A sour economy, a desire to simplify, green living, renewed interest in the past and hope for the future converge to create the color and interior design trends for 2010.

 Believe it or not, economic and social trends have a profound effect on the interior and home décor trends for the upcoming year. From fashion to environmentalism, what society holds dear is reflected in color and décor trends. During 2010, interior decorating trends will reflect a return to family and an interest in preserving and exploring the past, as money and the pursuit of things will take a back seat.

Color Reflects the Past

Stress over the current economic recession translates to a yearning for the better days of the past. Aged, heirloom colors and distressed finishes remind people of their pasts, and will be a strong trend in the year to come. Hues such as earthy browns, aged greens and smoky blues will be reflected in both paint and fabric.

The current trend of repurposed and recycled furniture and accessories intensifies in 2010. Fueling this trend, in part, is a strong interest in green living. By reusing, repainting and refinishing items instead of discarding them, people are doing a small part to protect the earth. Using these items in their original, distressed finishes will continue to be popular.

Interior Design Revisits People’s Roots

As a part of the desire people have to revisit the past, trend analysts are seeing a resurgence of interest in the ancestry of individuals. As a part of this return to their roots, people will long for patterns and colors with a global influence. Aboriginal, Native American and African tribal patterns, including bold geometrics, will be front and center this year.

Vibrant, yet subdued colors such as amber gold, tomato red and ocean blue will accompany these daring patterns. Tempered by putty and desert sand neutrals, the bold patterns and colors of this trend are very useable in today’s home interior.

By: Teri Larsen

Read more at Suite101: Interior Decor Trends 2010: A Guide to the Latest Home Decorating Ideas http://interiordecorating.suite101.com/article.cfm/interior_home_decor_trends_2010#ixzz0jnU1HmFg