I love design trend predictions, mainly because I love daydreaming about colour combinations and design schemes, so putting together this list has been a lot of fun, as I’ve mentally decorated my home several times over! You may not want to use all of my top 10 in your home (or at least not all at once!) but I hope you find some inspiration for your own design projects. Here’s to a design-packed year full of colour, texture and style experimentation!

 

So, in no particular order, here’s our list of the trends to watch in 2017...

 

1. Terracotta

 

Earthy, warm and a great base for other key accent colours such as teal, blush pink and kale green, 2017 is the year terracotta makes its come back. If, like me, you remember terracotta paint from the ‘90’s, when it was used on every other episode of Changing Rooms, usually in some horrendous sponge-painted form, then you may be reluctant to see its return. But fear not! Terracotta is coming back in a much sleeker and more stylish way; from soft terracotta paint to complement a modern Scandi-style scheme, to modern, minimalist terracotta vases, light fittings, tiles and tableware. There really is something to suit everyone. You may not love the idea now, but I think this one is going to be a slow burner and come the summer, we’ll be queuing up to add a splash of this colour to our homes.

 

2. Desert Chic

 

Continuing the theme for earthy tones, here’s a design movement which picks up where the trend for botanics and house plants left off last summer, with more of a focus on desert-style plants such as cacti (and this time they’ve grown, so that the bigger your cacti, the better!). It’s a trend which is still in its infancy and I don’t think we’ll see much of it until towards the summer, but along with your super-sized cacti and desert palm, warm pinks, dusty blues and rust and terracotta tones work well with light and airy white-painted rooms, plenty of layered Mexican and Southern-American style textiles, such as these handwoven rugs and, if you’re not lucky enough to have a huge picture window out into an Arizonan desert landscape, then large paintings and National Geographic style photography of far-away places are a great way to complete the look.

 

3. Art Deco

 

And now for something completely different. Almost at the opposite end of the design spectrum is the growing trend for super-luxe art deco style glamour. Taking the best-bits of the art deco era and fusing them with modern colours and finishes. Think velvet chairs in blush pink and mint green, black parquet flooring, statement lighting and a little bit of bling with some gold or brass accents on furniture or artwork. This is such a fun trend and a way to create a place in your home that provides true escapism and indulgence; perfect if you love the idea of cocktail hour; a bar cart is a great accessory to add deco style to any living room! I also love some of the beautiful and sumptuous art-deco style wall papers and wall murals; I must admit I’ve fallen for the pink flamingos and love how it’s been used on panels which is a lovely way to add bold pattern in a controlled way. And to introduce a touch of art deco style into your space, we love the deco prints and butterflies by the brilliant The Curious Department.

 

4. Dark and Moody Paint Colours

 

Sharing a dose of drama with the art deco trend, the seismic shift from bright white interiors towards darker more cosseting shades we have seen over the last few months, will continue to be very influential into 2017. Deep black, slate grey or indigo blue walls are a great backdrop for showcasing all of your most treasured possessions; bright colours really do pop against the darker background, with velvet upholstery in jewel tones working especially well.

 

5. Big and Bold Florals

 

Keeping with the dark, moody theme, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more big, bold and beautiful floral motifs against dark backgrounds on textiles and wallpapers. Soft and romantic, in fashionable pinks, adding touches of floral pattern to a room helps to add softness and brighten darker colours; adding a more feminine edge to an all-black space. I love the idea of a floral wall-mural and I’m also a big fan of our beautiful soft velvet cushions in deep black with gorgeous flowers from artist Lindsay Taylor.

 

6. A Focus on Wall Finishes

 

I realise I’ve mentioned ‘wall-mural’ twice now, but I think that going into 2017, we’ll see much more of a focus on interesting and ‘unusual’ wall finishes, from printed murals to the use of textural panels, wood and even fabric. Being brave with what you put on your walls instantly changes the dynamic of the room in a much more dramatic (and gratifying) way that almost any other changes you can make. With much more of an emphasis on texture, material and pattern in design at the moment, I think it’s a natural evolution to want to add some of this to our walls. I think wood panelling in various guises will really take off in 2017; whether it’s traditional Georgian style painted panels or textural natural wood tiling (I’ve personally been really inspired by Tom Raffield’s beautiful wooden house which was featured on Grand Designs last year).

 

7. Modern Rustic Minimalism

 

Continuing the trend for natural materials and beautifully made, handcrafted pieces that can be treasured, alongside the growing idea that less really is more in many aspects of our lives, I think the concept of what makes a beautiful, minimalist space will evolve in the coming year towards a more natural, crafted aesthetic. As people seek out things that have been made in a careful, sustainable way using natural processes and materials, I predict that the demand for maker-made homeware will continue to grow. As you can see from the below selection of our own products which fit this trend at the end of this feature, we have rather a lot of modern rustic, minimalist pieces so it’s certainly a trend which we feel strongly about!

 

8. Abstract Expressionist Art

 

Of course, people have been hanging art in their homes for centuries, but this year I think the trend for collecting big, bold abstract pieces, whether they’re original works or prints, will be much more prominent. A lovely large canvas with bold, textural forms instantly adds a focal point to a room and is a great way to introduce colour and interest. I also think we’ll see more textiles; bedding, cushions and curtains with painterly abstract designs.

 

9. Velvet

 

It’s no coincidence that many of the images showing the key design trends of the year, also feature lots of velvet  – so many gorgeous velvet sofas! Throughout 2017, velvet will continue to be the go-to fabric for cushions and upholstery. It’s luxurious but soft and inviting and it makes colours even richer and more vibrant – what’s not to love about that!? A particularly great range of colourful velvet cushions are by artist Susi Bellamy; printed directly from her original artwork, they fuse the trend for expressionist art and velvet in one. And it’s not all about sofas, another place that velvet is big news is the bedroom, with padded headboards, sumptuous throws and soft squishy cushions.

 

10. Spring Fresh Colour

 

If you haven’t already read my feature on Pantone’s cheerful and vibrant colour of the year, Greenery, I’ve put together some ideas for how I see this springtime shade working with, rather than against, some of the other key looks of 2017. It is a great accent colour for dark walls, for example and I always think having a contrasting element or two within a design can be the key to its success. So as a counterpoint to deeper, richer colours, I think that this spring there will be a movement towards buying accessories and art prints in Pantone’s Spring 2017 shades; they’re upbeat, they’re perfect for welcoming in warmer days and, best of all, they have the power to put a smile on your face, something I’m sure we could all do with as we go through 2017!

 

The Maker Place.co.uk – 15/08/17