Reviewing the Latest Interior Design News

Whether you are looking for contemporary designs, commercial interior design ideas, modern furniture or historic relics for your home, design news can offer practical ideas. Many people like to know what they are looking for prior to calling the professional interior designer, so they won't get talked into anything they may not want. Generally, the interior designer will be a good listener and communicator, knowledgeable in everything from interior design furniture and lighting to building regulations and kitchen storage space. So what does the moment hold for interior design?

Green building materials, furniture and interior design services are making design headlines all around the world, but particularly in America, in places like Seattle, Portland, New York and Austin. Last year, green building technology found a friend in the money-conscious consumer who was looking to save on his or her energy costs. Traditionally, sustainable design had been seen as "pricey" and "hardly worth it," but now prices have dropped and consumers are beginning to see where pennies can be pinched.

The LEED standard became the predominant licensing agency and Energy Star appliances became mandatory for government buildings in many states. More than 14% of all US cities have some kind of "green real estate" program in place and insurers agree to protect sustainable houses. These breakthroughs are clearing the way for a more responsible and environmentally-friendly society.

While it may sound incredulous, the latest interior design news is that music has been added to the interior design services repertoire. Music/architecture specialists from New York and London to Aspen and Belize are creating customized play lists that are synchronized with their clients' decor. "Hearing the wrong music in the wrong space can be very disorienting," explains DJ Coleman Feltes, who has created mixes for Versace, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana fashion shows. Stylists charge between $50 and $250 an hour, he says, which is downloaded onto iPods or sent as CDs by mail. For the discerning, high-end clients, atmosphere is everything and the perfect music fits into that paradigm.

Young interior decorators bring their own distinctive visions to the table, according to the latest Baltimore interior design news. For instance, 30-year-old Annie Zemarel Werden, who comes from a background in Italian fashion and landscaping, adores historic items in her professional interior design. "I like to use things that have a sense of history [like an antique mirror], things you find when traveling or antiquing.

I like the charm of an old house," she explains. Ex-history teacher Charlene Lester says that her style isn't flashy but is rather practical in her home designs. She adds, "Given the choice of getting something green that costs a couple of hundred dollars more, most of our clients go green." Italian Expat Fabrizio Fiorini uses "transitional" designs that aren't exactly contemporary but aren't traditional either. He goes for "refreshing, upgrading and renovating," using bold colors and contrasting cold and warm shades.