There’s a reason why the phrase “feeling right at home” means that you’re relaxed and comfortable – hopefully, the place you feel the most at home is your home itself! Your home is the place where you can be the most you, and how you design your home goes a long way towards creating that feeling.

When you invest in interior design, each room in your house reflects part of your personality. If you’re looking to update your home, or want new ideas to refresh your home’s comfort and style, try familiarizing yourself with 2014’s top design trends. Stay on top of trends and find fun new ways to make your home yours!

Brass

This bold metal was popular in the 70s and has made a brash comeback 40 years later. There are many reasons to invest in brass: it’s cheaper than copper and bronze without losing any quality, and its muted sheen conveys a sense of luxury and timelessness.

With the electronic age, shades of silver seem ubiquitous. Invest in brass for a more human, organic luster around the house. One of the main reasons behind brass’ popularity is its warmth: where silver is cool and classy, brass is warmer and more inviting. Brass can also humanize a room that feels too chilly with hygienic steel, silver, aluminum, or chrome.

Brass looks great in the bathroom and kitchen, two of the most important rooms in your house: try brass finishes on dressers and tables, brass handles, brass faucets, brass lampstands, and even brass bathtubs for an enduring look—the possibilities are endless.

Honey- or Lighter-Toned Woods

Darker woods like mahogany have been popular for the last few years, but now lighter shades of wood are taking over. Like brass, these lighter woods convey warmth – they feel softer than harsher, darker woods.

They also blend better with each room: instead of dominating the space, they lighten a room without calling too much attention to themselves. Invest in oak or cherry for durable, light wood that will lift your home’s mood.

Turquoise, Navy & Other Blues

Bolder blues like turquoise are incredibly popular, but other shades of blue are creeping in as well. Mixing and matching shades of blue adds a modern, exciting feel to your home. Try blending azure with teal, navy with cerulean, or cobalt with beryl – mix and match to create a soothing sea of blue in any room.

Blue is a naturally cooling, calming color. Turquoise is great if you want a calm color that also pops and excites, while navy is a great choice for a classy, sophisticated, and mellower look. Anything from blue wallpaper and paint to blue accessories and furnishings can go a long way to refreshing your home’s look.

Hair on Hide

While hide rugs are still popular as cozy floor rugs, they’re also increasingly used as cozy coverings for couches, chairs, consoles, cushions, tables, and more. These natural furs are comfortable, chic, and so soft you’ll be running your fingers through them all year long.

Window Sheers

Heavy drapes used to be all the rage, but now natural lighting is in style. Sheers retain a light covering over the window without blocking out the sun entirely, which makes your room less drab, more natural, and more inviting.

Try semi-transparent wool or linen sheers that let light in without reducing your home’s privacy. A sheer can go a long way towards making your room fresher, brighter, and homier.

Blending Indoor and Outdoor

This trend goes both ways – your home’s interior can benefit from outdoorsy designs, and your outdoor area can be made cozier with furniture, chandeliers, and other interior fixtures. More and more decorators use deck chairs indoors and upholstered, stylish chairs outdoors. If you’re trying to make a space more unique and vibrant, try making your indoor space more outdoorsy, and vice versa.

Glamour

Beige is out, and glam is in. For a dramatic, classy room, try decorating with black, moody walls. This is becoming common practice for living rooms, but it can work well in bathrooms too – anywhere the black will bring out metallic (brass!) or white fixtures.

Darker walls also make lighter, brighter colors more exciting. Start with a darker base coat and accentuate with sunnier colors. Glamour creates a bold statement – if you’re looking for character and excitement, go with darker walls over lifeless white or pale walls.

Floral Prints

Bold, non-matching prints are in style this year: instead of different hues of the same color, brighter complementary colors are a great way to go – lemon yellow can complement turquoise, for instance. This is where floral patterns come in: since they usually aren’t a uniform color, they can add splashes of bright colors that accentuate any room.

When you decorate with floral prints, try mixing patterns for a cohesive but unique look. To add a dash of bright color to a glamorous grey or black room, try floral pillows, floral upholstery, or even floral pictures.