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Interiors Trends 2017

Earlier this month I went to a dinner with Houzz to talk about trends past and future. We had a fascinating time discussing our ins and outs of 2016 but didn’t really get as far as next year. So I have done a little separate research among bloggers and retailers to find out what they think will be hot and happening in 2017.

kws-at-houzz

One thing that did come out of the dinner is that many of us who work in the industry are often two to three years ahead with our predictions so by the time they hit the mainstream we’re already tired of them but everyone else is just getting started.

A couple of cases in point. When I first started talking to made.com about my furniture collection two years ago I thought navy blue was absolutely of the moment. By the time it came out earlier this month I was beginning to panic that navy was done for. It’s not – it’s just coming now. It’s been quietly taking over the clothes rails in the High Street and where they lead, our walls and furniture follow. So, prediction one Navy Blue. And Velvet.

navy blue furniture collection at made.com
unashamed plug for my navy blue furniture collection at made.com

The other thing is that we were all, to a woman, predicting the end of copper. But a few weeks ago I was chatting to Rockett St George who told me it’s still hugely popular on their site. Copper is going nowhere but, because the interioristas (new word – I just made it) are bored with copper and, generally speaking, terrified about being seen to be behind the curve, they are moving away from it. You don’t have to. Point to note – it’s still everywhere it’s just going to be called Rose Gold for a while.

So, this piece is to be read with a pinch of salt because, as with all trends, they come, they go, you will pick what you like and ignore what you don’t. But hey, if nothing else it might give you a conversation piece at all the parties that tend to happen at this time of year.

Anyway:  Interiors Trends 2017 Go:

Tiffany Grant-Riley of Curate & Display, a beautiful minimalist blog, says forget about Pantone Greenery but go for darker, murkier greens and, what she has termed, the New Nordic Luxe, which is a more mature version of the current Scandinavian trends. Think a continuation of simple, clean lines but with more luxurious materials and a more grown-up feel. Smoked glass, high quality raw materials and brass all feature in this trend which I am definitely liking the sound of.

image via hay design
image via hay design

Hannah Trickett, of Hannah in the House, who is half Danish, said that while the clean Scandinavian lines were here to stay she was seeing more colour creeping in.

mage by Jonas Gustavsson styled by Linda Ahman
image by Jonas Gustavsson styled by Linda Ahman

Geraldine Tan, of Little Big Bell, predicts that rich jewel tones will take centre stage next year as well as the soft pastel shades of a make-up palette.

greensofa_9
Photography by Martina Gemmola and styling by Ruth Welsby

Kimberly Duran, of Swoonworthy, echoes the make-up palette idea but calls it sunset (see what I mean – same thing different names) and says we will see lots of peach, lavender and blush pink mixed with deeper shades. You can expect this trend to include some, er, rose gold too by the way.

sunset interior trends image from design on stock
sunset interior trends image from design on stock

Karen Knox, who is a very clever interior designer who seems to be effortlessly on trend and who blogs at making-spaces.net says: “Brass is still strong, large repeat patterns, florals and lots of greenery – but not Greenery (the Pantone colour of the year). Dark walls are becoming quite mainstream now so that might really take off this year.”

navy blue room by Karen Knox
navy blue room by Karen Knox

Now for the retailers. I thought I would let this post run on as it’s that slightly dead time between Christmas and New Year when, if you’re anything like me, you’re stuck on the crossword, feel too full to move and are casting around the internet in search of easy reading. You can dip in and out of this one as the fancy takes you.

So Jayne Everett, the creative director of Naked Kitchens, which might be my new favourite kitchen company – check out this green and gold beauty below – says: “One material to watch out for is brass – one of the most traditional materials. Lush Wild Olive and greenery shades will be big in 2017 and go beautifully with brass and marble. Look out for texture as well – the grain of the wood, the vein of the marble and the patination of the brass.”

green and brass kitchen by naked kitchens
green and brass kitchen by naked kitchens

One of my favourite pattern designers, Neisha Crosland (see this post for my house tour including her beautiful Hollywood Grape wallpaper), is also looking to natural materials next year. “I am interested in trying to recreate what I think colours invented in the ancient world looked like when made from minerals, plants, beetles or charred bone.

“I will be working on colourful florals, some with a very geometric interpretation that will make you wonder if it is a flower or just a shape – lots of malachite greens, azurite blues, carmine lake, tyrian purple and naples yellow. Good, deep rich colours and unusual combinations.”

neisha-crosland-rose-cobalt-blue-lifestyle-close-up
neisha crosland cobalt blue

In other words the jewel tones mentioned elsewhere. Still with the brass and don’t forget the luxe element. Now for Rockett St George,  who always seem to stock what everybody wants. Their buzz words for 2017 are: “Natural materials such as wood, seagrass and bamboo, earthy metals including brass, natural textures, smoked glass, macrame and beading.”

black rattan lounge chair from rockett st george
black rattan lounge chair from rockett st george

Lorna Haigh, head of creative and marketing at Alternative Flooring, also picked up on green as a colour coming through and added: “Comfort should never go out of fashion and think plush. Velvety soft carpet with a deep pile and with pattern is perfect for now.”

Their carpets are also handwoven on looms and made in the UK which also fits with the current trend of being more mindful where our stuff comes from and investing in things that are beautifully made and will last longer.

 

barefoot hatha carpet by alternative flooring
barefoot hatha carpet by alternative flooring

Over at Love Your Home they’re confident that texture is very important and, in particular, velvet. “We launched our mohair velvet this autumn and turmeric is one of our best-selling colours.”

Mind you, they’re bigging up pastels as well and pointing out how great they look against an on trend dark wall (note the word pastel, previously referred to as make-up shades and sunset…)

blush pink sofa from loveyourhome
blush pink sofa from loveyourhome

And to finish, a word from Jacqui Brooks of lifestyle store Mia Fleur whose tag line “life’s too short to be a minimalist” always makes me smile. She agrees that 2017 is all about texture.

miafleur-feather-wall-hanging-from-21-50-esmeralda-round-chair-525-1

“We’ve seen a lot of textile wall hangings at trade shows and this is a a great way to add vibrancy and colour in a way that’s different from another framed print.”

They’re also talking about all things feathery and tactile.

So there is a – sort of – theme to 2017: warmth, texture, luxe, comfort, rich colours and opulent materials. I’ll take that.

miafleur-aurora-round-chair-525-blush-textile-wall-hanging-84-faux-areca-tree-128-1

What’s on your interior trends list for 2017? Let us know in the comments below what you’re planning to bring into your homes next year.

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

10 Comments

  1. Yet another VERY insightful and spot-on post Kate. We have been seeing early glimpses of these trends at Spiffy Spools even as the year closed. More requests for rich jewel tone fabrics to go with minimalist decor, and bolder, deeper colors to bring a pop into white-led palettes. Anyway, thanks for a great read X

  2. I think you’re on the mark with this summary! I’ve adopted soft brass oversized cabinet handles, stone counters, solid wood cabinet woods (colour stained), and a F&B Stiffkey Blue accent wall. I know it’s SO 2015, but I’m starting to become obsessed with Pantone Marsala for clothing. I am loving turmeric and rust colour accents for interiors. In the 80s I loved mint green for kitchens, and lavender blues for bedrooms, and I could see those pastels feeling fresh again. I won’t be adopting the pastel trend my home though…too girly for anyone in my family. Maybe it’s too obvious to state, but black accents are a huge trend right now and I see that persisting. I would love to adopt the dark walls trend, but in my climate I would like to see an lighting bill rebate and Prozac prescription bundled with those yummy colours. I’m looking for more velvet for sure. I am interested in where the pattern trend is going – is overadoption going to kill the hex tile trend? There are so many patterns that are getting overexposed, causing me tile pattern paralysis. Currently wallpaper is extremely rare in my west coast Canadian city – I’m curious whether folks will jump on that bandwagon here? I could see myself using wallpaper in high traffic areas to hide teen smudging.

  3. Loved this post, it’s so true that when you are passionate about Interiors and live and breathe that world, you see a good couple of years ahead. I find with a few people I know, that they are frightened of being so daring with trends, but they will experiment more with accessories. Example the use of Concrete, how accessories are very popular in the form of planters, big and small, also the use of Marble, in the form of side tables, and smaller accessories. I absolutely love the trend for Jewel colours, especially Emerald, my favourite at the moment.

  4. I’m so happy to see the deep colours are still the go and loving rose gold. Here in Australia we have been told it’s done but i love how you explain that its the stylists trying to beat the curve ball! Thanks for all the inspiration – I’m going forth happily designing my new colour palette for summer 2017!

  5. Funny because navy paired with “greenery” accents is absolutely delicious and one of my faves since (sh!) the mid eighties when rubbishy “mauve” was all the thing. There are pics of it in this blog entry, vis a vis Navy Room by Karen Knox. Also navy with muted coral accents, lovely.

  6. This is spot on and a great forecast. We have just finished completely refurbishing our house and I did have some concerns that by the time it was done, many of the rooms would be passé, but we have a navy kitchen, jewel sitting room, murky green bedroom and loads of brass. I think we’re officially ‘on trend’! 😉

  7. I am surprised that fuchsia doesn’t feature as it loomed large on the catwalks. It also has the benefit of going well against grey or dark walls. But, as you said Kate, these trends take time to get assimilated into our zeitgeist. Going out on a limb I quite fancy a riotous fuchsia and burnt orange autumn, and with this in mind am busily working out what flowers to grow in the cutting garden. Wishing you a Happy New Year. Roll on 2017.

  8. Definitely brass! I’m obsessed with it right now (although it will probably be the next “rose gold” and then date in a couple of years).

  9. A very interesting blog today.
    Once we have our new caroet and suite in approximately 6-7 weeks time then we can choose new cushions and other finishing touches.
    Can’t wait.

  10. Great piece. I’m actually really looking forward to 2017 as far as interior trends go. There is nothing I dislike here. Normally there are quite a few trends that I just don’t understand but next year looks to be sophisticated, muted and easy to integrate into our homes. That’s a win in my eyes.

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