Eco-design tops the list of home décor trends.

“Everyone is talking green,” says Kimberley Seldon, decorating editor of Canada’s Style at Home magazine and guest design expert on CITY-TV’s CityLine with Marilyn Denis. “It’s definitely a trend with staying power.”
Her firm, Kimberley Seldon Design Group (whose client list includes such well-known names as former President Bill Clinton and Erin Brockovich) even recycled an entire house recently in Creemore. Rather than tearing down a beautiful old farmhouse to make way for a new project, she moved it for a family.
To satisfy the needs of environmentally conscious clients, her design firm has tackled geothermal heating, solar panels, wind-power. She’s also made use of reclaimed wood flooring and
reclaimed stones.   
But you needn’t break the bank to be planet-friendly. “Plenty can be done on a smaller scale,” says the popular Toronto-based designer during a recent telephone interview. “Just remember the 3Rs: reupholster, repaint and repurpose.”
Don’t toss out a comfortable sofa with dated or worn fabric: reupholster it,
explains Seldon.
A fresh coat of paint breathes new life into tired rooms or furniture. Check out environmentally conscious low-VOC paints. (Low-VOC paints contain reduced levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which emit smog-producing pollutants into the air).
Remember to browse at second-hand or antique shops when decorating a home. The celebrity home décor enthusiast is a huge fan of Habitat for Humanity ReStores, which sell used and surplus building supplies and appliances at great prices.  
Shopping local is key. “When possible, buy made-in-Canada products,” suggests the married mother of two-teenaged children. That way, you can support the local economy, and reduce the number of the pesky carbon miles associated with long-distance shipping.
The Toronto designer’s own line of furniture “Kimberley Seldon for Brentwood Classics” is Canadian-made. “We call our furniture proudly un-imported,” she laughs cheerfully.
Kudos should also be given to the Brentwood Classics line, which features soy-bean filling, instead of foam.  
“Bamboo is also an eco-friendly option,” Seldon adds. Several beautiful fabrics are being manufactured from this durable woody grass.
Aside from green, another big trend
is grey.
“Grey hasn’t been big since the 1980s,” explains the approachable designer. “It’s really fun to be dipping into that palette again.”
A dramatic grey look can be achieved simply by change the wall colour. One caveat:  grey has a very intense (pink, green or reddish) undertone. Choose a grey with an undertone that compliments items in the room. Beautiful fabrics also exist in this trendy tone, giving way to plenty of design options.   
Animal prints are also making noise.
“The Out of Africa safari trend is very big right now,” adds the designer. Her clients are requesting faux skins ranging from giraffe to zebra. “What I love about animal prints is that they never really go out of style. Despite looking vibrant, they always read as a neutral in a room,” she explains.
The designer has a penchant for zebra benches and leopard stair runners, “which are super-practical because they hide everything.”
Vegetative colours, such as beet red, squash yellow, and eggplant purple are also making a splash this year. “When you have a foundation of neutrals, it’s really easy to incorporate these bright colours into your home. It can be as simple as three vases on the mantle that really jump out at you. A few new cushions also do the trick,”
she suggests.
Comfortable, slightly curvier furniture and yellow metals such as bronze, brass and copper are also making headlines this year.
While the design guru believes eco-design is here to stay, people need to be somewhat wary of trends. “Don’t load up on items that go in and out of style quickly,” she cautions.
 In fact, part of her job is to ensure clients don’t fall prey to trends. “We consider our interior design work to be classical in its nature. We want it to be timeless for people,” she explains.
 Her advice? One trendy item per room is sufficient to make a statement. Once the trend is over, replace it, and punch up the room with the next “must have” piece.
 “It’s a great way to keep a room fresh
and current.”