No one can deny the popularity of home renovation shows. HGTV, first launched in 1994, is one of the mostwatched cable channels, and the DIY Network, TLC, and Bravo, all of which also air home reno shows, are not far behind. In fact, with renovation projects at an all-time high, TV Land impacts not only design wish lists, but home buying itself. Prospective house hunters are as influenced by their favorite HGTV shows— paging open-concept floor plans—as they once were by a house’s good bones or a community’s good school system.

I’ve always been a flipper. Not a mad crazy flipper but a serial monogamist flipper. One house methodically after another. And I have made money on every flip— sometimes good money, sometimes not so much.

Flipping is time consuming, labor intensive, and fraught with drama. Why, you might then ask, do I do it? Because I absolutely love it. With a flip I can do me (me that week, that is) because my flips do not resemble one another in the least. Each is an exploration—into the house, the neighborhood, the era, and the decorating zeitgeist of one specific moment.

When I first bought a home, the floors were what the wood floors were—skinny, brown oak strips. That was it. And I never thought twice about changing it up.

It wasn’t until I was invited to participate in the prestigious Kips Bay Designer Showhouse that I was circuitously exposed to other flooring options. (How, you might ask, was a neophyte suburban decorator invited into the upper echelon of design? Well, the head of the selection committee took a liking to my husband… But I digress.) Soon, big design jobs came my way, including a full-floor apartment on Fifth Avenue across from the Met with the most striking floors 5’ wide quartersawn oak floors I had ever seen.

When I first bought a home, the floors were what the wood floors were—skinny, brown oak strips. That was it. And I never thought twice about changing it up.

It wasn’t until I was invited to participate in the prestigious Kips Bay Designer Showhouse that I was circuitously exposed to other flooring options. (How, you might ask, was a neophyte suburban decorator invited into the upper echelon of design? Well, the head of the selection committee took a liking to my husband… But I digress.) Soon, big design jobs came my way, including a full-floor apartment on Fifth Avenue across from the Met with the most striking floors 5’ wide quartersawn oak floors I had ever seen.

It’s winter. It’s interminable. It’s the kind of weather that makes me not want to leave the house, specifically the fireside. Nor do I want to be too far from the remote. All of that whining, due I am sure, to a shortage of Vitamin D; the lack of daylight hours is leaving me bereft. What warms my design soul, however, is the simple task of collating and editing my thousands (literally) of photos from the last furniture market. So here goes—five trends, fads and follies that are heating up the interiors world.

We live in a lovely spot—as the French would say, endroit—but the truth is, many of our Westchester homes are old-ish, built in the post WW II boom or prior to. Kitchens are isolated and oft decrepit. Living rooms are not for the living. Need I say more?

My customers are realizing that the costs of moving—the real, obvious costs (movers, packing, painting, floor refinishing) and the hidden costs (towel bars, paper towel holders, closet hooks, not to mention finding a new dry cleaner or pediatrician)—are daunting. And we’re all increasingly aware that real estate is not the golden goose of yore; no longer can we count on creating wealth by owning, selling at a usurious profit, and moving on. Rather people are committing to their communities, their homes, their lifestyles. Content with who they are and how they live. Or, more specifically, content with an agenda that involves renovating or refurbishing.

As the new year approaches we all face the ritual of resolutions, personal and professional. In the interest of an improve 2019, here are my favorite, if somewhat random, mantras and bon mots to make your design life chicer, or at the very least easier.

THE REAL PET SMART.

Ideally, the dog should match the carpet and the cat should match the upholstery or bedding, depending on how loose you are with the no-paws-on-the-furniture enforcement (bet you guessed I’m an enforcer). But here’s a corollary: Even if you have the perfect color-coordinated golden retriever, forgo sisal and jute rugs. These natural fibers smell an awful lot like grass and are an invitation for pets to mark their territory (and by the way, the natural fibers are near-impossible to clean). End the trends. If the sentence starts, “I’m obsessed with…” then step away from it, whatever it is.

Twice yearly, like lemmings, we descend on High Point, North Carolina for the biannual furniture market; we being furniture retailers, e-tailers, designers, architects, sales reps and furniture showrooms. The population of this once-populous town, decimated by offshore production, virtually doubles, swelling from 100,000 to almost 200,000. It’s a real scene. We’re all sporting our market finery, proving we are with-it, on-it and oh-so relevant. But what we are really doing is seeking—seeking trends, directions, comfort and the answers to “what’s next?”

Here, straight from the market runway, the good, the bad, and the boho.

GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS

When I started in the furniture business almost 20 years ago, Vanguard Furniture actually had an entire section in its vast showroom for chairs that rocked and rolled. Then—pfftttt—motion was gone, nowhere to be found. Well, swivels, rockers, recliners and rock-swivels, are back. Big time.

I know, I know. It seems counterintuitive. This is the time of year I should be layering up for fall—adding cozy throws and comfy pillows. But this year, somehow, I find I am stripping away. Well, maybe not so much actual removing but rather tidying, organizing, collating, editing, refreshing. The three grey urns that rested atop a console have been swapped out for a single black almost sculptural vase. Somehow with summer and its memorabilia gone, and more time spent indoors, I find I am looking at my interiors with a cold discerning eye—and thinking, hmmmm, I can do better.

And I find my customers are feeling the same way. It’s not so much about the big redo but rather about making what is—better. I’m aiming for immaculate. I’ll settle for pristine.

Here are some things on my, and maybe your, refresh list.