Trends come and go, but the transitional look has been around in the interior-design business for quite a while now. It's a combination of traditional style, Old World style and contemporary with an up-to-date look.

Some people are enamored of the truly contemporary look - all sleek, smooth and businesslike - but still want comfortable furniture. Others are still in love with the past and the richness of the traditional look but want a more current decor.

Furniture manufacturers have been paying attention. The "new look" is taking charge. The chrome look, for example, is popular, just not in the same way as in the '80s. It's taken on a softer image, with a brushed effect instead of the old polished look. Other examples:

• Glass tops, whether on cocktail tables or on dining tables, are still very much sought after in the design field. The difference is that the bases now are natural wood or stone instead of metal, high- gloss wood or mica.

• The high-back wooden dining chair that was such an attention-getter has mellowed over the years into a lower back height with curved lines and upholstery on at least the seat and, in some cases, on the inside of the back. Also, more armchairs grace the dining tables these days, if they fit. It used to be that only the two heads of the table used arms, while the rest were armless.

• Bedroom furniture is still "anything goes." The styles haven't changed much as far as popularity is concerned. You'll still find tall beds that need a step to climb into and low-profile beds where the mattress practically sits on the floor.

• Leathers are and probably always will be in vogue, particularly the soft-touch leathers. Some interesting chairs are mostly wood but have backs, seats and arm tops covered in luscious leather. Leather is always popular because there's something invitingly tactile about it.

Clean, open, spacious and neat, though not exactly buzz- words, are good descriptions of the transitional look abounding in homes these days.

Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color," available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.