materials like rattan, which is sturdy, beautiful, and will stand the test of time. I love rattan because in addition to being a more eco-friendly choice, it’s minimalistic and adds depth and texture, making your space more interesting. Plus, rattan doesn’t shed!”
You can expect the squiggles and wiggles of 2020 through 2022 to be a little more refined this year, turning into slightly more elegant scalloped shapes. “Scalloped edges will continue to have a major impact in design this year, especially in colored marble,” says Casey. We love the scallop trend and hope it doesn’t go away anytime soon! We’ve seen it done successfully on throw pillows, sofas, baskets — even lampshades.”
Double-duty furniture (especially the sleeper sofa)
“I think living rooms are going to be used more as multi-functional spaces,” Lehman says. “Console tables that can be used as a desk, desk/shelf units, or sofa beds will be used. With more people working from home, spaces are working harder and doing double-duty.” Struck also thinks multi-tasking furniture will be big. “Sofa sleepers are making a come back with people hosting and wanting to entertain more,” she says.
When it comes to fabric, 2023’s living room is going to be all about textural, touchable materials, albeit likely in bolder colorways. “I definitely think we will continue to see our favorite velvets and bouclé but now, in more colors,” Quarles IV says. “For a recent project, I just sourced a mustard-colored bouclé swivel chair, and I love it. And as for our beloved velvets, from the muted to the jewel tones, colorful velvets are here to stay.”
