You know that feeling that you get when you walk into a house? That sense of personality that a space can affect depending on the choice of décor? There’s either a sense of stability, grace and settled comfort – or a more modern, edgy engagement where the statement is clearly ‘now’ or even futuristic; an exciting, motivating undercurrent of imminent change.
Sometimes the choice between classic and updated can reflect your personality – but it is personal. How you like to feel in your environment is paramount to how you will choose space, colour, design and functionality. Sometimes, however, there’s a lovely blend where classic lines meet stylish innovation. Timeless is just that – and its effect can underpin more trendy applications with subtle influence, bringing a sense of continuance to the sharper, quirkier designs of immediate fashion.
Timeless
The Victorian Bathtub: Well, who would credit that after all these years, these bathtubs would still be considered the height of luxury and chic? Often made with cast iron and lined with porcelain, they began to grace homes in the early 18 th century. For a while they fell out of favour in the sixties and seventies, but made a remarkable comeback and now steadily remain an elegant and comfortable choice – both the originals which are considered more valuable than gold, and their more modern counterparts in splendidly innovative design.
Sometimes the choice between classic and updated can reflect your personality – but it is personal. How you like to feel in your environment is paramount to how you will choose space, colour, design and functionality. Sometimes, however, there’s a lovely blend where classic lines meet stylish innovation. Timeless is just that – and its effect can underpin more trendy applications with subtle influence, bringing a sense of continuance to the sharper, quirkier designs of immediate fashion.
Timeless
The Victorian Bathtub: Well, who would credit that after all these years, these bathtubs would still be considered the height of luxury and chic? Often made with cast iron and lined with porcelain, they began to grace homes in the early 18 th century. For a while they fell out of favour in the sixties and seventies, but made a remarkable comeback and now steadily remain an elegant and comfortable choice – both the originals which are considered more valuable than gold, and their more modern counterparts in splendidly innovative design. Fireplaces: They will never lose their charm. Whether functional or decorative, fireplaces are always a focal point of a room, especially when there’s the warming light of a roaring fire. Old fireplaces are refurbished and cherished by those who know their value as a décor item. Timeless and trendy, fireplaces afford a sense of luxury in any room, whether old-fashioned or lit with the magic dance of biofuel behind glass.
Area rugs: We will never give these up. They add colour and pattern and a focal point to any room. They define the shape of the room and are often the basis for décor. Rugs provide warmth, comfort and a sense of luxury to any space. They are the cosy element which, like a fireplace, blends with any trendy update you may have in mind.
Colour: Colour is a mood mover. White remains cool and relaxing, as do softer pastels. Neutrals can only be timeless. There’s safety in the simplicity of off-white in a host of delicate shades from pinks to greys. The sense of calm created by softer colours will never go out of fashion; they provide classic décor opportunities and are easily blended with trendy upgrades like cushions and throws, making it easier to change a look than an expensive paint job.
Mirrors: These are the light reflectors that open a room, enhance space and give a sense of a wider view. Mirrors just never go out of style. You can put them anywhere to capture and return images of light and life. Whether ornate or jazzily disconnected in patterns, leaning or mounted, large or small, they add points of scintillating beauty to any room.
Built-in bookcases: These are an enduring favourite. They add value to a home. A built-in bookcase provides ‘lived-in’ homeliness, a sense of style and old-fashioned comfort intermixed. You can have them in any room; they offer functionality and convenience, orderliness and character. And none of that goes out of style.
White kitchens: Kitchens are sensitive places. They are the heart of any house – but also a benchmark of change. A dated kitchen can reduce the value of your house. But whatever the style, the usefulness of white kitchens never loses appeal because there is so much opportunity to adapt and innovate any time the mood takes you. Apart from looking refreshingly clean and efficient, there is a brightness and lightness that is attractive in a working environment. Your colour scheme can revolve as fashions come and go – and simply changing the handles on drawers and cupboards can create a new look – from timeless to modern.
Artwork: Your choice can range from classic to modern art. It doesn’t matter. Art can find itself a fit in almost any décor. Sometimes it can become an individual focal point, a disruption that holds the eye, and adds boldness to an otherwise conventional surround. Art is personal – but the right pieces, situated advantageously – can make timelessness new and trendy in subtlety and canny juxtaposition.
Trending
Neutrality: This is still hugely popular: plain colours, understated hues, low-key designs. A wall with a wash of grey, a couch perhaps as a focal point, blending with pillows and throws, a splash of colour here and there, more for effect than function. The current trend is all about sophistication and power, emphasizing fresh and new but exuding a strong sense of solidity. Neutral blends easily with modern aspects, offering a background you can brighten up without losing that feeling of modernity and plush comfort. Neutrality is timeless, but new colour innovations are always trending.
Trending
Neutrality: This is still hugely popular: plain colours, understated hues, low-key designs. A wall with a wash of grey, a couch perhaps as a focal point, blending with pillows and throws, a splash of colour here and there, more for effect than function. The current trend is all about sophistication and power, emphasizing fresh and new but exuding a strong sense of solidity. Neutral blends easily with modern aspects, offering a background you can brighten up without losing that feeling of modernity and plush comfort. Neutrality is timeless, but new colour innovations are always trending. Picture frames: The plainer the better. The new chic is large white frames. Clean-cut against a pale shaded wall, the frames enhance the picture but also the style of the room in general. It’s a ‘boxed’ look that draws the attention to the inner depths of the art. The effect is deceptively intrusive, quietly bold.
Hand-crafting: This is popular from fittings to coffee tables, to lamps and cushions. People are enjoying more customised pieces in their homes, commissioning tiled artwork, personal embroidered cushion covers, unique lighting solutions, etc. Personalise your home for individual satisfaction, celebrate the art of handicrafts, and make your home truly unique.
Natural: Stone, copper, wood, concrete, brass, granite are definitely the new trends. Organic is the feeling, natural is the experience, elegance is the look. These finishes help to create a softer, warm feeling that is less sharp and clinical than stainless steel and chrome. Brass is now leading the field, adding subtle warmth and old-world charm in a modern twist.
Velvet: A marvellous return of a superbly textured fabric! Both luxurious and beautiful, It offers comfort and colour – and a scintillating lift to any room. Whether for couches or cushions, velvet offers a level of sophistication that is going to wow us through 2019, and is set to be the most sought-after interior design decorating trend.
Bolder colour: Though neutrality rules, bolder colours in accessories are becoming more evident. Smack that muted grey with pink or red! Richer hues through your home can uplift the moods of rooms, and people. Brighter colours also serve to highlight your quieter shades, bringing in opportunities to be both jazzy and tasteful – a balance that helps to avoid the heaviness of bright colours and the boredom of too much neutrality. Changing colours lets you up the tempo whenever you feel like it.
Florals: An old style revamped to fresh approach in colour and format. Whereas before flowers were kept to natural sizes in intricate patterns, modern flowers are large and bold. You can have one wall entirely covered by one massive flower. The effect is fantastic and playful. Flowers never go out of fashion, but modern décor makes them powerful and trendy in all locations, from private homes, to retail stores, to offices. Artwork and fabrics filled with their bright and complex designs hold attention and exude beauty, tranquillity, and the power of nature. Big flowers are the bold trend of 2019.