Get ahead – on trend

on get trend. ahead… ➔

• Expect to see more textured furniture with barely a flat surface in sight. And a return to decorative joinery. Arches, too, are having a resurgence in popularity.

• The latest insights are showing a return of bricks in 2021.

• We will embrace the imperfections of authentic natural materials like wool, linen, rustic wood, grain and stone where we can feel character, as we move away from look-alike materials and sleek-looking man-made surfaces.

• Grandmillennial style, essentially about modern-day design coexisting with retro elements, brings chintz, micro florals, wicker, rattan and cane furniture, antiques, fringing and wallpaper back in vogue. We’ll love ceramics, tie-dye, quilting, knitting and macramé … all over again!

• Decor that promotes balance and wellness, acceptance and calm will see the rise of shimmering metallics, including copper, to rival black as an accent colour in the kitchen and bathroom; neutral colours and earth tones; natural materials; and simple chunky shapes. • Japandi style shows Japanese minimalism with a pared back

Scandi cool.

• Expect a return to ‘basicness’ of style but not involving mass manufacturing, but rather artisanmade, ethically-produced, imperfectlooking pieces that are robust and enduring.

• Expect exaggerations of scale and chunkiness of form.

• ’80s decor is back but more tastefully this time.

• Palettes will begin to reflect more warm earth-fired colours such as metal ores, russet shades, soft terracotta and browns, which can work well with bright, light-filled homes and predominantly white or neutral-hued interior walls.

• Yellow used the right way gives a cheerful cosiness - from sophisticated ochres and mustard to blonde and warm beige and bold yellow.

• Coloured marble is looking hot.

• Nail the new country look with natural materials and colours, textures, champagnecoloured cork, a repeated feature stone, frameless glass corner window seats, hues of soft grey, peach and snowy white. • We’ll see artwork in big gilt frames, propped up on kitchen benches or taking centre stage in a contemporary living room.

On trend subjects are forest landscapes, oil portraits and dark, moody still-lifes.

• Big pots and planters that look like they were handmade 100 years ago are in.

• Olive trees are the new fiddle leaf fig, for inside or on the patio.

• Mid-Century modernism is everywhere, and never goes out of style. • Burnt orange could turn out to be the ‘it’ accent colour for 2021, especially paired with tonal shades of terracotta and earthy pinks. • Pantone colour palettes for spring/ summer 2021 are SUMMER BOUQUET where pale hazy petals combine with exotic pinks and an herbal green to create a fresh summer palette that celebrates the positivity and happiness of colours from nature;

INTOXICATING where vibrant yellow, sweetly scented lavender, fragrant pink and a cool green combine to create a dynamic contrast with a crisp aqua, and a creamy white adds freshness; and POWER SURGE where a pair of empowering pinks enrich a palette of vibrant brights, infusing glamour to a story of vivid contrasts.