Interior design preview:

Is shag carpeting really making a comeback? How about harvest gold and avocado green appliances?

Answers: Yes, to a degree. Shag is hot because texture is in. But no way on the '70s-era appliance colors. Think stainless steel instead.

That and other insights were gleaned from a talented panel of interior designers and decorators in the Northeast Florida area. So, direct from the experts, here's the scoop on what's trendy and what's timeless in interior design.

CHRISTINE BARGA
Barga Interiors

What are some general interior design trends you see upcoming in the new year?
Less ornamentation. Furnishings with cleaner lines that are simpler, less formal and with scaled-down proportions compared to the past few years.

For a time, everything was getting so heavily carved it was the starter-castle look. It's tiresome. You can't see the home for all the furnishings.

This year you'll see a lot of emphasis on texture. You will see more solid fabrics with more texture-leather, chenille and silk. It's more elegant, more understated.

What are some specific trends?
More contemporary furniture with richer wood tones. All those kind of washed looks are out. Now the wood is dark walnut to medium-toned. The more understated the color scheme, the richer the woods need to be and the more important the art becomes.

Eclectic design is always going to be in style, but you have to know what has an affinity to another style. Contemporary and Japanese blend, for example. But you can't go contemporary with French country.

Also, window treatments are less fussy. Instead of all the swags and valences and stuff, we have more simple panels on a pretty wooden pole.

And media rooms are big. That's what this era is really all about-the electronics.

What's the hot color this year?
Mocha and chocolate will still be strong. Also watery blues, crisp citrus greens, burnt sienna, reds with warm camel and taupe with creamy whites.

For metals, it's stainless steel and bronze as well as old gold. Emerald green is going to be back, too. And the earthy, muddy, colors-they've been around for probably a good five years. They aren't going away. They make sense. You can put anything with them and you don't get sick of them.

What's the hot accessory?
Simpler everything. Florals are simpler, such as a simple flower in a glass of water with grasses. Mirrored things, such as chests. But it's an aged mirrored look. It looks like an antique. You get a reflection, but it's not to look at yourself.

What's your favorite accessory?
A beautiful box. I don't know what it is, but it adds character to a room. It gives you a feeling of stability. It has to be quality. People notice it. I guess it's like it's your secret. People want to know what's in it. I never go to market that I don't buy every beautiful box I see.

LISA GIELINCKI
Lisa Gielincki Interior Design

What are some general interior design trends you see upcoming in the new year?
There has been a resurgence of natural materials. We're seeing a lot of grasscloth wall coverings and rattan-like furniture, mock wicker made with woven leather.

At the other end of the spectrum, there's also a sort of glamorous look out there-a kind of Hollywood chic, with a lot of mirrored furniture, chandeliers and graphic animal prints, like zebra.

What are some specific trends?
We're using a lot of metal, from brushed stainless steel to oil-rubbed bronze. I recently did a home with a copper backsplash, copper faucets and sinks. And copper tiles were mixed with natural elements such as stone and glass.

Wallpaper is coming back, again in a natural form, such as grasscloth. It's in the back of book cases and on the bottom of wainscoting. And we're even hanging striped wallpaper horizontally. There are really no rules anymore.

What's the hot color this year?
It seems like chocolate brown is really current. It's being used as a neutral base with a pop of color with it. You're seeing it with turquoise, granny smith apple green and periwinkle.

Orange is really big, too. And purples are becoming popular. I think all the trends and all the new colors are really great but, ultimately, if there's a color that speaks to you, then you need to work it into your décor.

What's the hot accessory?
Family photographs.

What's your favorite accessory?
Family photographs. You want your room to look beautiful, but you want to have things around you that you love-kids' artwork, pictures of your family. These are great memories; things that make you feel safe in your home.

HEIDI HALL-JONES
Punch Jones

What are some general interior design trends you see upcoming in the new year?
I think there's a strong relationship between interior design trends and the fashion industry. So what's trendy changes quickly. If you were to just follow the trends, by the time you finished the job the design would be out.

So I tend to avoid all of that. I'm committed to the classics and to quality. That said, I do think there's a general trend toward more modern interiors. But there's also a lot of blending of traditional-style furnishings with more modern pieces. And that's a really good thing.

Good design is good design, whether it's from the 18th century or the 20th century. Blending makes for a much more interesting interior. One period helps enrich the other.

What are some specific trends?
A lot of fashion designers are doing home interior products now, which I think is very energizing, but it is always tricky. By the time you get it done it's already yesterday's news. You really should buy an item because you love it for itself, and see the longevity in it.

What's the hot color this year?
One thing I continue to see and love are the browns. I think it's a color that will continue for a while.

What's fun about brown is that the colors being put with it are maybe not so obvious. I'm seeing neutral palettes and then an unexpected third or fourth color thrown in. It's sort of like when you taste a dessert and there's some sort of flavor there that pleasantly surprises you.

I think color is very site-specific. The light you have at the beach may be very different from the light you have downtown. Colors that look terrific in one place may not look good in another. There are no bad colors-only the wrong places to put them.

What is your favorite accessory?
I almost hate to tell you my favorite over-the-top accessory because I don't want anybody else looking for them.

I'm absolutely crazy for vintage Murano lamps from the '30s to the '60s. The colors are unbelievable. I have a 1930s Murano glass lamp with clean lines, and the glass is somewhere between a cobalt blue and a turquoise blue, if you can imagine those two colors merged. Every time I see that lamp, it's like I fall in love all over again. There's something about the glass-it's molten fire.

My lamp is in the living room. I see it when I first get up in the morning and it's the last thing I turn off before I go to bed at night. That's what I mean about being passionate about the objects around you.