LINGERING LOOKS
A new year is often the time for a fresh approach but, when it comes to your decor, LESLEY TAYLOR says some of 2017s popular styles have staying power in 2018
AS WE bid farewell to another year and welcome in a new one, is it time to do the same with interior trends? Well, not quite. As we say hello to 2018 we are also set to welcome a raft of new interior trends. But more importantly we will be holding on to some key looks that were big in 2017.
Such as Scandi chic. This look is going to spread from the living and dining areas into more rooms throughout the house. Vital to this will be the use of natural materials and plants.
Typically, woods and high moisture rooms such as bathrooms have never really got on, but 2018 will see more Scandi-inspired bathroom designs thanks to the popularity of beautiful wood-effect porcelain tiles.
These gorgeous tiles have all the look of real hardwood but are perfect for high-traffic areas and won’t be affected by lots of moisture.
BOTANICAL BEAUTY
ALSO big in bathrooms next year will be house plants. And I don’t mean a small cactus here and there – I mean huge, 1970s-inspired Swiss cheese plants.
We can thank the Scandi trend for this, but we must also doff our hats to 2017’s Pantone’s Colour of the Year. Ever since Greenery was given the title it has been everywhere and our love affair with it shows little sign of abating.
The botanical vibe continues on the walls, with jungle prints and palm tree wallpapers from the likes of Cole and Son proving hugely popular.
These striking designs make the most splendid feature walls and give your home a stunning retro vibe without looking cheesy.
RETRO CHIC
WHICH brings us to our final trend to hang on to in 2018 – nostalgia.
The retro look has been a major trend for the past few years, with reproduction pieces proving hugely popular.
Whether you like these budgetfriendly options or would prefer hunting around salvage yards and online auction houses for originals, make sure you select pieces which have a special meaning to you and you won’t go far wrong.
NEW START
TOP of 2018’s new trends will be geometrics. It’s been creeping closer to the forefront of the interiors world for a few years but is set to be front and centre this year.
Introducing just a few key geometric pieces can instantly uplift even the most mundane of rooms, and where you’re working with a grey palette go big and bold with colourful statement geometric patterns.
For first-time DIYers, geometrics will feature on all sorts of accessories – like bedspreads and cushions – making it a super easy look to achieve.
AFRICAN INSPIRATION
WHILE our interiors are still heavily influenced by our
Scandinavian neighbours, in 2018 we’ll be looking a little further afield for our interiors trends, namely Africa.
African-inspired design will be everywhere, with a heavy reliance on Kuba and mud cloths, two different styles of handwoven textiles. Striking and beautiful, both feature traditional patterns usually in deep, dusty colours and will add interest wherever they are placed.
To further the look think luxury, sub-Saharan heritage and statement accessories.