Fall and Thanksgiving 2014 Color+Décor Trends

11/01/2014 | Sara McLean |

Fall is upon us once again, bringing excitement and joy for a new season of color and design trends. Color deepens, from watery summery hues to deeper autumn coloring; patterns provide familiar touches with updated twists; and texture gets heavier and more intricate, showcasing hand-crafted and rustic appeal. Here are just a few trend highlights to inspire your fall designs.

Color, Design, Pattern, & Texture

Rural Retreat
Traditional and classic; full of familiar details. A cozy home retreat with cottage-style design, pattern and texture provides the backdrop to this fall's renewed classic. For patterns, tartan plaids are updated to reflect pastels and bright color palettes. Plus, larger scale patterns and placement on other décor, such as tableware, display an updated look to this classic. Autumn leaves -- in Scandinavian-inspired designs to rustic and woven leaves -- decorate rugs, pillows and other accessories.

Owls and other woodland creatures have reached maturity as a trend and have fully saturated the marketplace so, to update this trend, note photographic owl prints and the introduction of metallic details. The squirrel is emerging as a companion to the owl or on its own as an alternative for fall décor. And to round out the woodland creatures trends, foxes and hedgehogs are appearing this fall in home décor and textiles. A fresh take on the traditional stripe is the brick stripe pattern – smaller rectangle shapes stacked and lined up to create broken stripe patterns.

In texture, chunky knits are heavily laden with comfort and a flash of metallic threading in some throws and pillows to create a luxury touch. Terracotta is continuing to trend forward for fall, and we see partly glazed and hand-painted patterns for an updated look. Chalkboard and chalkboard typeface are on display in a variety of home interior products -- from serving plates and bowls, to storage jars and canisters. Embroidery and cross-stitching continue trending in simple patterns and hand-crafted design applications.

As winter peeks through, we see the watercolors from summer become darker and richer in color, as well as hand-painted patterns in free-flowing and imperfect prints and patterns. Also in color, darker, warm woods are showing up more as the warm trend overall continues to heat up all areas of color and design. Blue continues to show in aquatic tones throughout ceramics and tableware, while berry reds brighten the décor and are paired with charcoal and gray.

Mysterious Luxury
A darker theme for this season, Mysterious Luxury has a touch of opulence and darker coloring. Animal skins, fur, leopard prints and dark-colored backgrounds highlight this fall's trend story. Floral branches full of flowers, birds and butterflies in micro-prints are shown in sketched illustrations from tableware to furnishings. Ornate decoration provides detail to frames, candle holders and other décor for an opulent touch; while trim and tassels expand to cover larger surface patterns instead of just border trimwork. Sequins and detailed beading in a variety of metallic finishes are displayed in prints and patterns.

Glassware becomes frosted and textured in greens and blues – a carry-over trend from summer – while dark purple also shows up in glass for a fall update. Also of note for glassware trends are the arrival intricate and bold patterns, both playful and graphic. Pearlescent finishes appear on a variety of décor, including vase collections and dinnerware, and gold foil appears on everything from pillows to packaging as the metallic trends continue to trend up in many areas of design. In metals, copper continues to show but is fading as gold continues to trend up.

For the fall and winter seasons, darker color is expected but for fall 2014 we see extremely dark and black finishes thoughout a range of decors, while mulberry combines with dusty pink, plum and grape for a fall update to the purple hue trend.

Nordic Reign
The influence of Scandinavian design continues to inspire pattern, texture and material for the fall season. In pattern play, we see pattern blocking, broken semi-circles and quadrant shapes, as well as simple graphic grid prints and square stripes for an update to traditional check patterns. Graphic floral prints and ultra-fine line geometrics also provide Scandinavian influence in design, along with black-and-white topography patterning.

For materials, the use of metal frames and wire structures show in lighting, furniture and accessories. And light, pale wood shows up in furnishings and décor, often paired with white, gray and pastels throughout the home. Marble stones and minerals stay strong and show in furniture, packaging and dinnerware.

Color is key to Scandinavian design and a variety of hues provide final touches to this trend. In the market this fall are monochromatic black-and-white touches on soft goods; hand-dipped contrasting color on ceramics; contrast-color welting and edging on pillows and blankets; a subtle return of silver in fabrics and textiles; and the continued hot trend of gray, specifically in tonal gray combinations and paired with silver. Also on display are color combinations, such as peach or apricot, paired with chalky blues; zesty limes and yellows, darkened from summer shades; and yellow paired with gray.

On the Thanksgiving Table –
The Thanksgiving table this fall again plays on tradition and fun and is updated to reflect newer color combinations and fresh takes on pattern, material and textures. Two Thanksgiving table highlights for fall 2014 are:

Homegrown –
From pumpkins, to zucchini, to Indian corn, the colors of the Thanksgiving table are inspired from the backyard vegetable garden patch. Patterns in vines, sunflowers, checks, plaids and leaves set the ground for a colorful array of vegetables, including green-colored or wood-grained patterned pumpkins, gourds, squash, cranberries, pomegranates, apples and pears. Indian-corn patterns and colors influence designs with yellow, vanilla and burgundy showing in place settings, rugs and other fall home décor. Other details include woven baskets, painted and distressed woods, dull silvers, and thick glass.

Forest Play –
A walk through the forest provides insight into another world. With woodland creatures -- from foxes to owls and squirrels -- running to and fro gathering nuts and berries before winter sets in, a flurry of activity provides ample color and design inspiration. Accent this seasonal design trend with poppies, black-eyed susans, maple and oak leaves, along with sunflowers. Wood provides pattern and texture in birch-bark candles, pumpkins and other place setting accessories. Finishing details include owl or turkey feathers, glitter, crystals, dull gold or silver overlays, glazed and matte ceramic finishes, and décor shaped as foxes or noble owls.