Category — Digital Life

If there’s one aspect in our personal worlds that both change constantly and stay the same, it’s trending in interior design. Although new details may emerge each year, the fashion world experiences faster changes than interior design. Some of the now-standard favorites are continuing very strongly in 2011, and other aspects are emerging, primarily in the accessories arena.

Space, Space, Space

Sociologists and psychologists have long expounded the isolation individuals are invoking as the Internet world expands, but it seems humanity is compensating somewhat in our environments. While either actual or perceived space has always had some rules of thumb, the frequency at which space-invoking techniques are being incorporated is growing almost beyond tracking.

High ceilings, big picture windows and open floor plans are definitely leading the space trends in 2011. Avid Internet users may be isolating themselves, according to the humanity experts, but we’re expanding our caves in which we huddle. Creams, ecru and light pastels are adorning walls and ceilings in an effort to present an airy look in almost every room in the home.

If floor plans already have that space readily provided, brighter, bolder colors are often used for palette anchors with complimenting and complementing tints and hues adorn trim and accents.

Geometric patterns in pillows, valances and curtains are becoming more prevalent, and white or light-colored sheer drapes are re-emerging as a space-invoking tool that allows the curtains and drapes to act more as props than actual coverings for windows. It’s not unusual to see thinly-bladed horizontal blinds and a sheer curtain accented by drapes and pattered valences.

Applications, furniture and  are heading from just a modern style—lots of glass, chrome and bold splashes of color—and an industrial style—wrought iron, chrome, bare piping, cement and loft-type appearances—toward what’s known as “techno chic.” From high-tech, sleek-looking electronics and gadgets to steel cabinetry and camouflaged, combined-functioned furniture and accessories, our cave-homes are becoming more technology-oriented.

For example, remember those old steel lockers and cabinets? Techno Chic styles incorporate those seemingly innocuous cabinetry into not just storage lockers but hidden safes and security systems.

Master electronics and home networking control centers are moving from arm chairs and desktops to remote networking and integration. Synching home PCs with laptops, notebooks, tablets and cell phones is conceptually finding homes in homes as well in the mobile, outside world. It’s not unusual for techno-geeks to dedicate more than an entertainment center and a computer table to electronics. Any gadget that has multiple uses or really cool singular operations is increasingly being integrated into home décor schemes. Flat screen TVs that provide both entertainment and wall decoration were a hit when they were introduced, but Techno Chic trend-followers bring their use into a new category.

Gaming systems that allow not only video game playing locally but WiFi integration for Internet play and video and audio streaming are being used almost as often as the DVR purchased last year.

Once upon a time, you’d only see in the movies those desks that have built-in keyboards and monitors. Contributing to both the multiple-function and the camouflage concepts, these once-sci-fi furnishings are finding their way into more home offices than ever before.

Gadget and technology lovers are ecstatic with the confirmation and escalation of the Techno Chic trend in interior design for 2011. Are you an enthusiast, a skeptic or a traditionalist?

This article was written by Holly Miller from Coupon Croc. Save on all of the latest interior design trends when you buy furniture and decor with a Littlewoods discount code.

Here’s another one to add to enhance your digital lifestyle – the CB2 El Shelve. A neat little shelf that sits above wall outlets an sits pretty as a charging station. Can be used as a normal shelf to store books and accessories too. I like the fact that it’s mount point sits above the surface and has a nice curved angle, much like the type you see in kitchen solid surface countertops

imagesource: cb2

Don’t you just hate it when your cables fall off the desk when you unplug them from your device? Happens all the time with phone charger cables, laptop adaptor cables. Bluelounge came up with the original cabledrop, a very intelligent yet simplistic item to hold your cables in place, preventing them from falling off the edge of your desk.

You can purchase them from Bluelounge for USD9.95 or alternatively, I found this really interesting Chinese site, buyincoins.com selling a knockoff version for USD1.44. I’ve ordered mine and am really curious to the difference in quality – my main concern being how the adhesive peels off different surfaces.

So there you have it – a clever approach to cable management and two purchasing options. If you don’t want using binderclips, go for the cabledrop.

To spruce up your digital lifestyle at home, here’s a marvelous accessory you’ll simply love. It’s one of those things which you may not immediately think completely useful, but once you use it, you’ll begin to wonder why you didn’t earlier.

The Driin Cell Phone Holder can be purchased via Amazon