Coffee Table Trends:

Top 10 trends for 2004
Find out what the experts predict will be hot this year in decorating and entertaining.

Art Moderne.
This beautiful period in design history will be revisited in a big way. Furniture silhouettes, clean flowing lines, and crisp black and white will all be big news this year.

Streamlined rooms.
Put away the excess clutter and displays; rooms are being edited down to just a few key accessories and furnishings, for a simplified, elegant look.

The return of colour.
A more adventurous, extroverted approach to colour, especially with a ‘60s or ‘70s influence: colour blocks, graphic stripes, or, for the less flamboyant, vibrant accents – brightly coloured small chairs or pillows in a neutral-colour room.

Functional living rooms.
Designed for actually living in. Large wall TVs or TVs within armoires or cabinetry, and comfortable seating make this a room for the family, not just company.

Bedrooms fitted with hotel-style luxury.
Expensive, super comfortable beds and bed linens, perhaps a second TV and good lighting for reading. But put the home office and gym in another room; this room is for escaping.

Wired for sound.
Technology is permeating the whole house, including cable or satellite TV and stereo hookups that are wired into all or most rooms, multiple Internet ports, even “smart house” technologies that control heating and lights from a central (or even remote) location.

Theme parties.
Tapas buffets with a Latin air, Japanese nights with a cooking stone on the table, chopsticks, and koto music, all make for a fun variation on the usual buffet or sit-down dinner party. Why not put a little imagination and entertainment value into your entertaining? Mixing fruits and meats for entrées: for example, tenderloin with grilled pineapple, or combining a main dish with fruit compotes or fruit-based relishes.
 

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