THE BIG NEW TRENDS (and why it’s totally okay to not follow them)

Our columnist Sophie Robinson knows what’s hot in interiors, but here she shares some surprise advice: ignore the trends and mix up nostalgic touches with pieces that’ll make you happy in the long term

Abig part of my job is keeping up with the newest looks, talking about them on my podcast The Great Indoors and incorporating them in my designs. The biannual round of trends, of which spring is key, brings the industry together to talk about what’s hot in design and I can’t deny that I find discovering what’s new all rather thrilling. But the past couple of years have really got us all thinking more deeply about what our homes mean to us, and the conversation has turned away from fast fashion and towards thinking in a more sustainable way.

Maximalism, the camp I’m firmly in, has had a massive moment recently and this more-is-more approach to decorating continues to hold strong. Coupled with a rich and joyful colour palette, it’s an antidote to the troubling times we find ourselves in. Personally, I feel that when it all gets a bit too much out there, I want to retreat to the fabulous multicoloured jewel box that is my home.

In the spirit of offering something for everyone, I will say that the antithesis of this trend is the current move towards a warm and earthy neutral palette. Think of terracotta and clay in gentle tonal combinations. Sunshine shades of raspberry blush and flame yellow complement this soul-nourishing palette too. Grey, as the go-to neutral, is officially dead – it’s just too cold and we want our homes to give us a hug right now.

With sustainability front and centre, opting for antique and secondhand treasures fulfils the drive to reduce, reuse and recycle, as well as being lighter on the pocket. I expect to see brown furniture rise in popularity again, combined with a love of archive prints, and I am absolutely here for it. For example, William Morris patterns have been revived with resounding popularity in recent years and I’m in love with Sanderson’s Archive collection, which recolours these classic designs in my technicolour palette. Gorgeous!

A general feeling of nostalgia tends to come to the fore in uncertain times, resulting in homes that feel reassuringly slowly evolved – I have a 1980s sideboard sitting very happily underneath a modern abstract artwork by my friend Becky Blair (pictured, right).

So are trends all bad? No, of course not – but the headline is: it’s your home and decorating it in a way that makes you feel your best is the only trend you should follow. My motto has always been: march to the beat of your own drum.

Next month, Sophie tells all on why you should dare to be different with your decorating