On a ‘trend’ level in interiors this winter, we’re seeing a shift away from pastel schemes teamed with copper accents and a return to deeper jewel tones paired with warm neutrals and authentic materials, such as timber, wicker, linen and stone.
However, what interests me more is the subtle move we’re seeing against following increasingly fast-paced trends and the emergence of a renewed thoughtfulness towards authenticity and longevity in the products we buy for our homes.
Only a relatively short time ago, your home’s décor was expected to last for years, and your major pieces of furniture for decades. In more recent times, interior trends are moving almost as fast as fashion, fuelled in part by sheer volume of interior design sites, blogs and stores found on-line. Soon we’ll be seeing advertorials for ‘this year’s sofa’!
This anti-consumerism movement, which favours quality over quantity, is doubly important for flooring and the other ‘fitted’ elements in your home. These are the elements that you want to live with for years (and the elements that add value to your property). Nobody wants to go to the trouble and expense of replacing a floor or bathroom or even a wall tile. Select the best you can afford in the most authentic materials you can afford.
Authentic flooring includes timber, which develops a coveted patina as it ages and wool carpet, which is superbly soft to the touch. (If, however, you do need to use synthetic flooring, perhaps for financial or practical reasons, the trick is to select flooring that looks like the real thing; high quality laminate that mimics timber well, or tiles that look like natural stone).
A neutral or natural colour palette is ideal for all your permanent finishes as it creates an easy backdrop from which you can change up smaller elements in your overall scheme. Warmer tones are not only ‘trending’ right now but they are easier (more cocooning) to live with than cooler tones so are ideal for longevity. Think creamy whites, soft brown-greys, chocolates and warm charcoals. Select well and enjoy for years to come.
Happy Decorating.