Image: Clair Strong Interior Design

2018 looks set to be the year of daring and dramatic interior design. This year’s trends are as bold as they are diverse, taking in everything from exuberant maximalism to biophilic design. Here are a few of my favourites, as shared with The Bath Magazine in their January issue:

Bright Colours

Let’s start with colour. I recently wrote a couple of blog posts about the eight colour palettes Pantone had predicted for 2018 (you can see them here and here). Six of those eight colour palettes feature predominantly bright hues.

According to Pantone, vibrant colours such as hot pink, turquoise, coral, ‘minion yellow’, lime green and ruby will be everywhere this year, and in some really unusual combinations. We’re spoilt for choice so this an exciting time to experiment with colour and try something new.

Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is changing the way we interact with our urban spaces by seeking to create a deeper connection with nature in our homes and work places. It’s not a new concept, but it does seem to have become more important than ever in our increasingly digital world.

There are a number of ways in which people will be incorporating biophilic design into their homes in 2018. Houseplants are already popular with the Instagram set, but we’ll see even more people embracing the trend this year.

A sort of earthen luxury will also emerge out of biophilic design. The focus will be on beautifully imperfect organic materials such as wood and wool, while warm earth tones such as sand, taupe, mocha and moss will be favoured. Botanical prints in wallpaper, textiles and art will be even more prevalent than they are now.

Mixed Material Kitchens

I’m sure many people would love a custom-built kitchen. Fortunately, even if the wallet won’t quite stretch to bespoke, you can fake the look with a mixed-material kitchen. A mixed material kitchen is exactly what it sounds like: rather than all matching cabinets and countertops, the space is filled with an eclectic but complimentary mix of materials. For example, base cabinets in matte black and wall cabinets in gloss white paired with natural timber worktops. A creative, custom look is now more affordable than ever.

Maximalism

The antithesis to minimalism, maximalism is brash, bold and over the top. It’s a movement defined by abundance and excess, so think clashing prints, bright colours and plenty of knick-knacks.

It’s not a new trend. Maximalism has been making waves in the design community for decades, but it will definitely be facing a revival this year. We’re already seeing its influence in the colour palettes predicted by Pantone and I think maximalism will quickly start infusing other trends too.

The best thing about maximalism is that it’s indiscriminate. Whatever your style; bohemian, retro, rustic or Scandinavian, you can embrace the principles of maximalism to up the ante in your space. More is more with this trend, so you simply have to layer in pattern, colour and texture until you’re happy with the finished look.