With the New Year upon us, I have been updating my colour wheels and inspiration boards. Why? Well, keeping up to date on emerging interior and design trends and understanding the themes that will shortly be dominating the market, is my job. But, if you are a novice renovator, re-decorator or designer, you might be overwhelmed. So, to save you weeks of Pinterest scrolling and magazine reading, I have recapped the ins and outs for 2017.
As much as I would like to say that I have used my forecasting abilities to set out the trends for next year, I haven’t. Instead, the design world listens, when bigwigs like Victoria Redshaw, of London-based trend forecasting company Scarlet Opus, discuss their predictions on emerging trends. Which she recently did in Australia, at our biggest design event, Décor and Design. This presentation paved the way for Domain, Realestate.com, Vogue and Elle to publish the following design trends for 2017:
1. Desert Wanderer
The Desert Wanderer trend represents a “respite from our fast-paced lives.” This trend is all about using raw, soft suedes and natural linens to add character and warmth to interiors. Currently popular cool and white tones, will be replaced by warmer, natural materials such as terracotta tiles, stone-work pottery and natural stone surfaces.
Now, I won’t be shouting terracotta from the rooftops, but I can see its appeal. Look at this beauty.
This trend isn’t a revival of the terracotta border tile seen in the 80’s. “ Instead they will have a natural matte finish and be used as feature walls in bathrooms or for cladding fireplaces,” says Lauren Macer of Sisalla Interior Design.
What excites me most about this trend is the calming and meditative colour palette. Queue muted spice tones (saffrons and cinnamons), teamed with mauve and indigo, and metallic accents such as copper and silver. You will see these colours showcased as subtle ombres or in moorish, Moroccan or Aztec patterns.
2. Organic Matter
Design and Decor explained the Organic Matter look as “a deliciously earthy luxuriance that introduces a wild naturalism to man-made spaces.” This trend encourages working with nature, with the aim of improving our well-being.
I’m all for exploring the “made by nature” concept, but I’ll need convincing on the moss springing unexpectedly from a wooden dining table or ferns cascading through bathrooms.
The Organic Matter colour palette is simple – urban concretes combined with crisp blues and greens featured in lots of overlapping of foliage prints.
3. Analogue Workshop
Working in tandem with the Desert Wanderer trend, Redshaw explains the Analogue Workshop trend as a direct response to the accelerating pace of modern life. “It is a digital detox – a step away from technology and the control it has over our lives.” This trend is about finding the beauty in everyday materials and about the thoughtful design and union of only two or three materials.
The Desert Wanderer trend is about having a new appreciation for ordinary, everyday materials such as plywood, cork and chipboard, and using them to add warmth and texture to spaces. Imagine, whole walls of cork…..yes, a whole wall to pin your bills to!
Again, I love the colour palette – Granite grey and cookie brown, with discordant accents such as acidic yellow and mint green, and brass and bronze accents.
4. Tribe
Being the Lady I am, the Tribe trend is very exciting! According to Redshaw, the design world has been impacted by a global increase in female education and political representation. Basically, strong is the new pretty and this is what the Tribe Look is all about.
The Tribe colour palette is bold and bright, with animal prints and geometric patterns. It incorporates graphic blacks, whites and greys with unapologetic pops of colour. Expect to see energetic blues and confident greens. More importantly, bright pink will be the showpiece.
So, they are the trends and colours we can expect to see taking over our homes in the coming months. But what about the decor? Well, Redshaw covered off on that too:
DECOR INS AND OUTS
IN – Homes with nooks and places: Relaxed furniture and materials will follow, from deep sofas with linen slip covers, to over-sized love seats, day beds, Icelandic sheepskins, chunky knit wool rugs and floor cushions.
IN – Upholstered bed heads: add instant glamour to a bedroom
OUT – Copper and Rose Gold: expect a more industrial aesthetic to replace it
OUT – Marble: expect raw, earthy textures like timber, clay and wicker to replace it
I hope that this article helped you to decipher the world of design. Please share with us pictures of your new rooms and spaces!
Thanks for reading!
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