The International Contemporary Furniture Fair, where designers gather to show off their latest and greatest to buyers and journalists, is a sign of what's to come in the world of modern housewares. On the horizon: rich materials, like gold and marble, used in new, unexpected ways, for a look that's clean but luxurious. More

Create a modern menagerie with home decor inspired by the animal kingdom. A crocodile adorns a magnifying glass and a paper mâché hippo stands in for a trophy head. Interpreted in materials such as brass, ceramic, and paper mâché these unexpected characters feel just right in the home. More

While color blocking has been a big trend in fashion for quite a while, it's just starting to take off in the world of decor. The idea is to use contrasting blocks of color, and the same rules tend to apply to both fashion and interiors: stick to just two or three bold colors, and colors in the same family tend to work best together. More

While the idea of using embroidery hoops as decor might seem a bit too granny-chic, when used with a tongue in cheek sensibility and a modern application of color and pattern these relics from past days can have a decidedly modern appeal.  More

If less is more, then just imagine how much more more would be! While it's easy to go overboard with over-the-top elements, a few bright accents like beads, sequins, or even glitter can add a pop of light to an otherwise staid environment, and they're very easy to DIY. If you're amenable to a bit of glitz, read on for some unexpected places to add sparkle to the home. Please note that I am in no way advocating the application of all these ideas in one space. But if you do, invite me over. More

In a special report from Paris' Maison & Objet show earlier this year, we predicted that geometric patterns would be big for 2012. Sure enough, lately we've been spotting bold, geometric prints everywhere. Rendered in colorful hues, basic shapes like triangles, squares and diamonds bring a jolt of life to a modern space — and appeal to the kindergartner in all of us. More

The new version of the Chicago classic, Dream Home, opened its doors at the Mart this month. I always enjoy this compact, idea-packed, citified version of a show home, and this current incarnation is no exception. Here are five trends spotted from the quick snaps I took during my press visit: More

Small Cool is in full swing with 185 published entries competing for your votes to make it to the top of their division and possibly be crowned the smallest, coolest home in the world for 2012. But, as we all know, its not just about the fun of competition - it's about sharing how we live and decorate well in small homes. This year, square footage contraints didn't hold back our entrants from embracing bold pattern in a big way - check out this collection of entries that feature the bold stripes, chevrons and more that define one of this year's major contest trends. More

Anyone who's ever wished that ombré and color blocking would fall in love and procreate will be very excited about the advent of a new trend in color-dipped furniture.

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We noted earlier this year that neon was back in a big way. Neon can be difficult to pull off without seeming overbearing, but we have a little more flexibility in a child's room to be playful and fun. So would you consider using neon as an accent (or more?) in your kid's bedroom? More