“Trend spotting is getting harder. There was a time when it was easy to identify a set of clearly defined palettes, prints and products that were updated each season, making a neat progression from the design studios onto the high street.There are still trends, if you look carefully enough, but they’re more fluid than ever – suggestions and themes, rather than strict rules. This year more than ever, versatility is key.Reinterpreting classics and blending trends, especially traditional, contemporary and rustic, will add to the eclectic nature of our interiors, with mix-and-match furniture and multiple prints still going strong. Buying only that which you really love will help ensure you hit the right notes by creating a look that’s unique to you.”

Rim Hamburgh, The National

Trend spotting is a huge business for any design industry. Being able to forecast what will be “IN ” helps fashion, fabric, furniture, accessory, jewelry and technology designers create their palette and motifs from one season to the next. Click here to read about trends from 2014 to see what changed and what remained “on trend” for 2015.

Design preferences are incredibly subjective. As consumers are becoming more savvy and exposed to global influences which is making tastes becoming more individual and unique. They want their interiors and fashion to reflect their personalities and not look like everyone else. Customization and versatility have become very important to the consumer….rugs and wallpaper that also function as works of art, items collected from travels becoming decorative accessories for the home, and being a part of the design process in creating everything from furniture to tile.

As I reviewed the thousands of images I took last year, these still caught my eye as “trends” I would love to see  continue. They celebrate the creativity of the artist/craftsman as well as offer endless opportunities for customization to make each work truly unique.

CATHERINE M. AUSTIN INTERIOR DESIGN

 Wallpaper As Art

Several artists such as Lindsay Cowles, Amanda Talley and Hunt Slonem have turned their works of art into bespoke wallpaper collections. This paper is by Flat Vernacular, the Brooklyn-based design duo Payton Cosell Turner and Brain Kaspr. Their works are playful, original, hand drawn and hand printed.

Mother Nature

Slabs of petrified wood, agate, quartz and other minerals reveal the intricate beauty of Mother Nature’s artistic hand.

Customized Tiles

The customization possibilities are endless with Mirth Studio’s hardwood floor tiles. The tiles can be used for floors,walls. ceilings,  tabletops and more.

Global Chic

Decorative tribal textiles and rugs provide a bohemian touch to any interior.

Painterly Rugs

Like the artisan wallpapers,several artists are turning their canvas into painterly rugs. This silk/wool abstract rug from Marc Phillips certainly makes a statement. The rug is a tribute to action painting characterized by being both naughty and smart, the same combination artist Juegen Dahlmanns likes in people.

And some more trusted trend-spotters share their 2015 predictions…

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL BY DAVID KEEPS

Mixed Metals

In London, designer Kelly Hoppen says mixing warm metals, such as copper and rose gold, with cool ones like silver is particularly hot right now. Los Angeles designer Jamie Bush agreed, saying he is no longer interested in matching every metal finish in a single room: “It’s too staged.” New York designer Thom Filicia suggested a “strategic, layered mix” of silvery, gold and black metals as a “riskier and more stylish” option. A great example: Arteriors’s Nolan Pendant, a brass-finished iron light with a dark bronze band.

Moody Indigo

Several designers are developing a case of the navy blues. Paris-based Stephanie Coutas said dark navy, as a counterpoint to white marble and mother of pearl, is a growing trend in luxury projects in the City of Light. Los Angeles designer Sasha Emerson hailed the color’s versatility: “It plays so well with other colors, such as pink, cream, gray, coral and sage.” Architect Barbara Bestor ’s tried-and-true: Benjamin Moore’s Old Navy mixed with a little black.

Painterly Rugs

Whether it looks like a Motherwell or a Monet, a rug “that is visually fluid with irregular patterns breaks the grid of rectangular rooms and furniture,” said Mr. Bush. (See examples from Marc Phillips’s collection here.) “They are true art pieces,” said Sydney designer Thomas Hamel, especially those rendered in silk “that shimmer and constantly change color.”

Smoky Glass

“Clear is so last year,” quipped Mr. May. Instead, Los Angeles designer Kelly Wearstler opts for smoked glass to “strike a tension between raw and refined, masculine and feminine.” That smokiness “adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to an otherwise typical material,” she said. For Mr. Harris, the effect, as seen in Sebastian Scherer’s Isom tables for Neo/Craft, “exudes a sultry 1970s vibe that reminds me of an intimate club that serves really good Manhattans.”

Graphic Tiles

Thanks to the allure of indoor/outdoor living, colorful concrete tiles (such as these from Amethyst Artisan shown here) continue to move from commercial to home spaces, said Los Angeles designer David John Dick : “It’s a perfect combination of graphic design and interior design.” Sam Allen, a Connecticut designer, views them as a sneaky image-booster. “These unusual ethnic tiles give the appearance that you are well-traveled,” he said

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL BY SCOTT MEACHUM WOOD

Color

Almost every new textile collection and furniture debut seems to be awash in a much more saturated hue than we saw in the early 2010s. I know there’s been a great deal of online fretting about Pantone’s “Marsala” trend, but I like to see that prediction as more about deeper hues and more vibrant colours! Look for deeper, darker colours – and more playful combinations of hues in interior design.

Details

I’m seeing that the pared-down, minimal rooms of the first part of the 2000s are going to start moving seriously “off trend.” Many of the spaces that I’ve been seeing have been layered with amazing trims and contrasting textiles more than the limited colour palates of the last few years. Keep an eye out for contrasting drapery linings and applied trimming for sofas and arm chairs.

Brass

Keep a sharp eye out for brass to become one of the major players when choosing finishes for lighting, drapery hardware, and kitchen/bath hardware.  We’ve suffered through a long drought of only polished or brushed chrome/nickel for long enough. But, this “new” brass is also a decidedly “old” one – it’s not a highly lacquered brass of the late 1980s. This new option tends to be more of a worn, un-polished brass of the 1880s! Much less Brady Bunch and more Downton Abbey.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is still coming back strong – and I think the next year is going to provide even more options and expansions in the wallpaper market.  Look for more bold patterns (and those aforementioned saturated colours) on walls (and ceilings and doors!) in the next year. This image from Steven Sclaroff is a perfect example – maybe not for everyone … but, an inventive and bold use of a classic botanical wallpaper applied to walls, doors, and casings!

Technology

I think any list of trends would be greatly incomplete without at least a hearty nod to the future in technology.  The way our homes access and share information is changing almost faster than the marketplace can keep up with these days. Are we moving away from the traditional “media room” in the home – where are all sit and watch a movie together after dinner – to a more wifi-centric home – where we can all stream the latest online series right to our personal computers?  Personally, I’d love to hang on to the family gathered together and sharing entertainment as a group … but, I fear we may be moving away from this.

THE NATIONAL BY RIN HAMBURGH

Chasing the Rainbow

Colour is very definitely back. But as for which shades to choose, it’s a case of pretty much anything goes. They will be used in every imaginable combination – tone on tone, contrasting, natural, exotic – with non-traditional blends scoring the highest style points.

There are a few hero colours, notably blue. Especially popular are the darker shades like deep navy, indigo and inky blue, which make a good alternative to black, as well as ocean-inspired tones from aqua to teal, which contrast well with 2014’s copper metallics.

Speaking of which, the copper trend has given rise to Dulux’s colour of 2015, copper blush, a soft pinky orange shade with plenty of depth. Pantone’s colour of the year, marsala, is also from the warm side of the colour wheel. This earthy yet sophisticated shade of red brown is ideal for kitchens and dining rooms. Add it into your existing colour scheme with tableware, work-surface appliances and linens throughout the home. Try painting walls with Jotun’s Bordeaux, from the brand’s spring/summer 2014 collection.

The New Global Ethnic

Print is alive and well, with everything from paisley and plaid to kilim and ikat making an appearance on fabrics for 2015, often combined with a contemporary colour palette or used either oversized or in miniature to bring the look up to date.

Relaxed graphics, loose geometrics and blurred lines, all of which are coming across from the catwalk, are useful for softening a monochrome palette, while striking chevron prints continue to be popular in every room.

There’s a new wave of ethnic prints for this year, with a diverse heritage reflecting our increasingly global community. Strong graphics in muted palettes are particularly effective when combined with almost Nordic minimalism – lots of wood, raw metal, and whitewashed walls – creating a cool, sophisticated look.

Native American patterns will be particularly big in the next year, and can be layered up with sun-bleached wood, leather and animal hide, a desert colour palette and cultural motifs such as dreamcatchers and the American flag for a strong trend statement.

There’s also plenty of texture around; velvets, rustic weaves and even corduroy are all gaining popularity with designers, as well as details like appliqué and crewel, reflecting our interest in handicrafts and slow skills.

Big On Nature

Salvaged wood, stone and metal will be popular through 2015, while animal hide has been added into the designer’s toolbox of natural materials – not just for rugs, but also as upholstery and cushions.

But the biggest way to make a statement is using plants. Oversized interior landscaping reflects our love of nature, and if you have the budget, you could invest it in a “green wall” of floor-to-ceiling plants. If not, layer up pot plants into large groupings of varying heights and textures.

At the other end of the scale, the digital revolution continues to effect our home interiors. Photographic imagery looks set to get bigger, especially ­Instagram-style snapshots, printed onto everything from wall murals to cushions.

Finishing Touches

Although wallpaper continues to be popular, feature walls are out. Instead, zonal painting is the new way to add interest to vertical surfaces, using two or more block colours to distinguish whole walls or even segments.

Fibre art and other fabric, wool and mixed-media wall hangings have replaced the once popular metal “wall art” structures. Gain extra points by making your own, hanging it from a piece of driftwood and, naturally, uploading a picture to Pinterest.

Last but not least are the finishing touches, which we’ll be paying a lot more attention to this year. Drawer knobs and light switches will be chosen with as much care as bureaus and lamps, and kitchen fixtures are having their moment in the sun, with gold and other warm metals taking over from the regular stainless steel.

As we enter a new season, it’s exciting to look forward to the new ranges that will be hitting the shops. But even more exciting will be seeing how individuals interpret the colour, patterns, materials and items on offer, and discovering the unique looks they create.

Please contact the studio if you are interested in any of our design services. Let us make your design dreams a reality in 2015!

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