Although design trends normally take their leads from the fashion world, not every trend is as fleeting. In the interior design industry, the trends tend to stay a little longer, allowing them to evolve and catch on, such as the way “going green,” was one of the hottest trends a few years ago, and is now an industry standard.

Since design tendencies generally reflect our social and economic mindsets, some key factors influence the current trends for 2010, and they include: an interest in ‘going green,’ global connectivity, and our economic climate. Our environmental focus, preserving the past, a return to family and casual comfort all converge to create an eclectic and inspiring design scheme for 2010-2011.

One of the most obvious ways we see this theme playing out is in the global influence of the color palettes across the world­­—mixing earth tones of browns, grays, and greens, with vibrant uplifting global accents of pinks, blues, oranges, yellows and purples.

This year’s overall trend is about mixing it up and an “anything goes” attitude. In addition to mixing bold accents with neutrals, by mixing and matching colors, styles and textures, you create a more unique design that better reflects your personality. In our quest for simplicity, we strip down the traditional, replacing formal fabrics with casual, less complex, textured fabrics; and use distressed wood finishes to reflect a feeling of the past. The “less is more” approach creates the simplicity we seek out, without losing the glamour.

This year, we will be looking for bolder design decisions, in the form of bolder prints—geometric, botanical and paisley, effectively used in pillows, curtains and rugs, but which also work nicely with traditional pieces. Additionally, there is a strong interest in artisanal works, whether one-of-a-kind, handcrafted, or handmade pieces, rather than the all too homogenous looks of the past. The yearning is for more warmth and comfort and more natural materials to be brought into the home.

Layered flooring and wallpapered are among some of the design trends that resurfaced recently, and intended to make your room feel cozier and more intimate. By overlapping several lightweight rugs with similar patterns and complimentary colors—several of the same rugs layered for uniformity, a bold print over an existing carpet, or a blend of similar prints and colors with varied placement, they add richness and warmth to a room. Wallpaper adds visual interest as well, you will find the traditional designs patterns updated in modern color combinations.

As our strong eco-awareness continues into 2010–2011, we seek out natural materials, and organic and environmentally friendly products for the home, such as non-toxic paints and natural fabrics—and with this trend, comes the natural imperfections of these materials, whether in the patina of woods and metals, or rust, water marks and natural distressing. This wear and tear on these pieces adds tremendous character, as well as tells a story.

With all the focus on natural materials, you can bet that texture will be big, with lots of unusual techniques, woven, crocheted, inlaid and recycled materials to create rich textural interest. You will see these techniques incorporated into furniture, accessories, curtains, rugs, fabric and even lantern lighting, another big trend this year.

Found objects, vintage pieces, and antiques are key elements for the home this year. As our fascination with industrial modernism grows, it allows us to reinterpret a seemingly unuseful historical piece and give it a new twist.

All in all, this year is about embracing the mix of key elements. It’s about diversity, contrast, color and texture, and how when combined, make you feel good and bring you a whole lot of comfort.