Carla Bowden speaks to us about her insider knowledge and predictions
2011 has been a bumper year for home decoration, with new trends emerging and some old favourites continuing to make their mark.
We talk to senior manager of Fashion and Home for Disney, Carla Bowden, to get her views on the year just gone and predictions for the designs that will be making their way into your home in 2012.
Q. What's going to be a trend for home decoration in 2012?
A. We’ve seen a resurgence of enthusiasm for retro designs, which is showing no sign of abating. Everyone has their favourite Disney characters from their childhood, and these are now becoming a popular part of home interior design rather than just the children’s bedroom as we’ve previously seen. We think this trend will continue into 2012.
Q. What do you think was the best trend this past year?
A. The best trend of 2011 was the passion for patterned wallpaper. We have seen consumers become more open to really strong designs and colour combinations, mixing them with softer tones to give their rooms a great kitsch feel. Alice in Wonderland has been a big inspiration for interior design as well as other Disney characters such as Malificent from Snow White in our Disney Villains wallpaper collection designed in collaboration with Barbara Hulanicki. You can choose how much of the effect you want by combining it with neutral tones or going all out by using it over a whole room.
Q. What sort of tips do you have for someone decorating their home for the first time?
A. I would say most importantly take your time and don’t feel you have to rush. Home decoration is fluid, with minor adjustments making a big difference to the feel of a room. You can make small decoration changes to match the season or give your house a lift with something new. My top tips would be:
· Be open to new ideas along the way – don’t feel you have to stick with initial plans
· If you see a piece you love, go for it! Sometimes one statement piece can inspire your entire room design
· Be bold with your colour choices – my living room is black, gold and cream with splashes of bright red, monochrome and bright colours really work well together
· If you rent don’t think that you can’t get creative with wallpaper – buy some picture frames for your favourite wallpaper or use wall decals which are dramatic but can easily be removed
· Be creative – use magazines for inspiration, create a mood board to find the colours and pick your theme - then shop for that
Q. Where should they start?
A. My advice would be to start small. Take the decoration of your first home one room at a time, otherwise you will feel overwhelmed and you’ll lose the fun factor.
Start by looking around home showrooms and exhibitions to give you a feel for the types of designs you like. Once you have some initial ideas, try visiting more unusual places that you would not immediately think of for home decoration ideas, such as restaurants, hotels, stately homes, museums or spas. These will help give a twist to your plans.
Once you have a plan, you can start shopping. Try to avoid impulse buys as these will often end up looking out of place when the whole plan comes together.
Finally, remember that you have never really finished decorating a room. You don’t have to stop just because you have everything you planned for. If you see something you love in the future bear in mind that home decoration can always develop further.
Q. What have been Disney's most popular decorations?
A. Winnie the Pooh is a popular choice for baby and toddler bedrooms and for older children, Disney Princess for girls and Spiderman for boys. But for a more grown up room, our Disney Villains wallpaper (available at Graham & Brown) is a popular choice and also our Mickey Mouse cushions by Paul Smith are a great designer statement piece. H&M has a popular Mickey mouse cushion cover available – Mickey Mouse definitely has great appeal across both children and adults when it comes to home decorating.
Q. What do you have planned for the New Year?
A. With the continued success of collections such as the TRON Armchair by designer Dror Benshetrit for Cappellini, Walt Disney Signature’s collection and the Disney Villains wallpapers with Barbara Hulanicki we will be looking to introduce more collaborations to design lovers and Disney fans. We have lots of exciting collaborations in the works for 2012… stay tuned!
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Home Interior decorating tips