PREDICTIONS FOR A DECORATIVE NEW YEAR EXPERTS SAY IT'S GOING TO BE COLORFUL AND COMFY IN THE HOME AND GARDEN.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

Are we finally finished with floral slip-covers?

Will gray carpeting make a comeback?

Will all the recent rain make water-guzzling gardens fashionable?

As the new year rolls in, we asked a few home and garden experts to predict our future, and it looks like it's going to be comfy, so put your feet up on the coffee table and read on.

FUNCTIONAL COMFORT

In fact, let's start with the coffee table. Most prominent in new furniture lines are rectangular tables big enough to hold all your remote controls and DVDs.

``The look in furniture is becoming more lifestyle-oriented rather than focused on particular designs such as contemporary or traditional,'' says Steve Joiner, director of merchandising for Bernhardt Furniture, which is sold locally at Macy's and Robinsons-May stores. ``And in regard to coffee tables - which are often the theme-setter in a room - think big. As more people are sitting around the entertainment center, they want a coffee table that has a storage function.''

Italian-themed metal and glass oval shapes, Asian-inspired or French Provincial with hefty cabriole legs also will be popular, Joiner adds. And while Chinese black lacquer is out this year, a sheer black paint that shows the grain is on the cutting edge. You'll see it looking sleek and spare, or more folkloric with flowers painted on it.

If you're thinking 2003 is the year you'll be dropping a wad for a 50- inch television, join the crowd.

``The total furniture industry for 2002 is expected to hit $23.8 billion, and we expect a 2.4 percent increase in 2003. Of that $24.4 billion, the key category is home entertainment centers ... and also the general upholstered furniture category, which is primarily sofas,'' reports Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association in High Point, N.C. Those expectations are based on a recent Omnibus survey of 1,000 people across the country, says Hirschhaut, and the majority of respondents said their favorite at-home activity was watching TV and movies - and the industry is accommodating them.

So, along with the fancy ``bridge'' cabinetry that surrounds the new super-size televisions with space on each side for DVDs and other equipment, you've got to have somewhere comfy to sit.

Hirschhaut predicts the next big trend in sofas will be a traditional-size sofa (about 6 feet long) in a natural leather or muted green fabric with a pair of matching chairs.

``If you want something really edgy, look for a camel-backed sofa like the one in Oscar de la Renta's collection, or an art deco silhouette ... and if money is no object, design your own theater with rows of reclining chairs priced between $700 and $1,000 per chair,'' she adds.

IT'S ALL ABOUT COLOR

Through much of recent history we've identified decades by color combos, and 2003 has something for everybody in the eight color palettes or moods identified by Leatrice Eiseman, director of the Washington-based Pantone Color Institute, which sets the color trends for everything from cars to carpeting.

``I know it's a lot of color palettes to think about, but I believe there will probably be overlapping as you go room to room,'' says Eiseman, who is also the author of the new book ``Colors for Your Every Mood'' (Capital Books; $20).

Those palettes include a traditional palette of navy, denim, hunter green, cranberry and a warm yellow to create that cozy, safe environment we've all been yearning for, and another similarly nostalgic palette that focuses on the '50s with faded colors such as soft grayed pinks, pearl blue, rosy taupes and muted greens.

Asian decor will continue to influence color, but watch for a more subdued look, says Eiseman, who recommends a palette of earthy reds, sage green and a weathered blue/purple. For more drama, she suggests exotic ``culturally diverse'' brights such as fuchsia, red, orange and yellow for wall and accessory colors. Purple still reigns, but you'll see it paired with metallics such as champagne beige and burnished silver for a modern lifestyle that might include one of those artsy Italian sofas.

California favorites, Eiseman predicts, will include sheer, well-washed pastels and neutrals (perfect for window coverings); a return-to-nature color story with lots of greens and also a cheerful color combo of sweet pea green and primrose yellow and cyclamen pink (think Easter egg colors) that should go well with the new take on French country that's coming into furniture stores.

THE DETAILS

``Home entertaining is stronger than ever, and formal bars are a new item for us,'' says Lisa Mosher, spokeswoman for Bombay Co. stores. She adds that wine racks and cocktail carts for the home or garden are more new trends, while beaded lampshades and picture frames will continue to grace tabletops.

Windows are getting larger, and window coverings are getting more casual and streamlined every year, says interior designer Lori Souza of Piana Designs Inc. in Valencia.

Heavy, formal draperies are out. So are chintz and draperies that ``puddle'' on the floor. For the new year, Souza suggests airy, sheer silk or cotton draperies with traditional pinch pleats or the softer butterfly pleat - or just gathered on a decorative pole.

For privacy, toss the mini-blinds and go back to old-fashioned roll-shades, but add some trim and a tassel. If you've still got plantation shutters for privacy, keep them. But consider painting them the same color as the wall for a newer, streamlined look.

Although hardwood flooring continues to be hot in the decorating magazines when topped with Tibetan or sisal rugs, wall-to-wall carpeting is still the homeowner's favorite. But it's not the low velvety plush pile we've had for years. To look fresher, Souza says to look at carpeting that has a twist of colors that she describes as ``tonal'' but will look like blends of neutral colors such as white, off-white and beige.

Light fixtures? Snip the wick on your candles and turn on the lights again. Simplistic chandeliers - without so many crystals or those little pleated lampshades - are the new look in lighting.

IN THE GARDEN

Now that the rain is here, drought-tolerant landscapes could be an option rather than a necessity, but horticulturists such as Brian Sullivan at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge aren't totally optimistic.

However, shrubby roses that aren't water hogs and more colorful day lilies are in our future.

This month and next, when roses are being delivered to local nurseries, you'll notice a new interest in floribundas, a variety that's easy to care for and mixes well with others in landscape designs.

``High-maintenance cutting roses are becoming passe because they're too much work,'' notes Lance Walheim, horticulturist and author of ``Roses for Dummies'' (HungryMinds; $21.99). Walheim explains that each year the nonprofit All-America Rose Selections organization of rose growers studies new roses at 27 test gardens across the country, and the winners for 2003 tend to be shrubby roses (floribundas) with glossy foliage that are very low maintenance, requiring little spraying and dead-heading.

His favorite is a floribunda called ``Hot Cocoa,'' which has a brownish-orange color and an old-rose fragrance that is expected to do very well in hot climates. Other winners he recommends for the new year in the L.A. area are the glittery yellow floribunda called ``Eureka''; ``Cherry Parfait,'' a red grandiflora with swirls of red-tipped white petals inside; and ``Whisper,'' a hybrid tea rose noted for its almost-white petals.

Roses, however aren't the only flowers perfuming the garden. Day lilies are a classic, but this spring they'll be available in several different colors.

``The new 'Stella Supreme' is predicted to give the 'Stella d'Oro' a run for its money,'' says master gardener Sally Ferguson of Ferguson Caras in New York City. Like the first 'Stella,' it's yellow, but the 'Stella Supreme' is a soft lemon chiffon that will bloom earlier and last longer throughout the growing season. It will be introduced to Los Angeles in the spring at Lowe's garden centers, Ferguson reports. And start looking for the exotic new ``Ruby Stella,'' a dark-red day lily with a reputation for being a repeat bloomer.

CAPTION(S):

7 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: Coffee tables big enough to hold all your remote controls, DVDs and board games are what's in our decorating future - and one new idea is a translucent hand-rubbed black finish by Bernhardt.

(2 -- color) New looks for 2003 include black-washed furniture and country floral accents seen on this Le Jardin cabinet in Pier 1 Imports' upcoming spring collection.

(3 -- color) Cocktail-or-coffee tables are getting bigger again, often with an oval shape and glass top. This Solano design by Bernhardt reflects the continuing interest in wrought iron.

(4 -- color) The predicted Moderne trend in decor includes shapely silhouettes and wild colors found in this chaise by Formitalia, Los Angeles..

(5 -- color) The rumpus room or den will be transformed into the home theater, with a wide screen and art deco inspiration, designed by Ammie Kim for the Assistance League of Southern California Design House.

(6 -- color) Hot Cocoa

(7 -- color) no caption (Color Swatches)