Interior Ins and Outs

Out: Pastels. A few pastel accents can work in a room, but building a whole space around pastels is pallid and bloodless. Pastels can be difficult and unpredictable to work with, leading to a less-than-desirable effect. “Take pink,” Beson says. “There’s pretty pink and then there’s Pepto Bismol pink.” Benjamin Odden, a designer for J. Roux Interior Design in Plymouth, is happy to see the pastels trend phasing out, adding that he, like many Minnesotans, is fond of and comfortable with earth tones and jewel tones.

In: Wallpaper. “A room with a great wallpaper is like a coat with a great lining,” Ramsey Engler says. But beware of fussiness. “Pattern on pattern is out,” Beson decrees. Chintz on calico on toile is more manic than shabby chic.

Out: Faux finishes. Along a major thoroughfare in my neighborhood is a house with an enormous picture window revealing a living-room wall done in electric blue sponge-finish over stark, staring white. Halogen lamps highlight the glare, making it the only North American home visible from space. Without exception, every designer I spoke to condemned faux finishes—sponge finishes, marble finishes, fake wood grain, pickled oak, whitewashed woodwork—anything pretending to be something it ain’t. If you don’t got it, don’t try to flaunt it. “A plaster wall should look like a plaster wall,” Beson sniffs.

And sorry, but the proliferation of Italian influence has received its congé. “Italianate is played out,” says Sandy LaMendola, owner of Twist Interior Design in Minneapolis.

“Tuscany in Edina is dead,” Beson has pronounced.

In: Outdoor rooms. Open-air rooms have been a strong trend in home design. People aren’t quite ready to set up outdoor boudoirs, but outdoor living rooms—complete with couch, loveseat, coffee table, and rugs—have transcended the patio set. Although a roofless room with upholstered furniture may seem odd in a state where winter can last seven months, Minnesotans so treasure the short summer that spending as much living time as possible outdoors makes sense. Robin Strangis, owner of Loring Interiors in Minneapolis, adds that it’s a perfect fit for outdoorsy Minnesotans. High-tech fabrics mean that sofa and chair cushions and rugs dry quickly after rain or washing and confound mildew.

Out: Outdoors coming in. The passion for outdoorsy elements within doors seems to be on the wane, especially when it comes to the ubiquitous indoor fountain or waterfall. Although the idea of water flowing over stones or copper sounds soothing, in reality these features can replicate less desirable effects like a leaky faucet.