It’s time to kiss goodbye to straight lines and clean shapes, too. This season we’re looking inwards to our homes, embracing more comfortable rounded designs, with just a hint of luxury.
We spoke to head stylist for Temple and Webster, Allira Bell, and lead designer for Infinite Design Studio, Michelle Macarounas, to give us the lowdown on the hottest summer trends.
Saturated colour
Well this is refreshing: Dove grey might’ve just about had its day! “I think the lingering monochromatic, white-black-grey look is definitely out,” says Allira.
“People are craving warmth, saturated colour and a little bit of fun in their homes.”
What does this mean for colour? Think mustard, pink and splashes of cobalt blue. These shades, debuted on the runways at New York Fashion Week, are going to surface everywhere – from ceramics and tiles to our walls.
Eclectic bathrooms
The new eclectic is a trend we covet and now we’re seeing it creep into the bathroom.
“Overdone in the wrong way, this look can be childish, so be careful to add eclecticism in small ways through a feature tile or ceramic collection to achieve the right look,” says Allira.
“Stone and marble finishes are dominant and used in a more playful way,” Micelle adds.
“Designers are picking up on coloured stone in blues, pinks, reds and greens. Mixing these with other elements in the interior can bring a sense of connective design.”
Bold graphics
Gulp… we’re going back to the ’80s with this one – cult design movements filled with bold, graphic images, clashing prints and geometric patterns are set to be huge this summer.
“Lots of zig zags and strips,” says Allira; “things that shouldn’t go together, but do.”
If it’s all sounding a bit too Xanadu for your liking, it should be added that the earthy movement – our love of all things natural and of-the-earth – is very much here to stay. The bold print diversion is just a reaction to that, injecting some playfulness and fun as we enter the silly season.
So long, Scandi
Our desire for fun – what a perfect segue to confront this controversial trend…
That’s right, Scandi may be on the out! Or at least getting a refresh. Scandinavian design is very much grounded in the minimalist aesthetic, and, according to Allira, we’re rejecting minimalism this season, instead looking for more comforting shapes and lines.
“We’re seeing that Scandi furniture – blonde wood on tapered legs – is slowly losing favour. People are craving walnut timber, different shapes and more of a contemporary feel.
“For example, rather than doing the classic long lines we’re seeing more rounded sofas, which plays more to a feeling of comfort and luxury.”
Curation & collection
Rejecting Scandi is only the beginning.
Allira explains people aren’t necessarily slowing down, but are looking to connect with nature through injecting plant life into their homes and making their spaces warmer and more personalised.
It’s a trend that’s almost a rejection of trends – it goes back to diverging from the Scandi, monochromatic world and creating a sense of escapism from the everyday.
As society becomes more individualistic, self-styling the home becomes another form of identity.
“We’ve kind of past the minimalism trend, we’re embracing collection and curating homes with the things we love,” Allira says.
Jungle voyager
Here’s some more good news, the tropical prints we saw gain popularity last summer are here to stay.
But rather than remain solely focused on green foliage and exotic flora, we’re seeing tropical prints on our textiles run with more of a global traveller, safari theme. Think zoology motifs with different animals and birds and a playful approach to new colour palettes.
“Rather than the usual whites and greens, you might see blues and mustards,” Allira says.
Expect to see them over your cushions, bed linen and wallpaper.
Linen & velvet
We thought we’d be waving goodbye to rich velvet this season, but our experts both reject the notion.
French linen is a no brainer for the warmer months, too and the perfect way to lighten up soft furnishings, cushion covers and bed dressings, while keeping layers intact.
“Soft velvets and linens in beautiful natural tones are still proving popular. Plum is a winner this season for velvet and burnt sienna or terracotta is an emerging trend in linens,” Michelle says.
Allira says we’re not quite sick of velvet yet, but it will be re-imagined in lighter, pastel incarnations.
At New York Fashion Week, pastels featured heavily, and Allira believes this trend will filter into our textiles and materials inside the home.
“Yellow was definitely dominating the runways, everything from dirtier mustard to brighter sunflower shades. But then there was also an emergence of lilacs, lavenders and pinks – it’s a more mature take on pastels and the millennial pink [we’ve seen through winter].”
Source: realestate.com.au
