What's HOT

When it comes to renovating or building a new home, there will always be trends and popular styles to follow. But, choosing a look that won’t date is a bit of an art - and that’s where a good interior designer can help. They can pull your ideas together with key trends to create a cohesive look that will stand the test of time.

Personally, I dislike the idea of trends when it comes to interior design. It implies we’re following what is already ‘popular’, whereas what I love to do is pull together different colours, textures and products to create a bespoke look that no one else has. So, what I like to take a good look at what trends are out there before jumping on board, embracing only the ideas that I think will stick around.

In saying that, I’m quite excited by some of the trends and styles we’re seeing at the moment. It feels like we’re on the tipping point of a new movement: looking back, taking some of the best bits from the past and bringing them together to create something new and innovative.

Curves, round shapes and arches in the home are inviting, cosy and comforting. They seem quite feminine, and can make us feel cocooned and safe. Circular shapes have no beginning and no end, which makes them pleasing to the eye as it moves around the space. Adding curves to the architecture of your home can create a sense of suspense and drama, while curved or round furniture portrays relaxed playfulness.

We’re also seeing a lot of other organic shapes, ones that aren’t regular or circular, in homewares at the moment.

One key trend we’re seeing is curves in kitchens. Today’s kitchens are the heart of the home. Our aim is to create a space that’s inviting and inclusive, and curves can help achieve this. For example, curving the end of the island will create more space around it, inviting people to congregate more easily. Curves soften the hard edges, and we’re seeing them everywhere from cabinetry to arched niches and benches.

Round coffee tables have been around for a while now, but there’s a market for round sofas and ottomans too. We’re also seeing more organic, relaxed shapes - more like what we’d see in nature. The opposite of clinical, these shapes are more feminine and inviting. Rounded or organic sofas create a sense of togetherness - a feeling of coming together on a sofa to sit and chat.

We’re seeing a lot of glass being used in kitchens again, and fluted glass, also known as reeded glass, is particularly popular. It’s currently being used in kitchen cabinetry, internal doors and shower screens. This glass is not completely clear, so you get the illusion you can see through it, but not 100%. Try using reeded glass in your kitchen on the front of pantries or glass cupboards that you can keep tidy.

Almost all projects I’ve worked on recently have had some form of built-in cabinetry. This could be a bar area, a study nook off an adjoining kitchen, or essential storage in a kids lounge - somewhere to hide away board games and lego. TV units that double as storage are high in demand, as they tuck away all the ugly tech gadgets and cables, but also provide a surface to display things.

If you’re deciding on built-in cabinetry, think about the material being used. It doesn’t need to be white and blend into the walls, you can colour and/or texture to create interest.