Dear Marc: I have been waiting for the 2011 year's trends to be announced before I start my renovation project. I plan a complete redesign of my home and want it to be trendy. What are the trends in colour, texture and style coming up this year? — Jasmine

Dear Jasmine: 2011 is one of the trendiest years to date. The colours are hot, the patterns are bold and the textures are of worldly influences. I've compiled the Top 4 of the year's hottest trends for those looking to design or renovate their homes in the coming months.

1. "Be bold, be different, be unique, yet keep it simple!" As most of you know by now, those words are my design mantra and I design every project with hose words in mind. It is very important that we remember what design is all about. Design revolves around the idea that one can truly personalize her home to be in tune with her taste and lifestyle in order to have an emotional connection with such a space. It has become very trendy to have a space that doesn't have a "cookie cutter" look; a space that does not look like every other space in the neighbourhood.

2. Colour is back and it's hotter than ever. No more taupe spaces paired with 10 different shades of brown! Those types of spaces were popular in the last few years but not anymore! 2011 spaces will showcase bold colours, such as deep purples, soft pinks, corals, greys, retro mint greens, deep blue/greys, sunny yellow and many more. We will see these colours in furniture, accessories and wall colours.

3. How we use colour has changed! The design process used to dictate that we choose a neutral colour for our furniture, then pair the neutral-coloured piece with more vibrant accessories. This made it easy for the everyday homeowner to achieve a sophisticated look without a design degree.

The new design technique for 2011 dictates that we start with a coloured piece as opposed to a neutral piece and build our design accordingly. For instance, we choose a colourful purple sofa and on this sofa we place neutral-coloured accent pillows (grey) to balance the colours. We then keep adding neutral-coloured accessories around the piece to make the main piece of furniture the "star" of your design.

When you think about it, it really makes sense to accentuate your biggest investment and really make it "pop." If I spent a ton of money on my new sofa, I would want people to notice! For the everyday homeowner, this technique is quite simple to integrate into your new design process. In order to properly use the new technique, choose a vibrant colour. Any of the new vibrant colours of 2011 will work with this new technique. The colour scheme of the space doesn't change with the technique. We still have one to two bold colours on the larger design elements, such as the furniture or walls, and a neutral colour on the accessories surrounding the vibrant-coloured larger pieces.

4. Eco design used to be seen only in elaborate designer spaces but no longer in 2011. Eco design is now for the everyday homeowner! With the wide array of eco-products now available on the market, it has become quite easy to design an eco space. Whether you are looking for eco textiles, paint colours or accessories, it can all be attained. Homeowners are now more aware of the impact certain products have on this planet and thus have become more eco-conscious.

With all the new trends emerging, keep in mind that your personal style should be the key determinant in designing your new space.

Marc Atiyolil is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends — Canada's Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine, and the host of the Marc Atiyolil Show at www.youtube.com/MarcAtiyolil.

To submit a question for Marc Atiyolil, visit CanadianHomeTrends.ca.