Design Trends with Celeb Designer Stephen Saint-Onge

If you're looking for a quick, easy, and affordable way to change-up the look of your room, celeb designer Stephen St.-Onge (from TLC's While You Were Out) suggests paint and lighting as the two of the hottest, most impactful trends right now. Check out his video at the end of this article!

As far as paint goes, Stephen says go ahead and go with the trendy color that you've been seeing in your home design magazines. Chocolate is definitely among them. Once you have your color, think about what inspires you. Is it one wall painted in your color of choice? Maybe it's bands of color, to open up your space? Or even frames of color across your walls so that your artwork and wall mirrors become your focal points? You have plenty of creative options. Incorporating a new color into your room with paint is the perfect, simple DIY weekend project that will completely change the room. Remember to pick up your painting supplies, too: brushes, rollers, trays, and blue painter's tape!

With regards to painting, another trend Stephen mentions is using non-toxic paint with low VOC, which stands for volatile organic compounds. VOCs have enough vapor pressures to negatively affect the environment and human health. It's that funky smell that lingers after you paint a room. Stephen's personal favorite low-VOC paint is Mythic Paint. If you wondered about what other brands existed out there, The Daily Green reported these as the best low-VOC paints (click on them to learn more):

Olympic Premium Interior Paint It comes in thousands of colors! AFM Ayurveda Essence Based on ancient Indian medicine! Ivy Coatings Paint A low-carbon choice, great for NYC! Sherwin Williams Duration Paint Resists mildew and most stains! Old Fashioned Milk Paint Made from milk protein!

Freshaire Choice Paint Certified for kids & schools! Anna Sova Aromatherapy Paint Comes in amazing scents! YOLO Colorhouse Low odor & zero VOC! ECOS Organic Paints Comes in 108 shades! C2 LoVo 496 shades & customizable!

AFM Savecoat Paint No VOC for 25+ years! Benjamin Moore Aura Paint Used by top green designers! Sherwin Williams Harmony Some are made from soy! EnviroSafe Paints Family-owned & customizable! earthBorn Paints Water-based & U.K.-based!

The other trend Stephen mentions for dramatically changing a room is lighting. Stephen's film background has helped him to appreciate and understand this element even more. The thing with lighting is that it really brings your environment to life. And, as your room changes function and moods, so should your lighting. Stephen's favorite recommendation concerning lighting is to install dimmers because these allow you to set the mood in your room. Again, it's an affordable, quick, and easy DIY project that is sure to give your room a face lift.

Shop for Wall Sconces	Shop for Floor Lamps
Shop for Chandeliers	Shop for Pendant Lights

So, this weekend, or whenever you've got a free one, plan on doing one or both of these quick, trendy updates if you're tired of your white walls and table lamps. As we grow and reinvent ourselves through our lives, make sure the rooms of your home reflect that -- because, ultimately, your home should reflect you!

For more savvy design tips, check out Stephen's blog posts:
(be sure to keep scrolling down the page to get to the article once you link out)
Room Detail: Lighting...
Kitchens: Still the Heart of the Home with Lighting
Exterior Detail...
Favorite Color Combo...

See what else we found at the Florida Home Show.
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