With home accessories and decor, style is everything. Certain home decor styles are going to start coming into their own during the 2012 year, so it’s worth noting what these styles are. This can also help you stay ahead of the curve when choosing new home accessories for your space. Here are a few of the expected trends for home decor in 2012.

Contemporary Chic

‘Contemporary Chic’ has slowly risen in the past few months and will continue to grow in popularity in 2012. Look for home accessories that feature clean lines and modern shapes, such as the drum shade. Other examples include large oval mirrors, mirror finished furniture, hammered metal vases and bowls, crystal spheres all of which can be combined with neutral color palettes paired with pops of color.

Industrial Chic

A year of the ‘chic’ styles, industrial chic is a style that combines the rusty gold of antique stops with clean, contemporary style. Look at this home decor style as an elegant, refined version of steam punk or industrial decor. It can include items mentioned in ‘contemporary chic’ as well as home accessories such as steel stools, recycled glass light fixtures, apothecary jars, mixed media wall art and more.

Vintage Farmhouse

This style may also be referred to as “vintage chic” or “farmhouse chic,” and includes worn, well loved pieces combined with modern conveniences. Examples could include cloche or bell jars, lace doilies, light fixtures that use old mason jars as glass shades and furniture that features hand carving and well worn, well-loved detailing.

Rustic Home Decor

Speaking of all these vintage styles, rustic home decor will also be making a comeback in 2012. Elegant rustic lodges with luxury items, shabby-chic-meets-rustic or cabin-in-the-woods rustic are all options; as this style can go a number of different ways.

Global Decor

Like many home decor styles, global decor is making the cycle around yet again for 2012. Expect to see plenty of global influences in various home styles, as global elements are easy to incorporate into existing design palettes. Hand carved home accessories and furniture, mosaic mirrors, Moroccan details and so forth.

Trendy Colors for 2012

A number of colors will also be trendy for 2012, but unlike other styles, colors are one of the easiest ways to incorporate a trend into your space without spending a ton of cash. Look for bright hues such as yellow, as well as the new neutral: gray.

It is important to keep in mind that when it comes to trends, less is more. It may be tempting to redecorate an entire space using trendy home accessories and decor, but it can result in a space that feels dated and dreary after just a few months. So keep this in mind, as you don’t want to waste money having to redecorate once your home decor trend has gone out-of-style. Images 1 | 2| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

What’s next in 2012 on home accessories and decor? Find out, get inspired and be the first who knows!

There is a fine line between kitschy and chaos. And, especially in a kitchen, the latter just won’t do! How does one take the retro styling of the past without going overboard? And, how do you add home accessories to the mix without cluttering?

Regardless of what you want to put into your space, color matters. Simplify “campy” by selecting a color scheme. To do this, find an inspiration item that you love for its colors and pattern. Perhaps it’s a great apron with cherries on it or a lime green and yellow tablecloth. Another great place to find inspiration is in the scrapbook aisle. It sounds odd, but scrap bookers know that color can bring life to their memories. Just like the color scheme you select will bring life to your room!

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If you have favorite home decor items that you love, make sure it follows the rule of “form follows function.” Simply stated, if your flour sours in your favorite Tupperware tin, you need another solution. The kitchen is a work place and your “tools” need to work well! If the modern products you find just won’t do, then consider plain store-bought tins and make them your own with stencils and paint (or just freehand if you are creative.) Bright vivid colors and metal work well. Many DIY paint-your-own pottery places also offer ceramic options.

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Here’s another thing to remember: When designing, kitschy means fun but not old. Meaning, your space should inspire frolic and joyous outbursts but certainly not invite ghost-hunters to drop in for lunch. Consider painted white chairs with fun pillows or even stainless steel. Kitschy isn’t your grandmother’s wooden chair. Well, unless it’s slapped with paint and happiness. Discount furniture works well with this style but you choose wisely. You want quality pieces at affordable prices. If items don’t suit your style, shop for the “lines” of the furniture. Meaning, simply look at the silhouette of the piece. If you like the lines, find a way to refinish and make new. Or rather…“make you!”

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When selecting accessories for your kitchen, choose items that scream, “nostalgia” without boring you to pieces. If you shop online, search for items using the terms: bright, vivid, nostalgic or retro. Think about wall decor, linens and your countertop accessories in terms of quirky but tasteful. Consider hanging decorative plates or canvas wall art. Think whimsical and full of life, and you can’t go wrong.

In a nutshell, when going for “kitschy,” think quality over quantity. If you have a lot of decor with “quirk,” simplify to show it off. Decor with pizzazz can spark conversation but you definitely don’t want to overload! That’s right, too much of a good thing… can go bad.

Homes are susceptible to chaos and clutter; interior designers and organizational professionals know that there is a wide array of home accessories and home decor for “containing and controlling” it creatively.

The kitchen is definitely a room where clutter can take over – mail gets dropped onto the table and odds-and-ends get stashed in the junk drawer. Instead of miscellaneous boxes, purchase clear same-sized containers for your pantry, or even your countertops, and refill your items. Keeping items this way will help visually and save you time when you need to know what items need restocking.

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Unleash the “pretty” in your kitchen cabinets by storing multiple items of the same pattern and size (i.e.: a dozen plates). If your items don’t stack well then toss them, donate them and find sets that do. To visually control clutter in your cabinets, stick to one color – all white, all eggshell, or all coco.

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When planning your kitchen design, think about where your main work areas will be. In a smaller space, think about multi-tasking without moving around. Keep items within reach, but hidden in cabinets, drawers and even utilize wall space creatively.

Save valuable drawer space by storing knives in a knife block or on a magnetic wall strip or how this savvy organizer did it:

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Really, the options are endless when you put your creativity to work!

Contain the clutter by having your storage containers serve double-duty. Use candle lanterns to store bar items, a ceramic lasagna dish to hold books, and you can use platters to display fruit before consumption.

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Consider using kitchen chairs or benches that have hidden storage for linens, schoolwork or whatever your family’s needs are. Some breakfast tables have a shelf, or hidden storage, that you can use as storage as well. Remember to contain and control your items by using baskets, boxes or other decorative and functional accessories.

Even wall art can help you control the clutter. Create wall decor for your backsplash by mounting shadow boxes filled with a favorite recipe card or two. And, built-in storage behind a framed piece of art with a hinge is a must! This is a great place to store spices or smaller items. If you don’t have worthy art, consider hiding storage behind an ornate chalkboard or black and white framed photographs.

Controlling clutter and decorating may seem like two different challenges in themselves, but by using functional items that also please the eye you can breathe easy. Finding appropriate home accessories and home decor can be as simple as keeping an eye open for unique items at local retail stores or as easy as opening a web browser and clicking a link.