One of the most delightful aspects of any new home, or a newly-renovated house, is the furnishing and decorating stage, but keeping up with the latest fashions can be confusing and somewhat exhausting. Design trends change so rapidly that one day something’s cool, and the next it’s démodé if a high-hat magazine or influencer decides it’s past tense.
In Melbourne’s 2018 Decor & Design Show in July, trend forecasters displayed the next big things when it comes to home decor, innovative furniture trends, and emerging designs. But the big message for this year is to research the trends to find your own style, rather than follow the herd, especially if you’ve invested in costly house renovations, you’ll want to get it right from the very beginning.
Furniture Trends
We live in an age of heightened awareness of furniture design, with materials that were once thrown out, now restored or transformed into elegant furniture items valued even more because of their previous existence. For some ideas to take on board when choosing pieces for your new home, the 2018 Australian International Furniture Fair Decor and Design exhibition co-located with the Decor & Design Show in July showcased some fabulous new designs and innovations from recycled materials.
Some manufacturers and innovators in the reclaimed furniture space are making original, stylish and sustainable lifestyle furniture for bedding, living rooms, dining, office and outdoors.
The wood reclaimed comes from shipping containers or wrecks, pallets, and buildings. Another area gaining in favouritism is sustainable fabrics, non-animal leather and non-worm silks. People are now more aware of furniture, and designed products made sustainably and ethically, so designers and manufacturers are providing them with what they desire.
Emerging Trends
- Natural wood - Clean and crisp white kitchens have been popular over the past few years, but trends are slowly moving away towards a more natural look. Light, natural, wooden surfaces are giving kitchens a more relaxed ambience. If you like Scandinavian, then you’re in luck.
- Curves - Angles and straight lines are replaced by sumptuous curves in a lot of the furniture items, giving graceful softer and rounded edges. And this won’t only apply to loveseats, sofas and armchairs - curves will be a design feature in frames and mirrors.
- Earthy colours - Earthy colours will dominate home furniture and decor with earth shades part of the trend predictions of natural wood, plants, and sage green. Choose warm beige hues, various greens including sage.
Merging Indoors and Outdoors
The indoor/outdoor trend continues, so if you’re deciding on what you want in your home, some ideas from the show might help you create your own space. There were designs for outdoor living, demonstrating different outdoor furniture from woven roping and timbers, to powder-coated frames, melding durability with style for the rugged Australian climate. These showcased trends had some outdoor upholstered fabrics that were soft to the touch and as luxurious as that used for indoor furniture upholstery.
Colours
Some of the colour palettes are bold, experimental, and daring, while others are more discreet, quiet, subtle, and still with a sun-bleached collection of self-assured, nourishing neutrals and soft pastels.
Choose from pale gold to warm cotton, fleshy nude tones and pale tan with apricot tints and dusky, mellow rose hues. The pale bronze, hemp and stonewashed blue, misty grey, and sage will delight the senses.
These are colours quietly composed and make for a fulfilling sense of tranquillity. A favourite colour trend is the muted shades of apricot and crisp mints, cocoa browns, watermelon, greens, terracottas and the Yves Klein deep blue reminiscent of lapis lazuli. Sage is the colour for kitchens this year.
Trends in Kitchen Design
Along with healthier lifestyles, caring for the environment, and awareness of the sourcing of foods, many designers and their clients are exploring these standards through kitchen design. The Wellness Kitchen trend is transforming design by using:
- Sustainable, recycled, hygienic materials
- Food more visible, gentle reminders to include healthy ingredients.
- Produce growing in the kitchen
The focus is on minimalist styles, simplicity for its therapeutic effect, and organised, uncluttered and tranquil kitchens that are soothing to eye and brain. The look is light, airy and relaxed, some ways to achieve this include the use of:
- Warm, mid-tone woods
- Soothing pastels and neutrals (stonewashed blues, muted sage green, misty grey and peach, apricot and rose beige tones)
- Matte finishes that are chalky, soft and smooth
- Natural wood - Clean and crisp white kitchens have been popular over the past few years, but trends are slowly moving away towards a more natural look. Light, natural, wooden surfaces are giving kitchens a more relaxed ambience. If you like Scandinavian, then you’re in luck. Natural woods are taking a cue from them
Trends For Bathrooms
Our bathrooms are no longer seen as places used only for practical activities, they’re now spaces where we can relax, wind down and shed the stress of the day. These days they’re also used as areas of the house that are devoted to personal well being, sanctuaries if you like.
Time out, privacy, and quietude are the new luxuries we value, so creating bathrooms that are calming environments is in vogue. Bathrooms now include:
- Small, soft, upholstered seats
- Clusters of pendant lights with dimmer controls
- Cushions and soft accessories
Apricot tile grout gives a unique edge, and a touch of timber in the bathroom creates a Zen-like atmosphere.
Experiment to Design Your Own Style
Using current fashions and trends is a natural starting point for developing your own style, and being the custodian of your own look is essential in making it authentic. Create room schemes that make you feel good, contented and healthy. Give some careful thought about what makes you happiest, comfortable, and relaxed, and the resulting expression of it can even help to enhance your sense of wellbeing.
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