Home trends for 2016
As well as comfort we want stylish touches too. Here I’ve picked out the key trends, with tips on how to set them off to best effect in your home.
Metal magic
Pieces in rose gold, brass and copper are now a huge interiors trend, where before it was all about silver and stainless steel. Opt for brushed, not shiny, metallics in 2016 such as copper pendant lights hung above a kitchen worktop or a soft metallic-finished glass splash back. For the bathroom purchase copper towel rings or invest in new fixtures such as taps and handles. This is all about the glamour and visibility of the materials used. Also think about metallic, glowing wallpapers for warmth and metallic floor tiles that bring light to any room.
Call of the wild
Get back to nature with rustic wood pieces. They sit well alongside metallics – the juxtaposition of the two in homes adds interesting textures. 2015 was all about blonde woods and Scandi-style but for 2016 we are going to the dark side. There is a return to country-style kitchens but the feel is contemporary with woods like walnut and mahogany mixed with soft pastel accessories. As we are now eco-conscious we also want items that last: rustic and salvaged wood for furniture in the form of desks, cupboards and tables. Exotic timbers such as Macassar Ebony are also on-trend – the ‘tiger stripe’ look to the wood gives a glamour and warmth to pieces made from it.
Think pink
Pantone, a world authority on colour, has declared ‘rose quartz’ (warm pink) and ‘serenity’ (cool blue) to be the colours of 2016 and already design stores are filled with shades of pink, peach and red. Even domestic goddess Nigella is up with this fashion and the pink Kitchen Aid Mixer recently featured on her TV cookery show saw sales of it soar by 55 per cent at one retailer before Christmas.
Retro style
Fresh off the fashion catwalks are geometric and chevron patterns. For home, this translates as patterns on cushions, rugs and tiles and for curtain and bedding fabrics.
Many 1980s-inspired geometric silhouettes and motifs will soon be the fashionable look for homes. By 2017 I predict that black furniture and red accessories will be all the rage again.
Vintage comfort
Other trends for 2016 include ‘bringing the outdoors in’ with herb gardens, leaf motifs and lots of large 1970s-style plants. Also ‘vintage explorers’ is a trend that takes inspiration from intrepid Victorians and botanists. Buy pieces like vintage globes, old suitcases, plant drawings and bell jars. Finally, let’s reconsider rattan for seating as it is cool, textured and hardwearing. Happy interiors shopping everyone.
Do-it-sci fi
If all else fails you could always call on the services of a robot around your home. A start-up company called Moley Robotics has created a robotic automated kitchen with a fully functional robot who has been pre-programmed to have the skills of a master chef. Roll on the launch in 2017.
Read on
For more inspiration, I recommend ‘Chic Boutiquers at Home’ by Ellie Tennant (Ryland Peters & Small £20), which showcases the ultra on-trend and cool homes of interior e-tailers.