Trends are funny things, aren’t they? They can excite us or annoy us, make us impulsively part with our hard-earned cash or they can inspire us to try something new. As someone who is deeply invested in the interior design world, I like to keep a watchful eye on emerging trends from both here as well as abroad and try to figure out what I think may be creating a stir in the coming year.

For my post today, I have teamed up with Network VEKA who are an organisation of window installers that demand quality from their network of tradesmen. I will tell you a little more about them in a future post but I’ve come to appreciate recently how hard it is to find good quality tradesmen (see my worktop saga here). Network VEKA thoroughly and continuously vets its members to ensure only the highest in customer satisfaction and quality workmanship and this ensures that only the very best, most professional companies are admitted.

They’ve recently created a fantastic Look Book which highlights not just the work that they do and the products they recommend but also touch on the interior design and architectural trends they are seeing in design. They graciously asked me to contribute my thoughts on what I feel will be the biggest trends of 2017 for the Look Book and I wanted to share them in a post with you today. I can not claim to be a Trend Predictor (my qualifications don’t run that deep) but as an observer, these are what I feel will be the biggest design trends for the coming year.

So let’s get started.

2017 Trends | Aquatic

Cool blues and deep greens, greys, pearl whites, inspired by the sea

We’re seeing a move to the cooler end of the spectrum with pearl whites, dusty blues, shades of green and of course pale grey which never seems to go out of style. As an island with a rich coast line, there is both comfort in the pale blue skies and the serenity of a calm sea. There is also the idea of an enigmatic power. This creates a lovely juxtaposition between pale hues and richer darker contrasts of indigo and olive hues. This could translate into many forms with even art incorporating seascapes or beach photography becoming more popular as well as motifs of the sea like fish, coral and shells.

2017 Trends | Bohemian

Influences from North Africa, India, South America, Mexico

For textiles, we’ll see influences from North Africa, India, South America and Mexico where traditional designs and patterns will create a global and well-travelled look in our homes. This is perfect for those who like to surround themselves with reminders of journeys past and who like an eclectic mix of influences in their space. Woven fabrics with imperfect patterns give textiles a sense of history and a glimpse of the hands that have created the works, reminding ourselves of community in a tumultuous world.

2017 Trends | Nature

Plants, unfinished wood, handmade ceramics

Immersed in technology from day to night, people are looking to surround themselves with objects that ground a space and bring them back to nature, reviving a sense of balance to their lives.

We’ll see more organic shapes and textures by way of raw and unfinished wood, natural fabrics like wool and linen and the use of materials like cork. House plants will remain popular into the next year as well. Handmade ceramics will also continue to trend with soft curved shapes and organic form in even utilitarian objects.

2017 Trends | Reflections

Reflective surfaces of glass, mirror and metallics 

The use of reflective surfaces will become more popular with materials like coloured glass, pearl and mirror incorporated into furniture and accessories alongside warm metals like gold and brass. We’ll see these materials used in different ways with transparent or iridescent effects popular, taking advantage of natural light to bounce it around a space. In architecture, glass continues to remain a popular material with technological advances in environmentally friendly materials, allowing us to enjoy every room year round whilst reducing our ecological footprint.

I’ve created a Pinterest board for Network VEKA here to illustrate this trend! Check it out here!

2017 Trends | Minerals

Natural stones with soft grains like agate and marble

Geology will also continue to theme into the new year as the natural beauty of agate and marble rides on a tide of popularity at the moment. Consider geodes as interesting display items along with agate bookends or coasters. White and grey Carrara style marble will continue to trend but we’ll see an introduction of deeper shades in black and deep green for a luxe finish in kitchens as well as furniture and accessories. Agate-effect and marble wall papers will adorn our walls as well, adding natural movement and colour.

2017 Trends | Sunset

Peach, lavender, pale blues, blush pink mixed or used with deeper shades

Nordic influences in design will continue to have a big impact on our homes here and with that comes the inclusion of soft pale hues and natural finishes that work beautifully with a clean aesthetic and well-designed furniture and textural accents.

While blush pink will continue to trend, we’ll also see sunset colours moving into our homes. Think peaches, sky blues and even lavender – soft and easy to live with colours that create a welcoming space. These colours may combine for a quiet look or contrast with darker shades of indigo, emerald, mustard yellow, charcoal or black.

A Final Thought…

I wouldn’t consider myself or my style terribly trendy. I will sometimes latch on to things I really do love but there are plenty that I won’t incorporate into my home, simply because I don’t feel they are ‘me’. And I think that’s the thing with trends – having them in your home simply because they are trendy is not a good enough reason to adopt them.

I’ve had love affairs with certain things (colours like turquoise or navy blue) that don’t necessarily bloom into a long-term relationship – but were still good fun while they lasted. On the other hand, the explosion of house plants or bringing in natural materials like marble and wood… Well, I have fallen in love completely and can’t see myself parting ways any time soon. I love pineapples (considered trendy) and tropical patterns (considered trendy too). And of course, as you know, I’ve loved gold and brass for a very long time, long before every shop on the High Street had a range. The point is, whether it’s trending or not, I will continue to love it.

Predicting the trends as above is one thing but adopting them is another. Does this mean I’m encouraging you to run out and buy all of them? Of course not. Does that mean that I’m going to be incorporating every one of these in my own home? Not at all.

Personally, I think the easiest way to incorporate trends that you do love into your home is through inexpensive accessories that you won’t feel bad about replacing/donating/upcycling in a few years’ when the trend has passed! For someone who doesn’t think twice about repainting a room, a quick coat of paint will do wonders to transition a room into a new year. But if that’s not your idea of fun, then there’s no reason to even worry about it. As I always say, buy what you really love and surround yourself with those things and you really don’t need to worry about being ‘trendy’ at all. On the other hand, if you want to have some fun and try something new, that’s cool too. It’s entirely up to you.

What do you think of my predictions? Spot on or way off? What do you believe the biggest trend for the new year will be? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

A big thank you to Network VEKA for including me in their Look Book! Do check that out here.

 

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Network VEKA but all words and opinions are my own. I only work with companies I really like and think you will too! Thanks for supporting the brands that support Swoon Worthy!