The staff at Ambiance Interiors were recently given a tour of the DaVinci Marble showroom in San Carlos, and what an indulgent treat it was!  The trends in tile are redefining how we approach bathroom and kitchen designs.

Some of the most exciting trends we noticed are:

Natural stone is still as popular as ever!  Honed, polished, tumbled, chiseled, split-face, grooved brushed & leathered slabs and tiles are amongst the choices.  Naturally variegated, and durable, we can capture any look or mood with the choices now available.

Island Stone International

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Relatively new to the residential market are semi-precious stone slabs that are begging to be backlit and shown off.  Semi-precious stones (lapis, tiger eye, onyx, agate) are softer than their more traditional stone counterparts, but offer a luminescent and luxurious look.  While it may not be the material of choice for a high-use kitchen countertop, it may be perfect for a backsplash, fireplace surround, a powder bath counter top, or a stunning piece of furniture! Ultra-swanky, and very sexy, these stones add an edginess not formerly associated with stone slabs.  While semi-precious slabs remain on the higher end of pricing, a single slab can generate a lot of bang for the buck!

The Antolini Collection at Da Vinci Marble

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Stone slabs now come in laser cut finishes that offer a decidedly more exotic look to the standard “Absolute Black” granite.

The Natura Collection at Da Vinci Marble

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During the 1970’s, 4”x4” tile was the norm.  Today’s large format tiles 12×24, 24×24, 15×36, etc. have become increasingly common and popular.  Large scale tiles offer a cleaner, sleeker, look and is a wonderful option for those who hate grout.

Da Vinci Marble

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Laser cutting glass and stone have opened the doors to infinite design possibilities.  I love mixing old world and timeless materials like stone, with new-age and sleek materials like glass.  Often, all that’s needed is an unexpected backsplash to freshen up a conventional bathroom or kitchen.

The Nadeau Collection

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What was once only considered for the interiors is perfectly acceptable for most exterior use.  Glass, ceramics, stone slabs perform beautifully in the elements.  It is such an easy way to bring the indoors out, and vice versa!

Da Vinci Marble

As the new year begins, and we all recover from the holiday flurry of activities, I stopped to reflect on some different movements I see happening around us. Most of these “trends” are spurred by social movements, and some will survive the test of time. As with most trends, these presented are ideas or products that have been around for years, but with new applications to render new life to old ideas.

1. Classic Minimalism is the look for the next year! The modern simplicity of the last decade is being softened with more traditional lines. Furniture will feel more familiar and comfortable, and will retain cleaner lines to render a decidedly sexy appearance. (image below from Hickory Chair)

2. Move over chrome, brass is back again. This familiar metal accent will see a re-emergence in the market. This time, however, its application will be sleeker, more modern and less garish.

Chrome pieces by Fabricut

3. Shades of gray will replace beige and browns as the new neutral. Grays will range from heather to charcoal and will be played against bolder colors to create a vibrant palette. Meanwhile, America is still embracing a serene, and calm mood. Benjamin Moore has named Wythe Blue their color of the year for its ability to evoke images of “sky & sea.”

Benjamin Moore, shades of gray

4. Color is back in fabrics and furniture and will punch up formerly sedate, if not altogether safe, rooms. This trend started a few years ago with the increasing popularity of ikat fabrics. Today, this trend continues with colorful geometrics and solid fabrics to allow us to instantly create “pop” in a room. We see this trend continuing through 2012.

Kravet fabrics

5. Sustainability is still a key consideration in many purchasing decisions. It’s now easier than ever to adapt a healthier and earth-friendly lifestyle with the ever-growing product choices. Lighting is perhaps the most innovative of all the home furnishing segments and a full line of decorative LED lights/lamps are hitting the marketplace. As manufacturing has increased to meet consumer demand, price points are now more favorable. Look for even more fashion-forward styles to be introduced in upcoming years.

Left: House of Troy / Right: Holtkoetter

As compared with the traditional 60watt or 75 watt bulb, these dimmable LEDs operate on 3.5 watts! Now, that’s innovation!

Summer evenings offer an idyllic setting for backyard soirees and family BBQs. But what are we to do when the days and nights get cooler? If you enjoy spending your time outside as much as we do, outdoor living rooms offer the perfect solution!

An outdoor showroom by Restoration Hardware

As we incorporate more of these rooms into our interior designs, we can’t help noticing how fun they are to create. Indoor/outdoor fabrics and rugs are one of the fastest growing segments in the textiles industry. Choosing the perfect textiles for your outdoor room gives you plenty of freedom to add your own personal style.

Images credits – Top: Kravet Fabrics, bottom left: Vermont Castings, bottom right: Restoration Hardware

Built in fireplaces and BBQs define outdoor living and there are plenty of options to choose from. And don’t forget outdoor lighting! You can keep it simple or go crazy with the latest and greatest – no need to stick to the standard post lamps. Some indoor fixtures may not hold up when exposed to the elements, however, most often this is not an issue when the space is covered or protected.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's outdoor room via Architectural Digest

We’ll leave you with this dramatic video for the elegant opus lava heaters.

Kitchens used to be a purely functional room, providing a place to prepare and store food. We’ve come to realize that the kitchen is, in fact, the heart of the home for most families, whether or not the homeowners actually cook!  Kitchens have become the primary gathering place for most social and family functions.  Aesthetics now command as much attention as function when considering the design of a new kitchen.

1970's kitchen includes outdated peninsula

Consider this 1970′s before of a perfectly “functional” kitchen.  The space was crowded and confined by the layout including the peninsula.  Lighting was dim and inadequate.  The dark wood cabinets weighed down the space despite the room’s tall ceilings.By eliminating the peninsula and making the upper cabinets longer, the room gains important actual and perceived space.

Taller upper cabinets capture storage lost when peninsula was eliminated. Daniel Wilson Photography.

In another project, we opened up a kitchen by eliminating the existing peninsula.  Instead, we designed double islands to provide food preparation area and a eat-in counter.  The before picture shows how confining the space was previously even though the actual room size was quite large.

Original kitchen design cut large room in half

The after images of this kitchen show how much more physical and visual space was captured by eliminating the original peninsula and opening the space up to foot traffic. Double islands are a fantastic way to create more storage/counter space when the room size allows.  In this way, we created an “entertaining” island, as well as a “food prep” island.  The hood and backsplash create a much needed focal point and rewards the viewer with a show-stopping custom hood, made of handcrafted steel and venetian plaster.

Eliminating peninsula design "opens" the room and increases visual space.

Custom handcrafted steel & venetian plaster hood give the room much needed focal point.