Vibrant and bold floral prints made an appearance at last year’s High Point Market as one of the top decorating trends for 2011 -  and it’s still going strong.

I know many of you think of flowered fabrics on a grandmother’s couch or wallpaper, but today’s patterns feature stylized designs in bright and cheerful colors.  For example, this Braemore fabric brings together reds, pinks and the hot color of the year, tangerine, against neutral shades of tan and brown.  Upholster a side chair or ottoman in this fabric, and add some life to an all brown leather family room.

Braemore Gorgeous Blossom

Do you have a young daughter who feels she has outgrown her princess bedroom and is looking for something more sophisticated and grown up?  She will love you forever (or at least until tomorrow) when you create a bedding ensemble out of this bold floral pattern, also from Braemore.

Clarise Marzipan by Braemore

Real men love flowers and these bold floral patterns are perfect for a gender neutral space such as a guest room, den, or sunroom.  Not too girly, not too frilly, but just right!

Outdoor Hip Floral in Sorbet by P. Kaufmann

Full Bloom in Spice from Swavelle/Mill Creek

It took a long time this year, but winter did finally arrive.  And while many of us rejoiced like little kids with the first snowfall, the appeal has worn off, and we are longing for springtime.  It is not too early to begin thinking about the changes you would like to make in your home decor for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.  Looking at bright and cheerful citrus colors will certainly chase away those winter doldrums.

As you may already know, Tangerine Tango is Pantone’s color of the year for 2012.  This bright color will add a cheerful touch to a kitchen, laundry room, kid’s playroom, or casual family room.  Pair it with warm shades of cocoa and cream for a sophisticated master bedroom, or update a neutral dining room with new tangerine seat covers.

Kiwi green is another must-have color this year.  Depending on who you talk to, it is also referred to as asparagus, chartreuse, lemongrass, avocado, and apple green.  All of these refer to a yellow based shade of green that is crisp and modern.  Be brave and paint your powder room walls in this new shade of green paired with bright white trim.  Add towels with some citrus appliques and fruity accessories, and it may become the most popular room in the house.

Robert Allen @ Home Run Along in Kiwi

Nothing says summer quite like lemon yellow.  Choose this refreshing color for outdoor linens and upholstery, or recover breakfast room chairs in a bright yellow and easy-to-clean oilcloth.

Yellow flannel backed oilcloth

Pink grapefruit brings to mind last year’s color choice: honeysuckle pink. The luscious shade of pink found in honeysuckle flowers, and similarly, in grapefruit will add a feminine touch to your citrus decorating.  A guest room, teenager’s retreat, little girl’s nursery, or even a casual living space will all benefit from the use of this warm and rosy shade of pink.

What’s in your fruit bowl this year?

One of the design trends we continue to see each year at Market is the use of metallics on furniture finishes, accessories, and fabrics.  Along with a hint of shine, metallic fabrics provide a bit of bling to ordinary items such as lampshades, accent pillows, and upholstery.

As with any eye-catching item in your home, you don’t want to overdo it.  A little bit of metallic goes a long way.

1.  Throw pillows are a fun way to introduce a touch of metallic fabric into your home’s decor. Like in the photo above,  place them on a couch or chair that is upholstered in a solid fabric to really allow the metallic to shine.

2.  Window treatments that feature a metallic fabric will reflect the light from outside and make your windows sparkle.  Choose a subtle metallic stripe or soft sheer to highlight a pretty view or add softness to a less than desirable scene.

3.  Bring some sparkle and shine into the bedroom with bedding items such as shams,  bed skirts, and duvets sewn from metallic fabric.  Pair this on-trend gray check fabric from Robert Allen with cream accents for a soothing master bedroom.

4.  If you want to go heavy metal on a larger piece of furniture like a couch, consider a tone-on-tone like this Beacon Hill cotton and linen fabric with a golden thread woven throughout.  So pretty!

5.  Try something unique like upholstering a small end table (legs and all) or covering a small footstool or ottoman in a shiny metallic fabric. You can use a subtle shiny fabric as a wall covering, too.

All of these beautiful metallic fabrics, and many more, are available at onlinefabricstore.net.