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Infusing your home with a hot style motif or colour trend presents a challenge: How do you achieve a look that is relevant without regretting the makeover when the next great design direction is revealed? The trick is to experiment with colour and pattern in small doses, and to embrace trend-focused elements in creative, low-investment ways. That way, you can easily change up your accents again when the next new hue or pattern catches your fancy

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THE LOOK When introducing a trendy colour or shape to a room, keep the main elements of the space classically restrained and cast them in light, neutral colours. This draws the eye to areas of excitement and gives you the flexibility to change the room’s personality when the trend recedes.

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PAINT WISELY You don’t need a gallon of paint to make a bold statement. Instead, target a small architectural detail, like the reclaimed brackets supporting this DIY desk. Then create a colour motif in the surrounding vignette by layering in accessories in matching tones.

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SCOUT FOR UNEXPECTED ART Looking for an inexpensive way to add colour, pattern and interest to your walls? Try an overscale vintage pull-down map, hung with its original roller mechanism intact, ties in nicely to the room’s bright new colour scheme and provides a big-impact solution for less than $150.

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OPT FOR PATTERN This way, you can incorporate a trendy hue among other, more classic colours. Another trick is repetition: By repeating the same fabric (French toile here) in the chair and the curtains, the trendy polka-dot effect is subtle yet pulled together.

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