Spotlight On... Interiors

The Inside Story

When the initial lockdown hit last March, the first thing that a lot of people did was to take a good, hard look at their home. With working from home becoming the norm for those who could, sprucing them up became one of the most popular - and rewarding - trends of the pandemic.

While baking banana bread has come and gone, updating old sofas with lovely throws, proudly plumping up new cushions, and adding a colourful rug here and there, along with eye-catching faux flowers and plants in statement vases and containers is ongoing, as PG&H discovered.

Above: New soft furnishings from Broste. Below: Part of the Mixed Metallics collection that’s new for Autumn/Winter from Gisela Graham. Below left: A matt black vibe from Candlelight.

We may all love summer and being outdoors, but there’s something rather comforting in getting our living space ready for Autumn/Winter - an innate ‘cosying up’ nesting instinct - that leads us to want to up the ante.

Coupled with people spending so much more time in their homes nowadays - not just working from home, but entertaining friends and family instead of going out to restaurants - there’s a strong desire to make them the best they can be. And, of course, the great thing about sprucing up interiors is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Investing in pieces such as throws, cushions, rugs, photo frames, mirrors, vases, faux flowers, planters and lighting all make a huge difference in giving interiors an updated, fresh new look and feel, and, best of all, they come at an affordable price.

As Candlelight’s Kate Winch, Ecommerce and marketing manager, says: “Every few years, a new trend emerges within the home décor industry that looks like it will take hold and stay awhile. Matt black is bringing a sophisticated finish to interiors - it’s chic, urbane and surprisingly versatile, sitting effectively alongside timber, metallic and natural materials and assimilating beautifully into both traditional and contemporary homes.”

Gisela Graham’s sales director Piers Croke points out that the new homebound conditions have encouraged creative thinking all round. “Retailers have been responding to clamouring, homebound consumers and

Top 5 Interior Trends

l Maximalism and opulence l Matt black l Richly coloured luxe cushions l Dried florals l Faux greenery

have been ordering and re-ordering interior products strongly from us. Plus, consumers have started to think about their home in new ways and become more ready to experiment. As wholesalers and designers we have started to be braver and follow our instincts rather than slavishly following ‘trends’, and our sales teams are thinking more independently too, taking our ranges and putting them together for their retail customers in new and original ways. Our 20 strong selling ranges, designed or curated by ourselves, span a spectrum ranging from ‘safe’ to ‘wild’, with the stylish Mixed Metallics collection comprising vases and ornaments complemented by our faux flowers and leaf ranges.”

On the soft furnishings front, Jayne Zalega, business development director - textiles, at Gallery Direct, highlights that rich colours on cushions are a key trend for Autumn/Winter, to include floral prints on velvet and luxurious, deep-coloured velvets with fringing. “The cushions are perfect for adding a warm, luxe look to rooms,” states Jayne. Adds the company’s accessories buyer Matt Baldock: “Greenery is big trend in accessories, and faux ‘dry look’ florals are also proving to be very popular. Currently this is a huge, growing trend, along with Christmas florals featuring seasonal berries and branches and a touch of sparkle.” Matt adds that the ‘orangery’ look is also trending, featuring wooden kitchenware and rustic ceramic pots and planters, combined with faux succulents, ferns, cacti and hanging plants. “Recent times have fostered even closer relationships between people and their homes,” concurs Hill Interiors’ managing director Julian Potter, “with an increased focus and budget for curating spaces that add to a general sense wellbeing, which has been the happy outcome of this shift. Our Autumn/Winter collection carries versatile furniture ranges finished with parquetry and hand-cast metal details, layering texture into interiors. Plus, a huge variety of complementary handcrafted accessories, rugs and wall art make pulling together Pinterest-worthy looks easy for customers.”

Julian adds that customers are continuing to show a huge appreciation for natural textures - stoneware and dried florals in particular - and handcrafted details. “Several of our collections pick up on this trend, delivering a subtle cosiness befitting the season, featuring unique and tactile finishes. Plus, there’s a brand new dried flower range from our floral brand The Recipe, adding to the collection of artificial flowers, foliage and plants.”

David Lorimer, UK distributor for Austrian textile company Fussenegger, adds: “Having spent most of the past 18 months at home due to the pandemic, people have been able to take stock to see what they love and don’t love about their homes. Minimalism is certainly taking a back seat now and maximalism and opulence is taking over.”

He says that there is a huge demand for a warmer, richer colour palette. “Think of old stately homes but on a smaller scale,” he suggests. “Rustic styles are taking a warmer, cottage feel, rather than a pared back look, and with prints and pattern galore, David Fussenegger taps into all these trends. People can furnish their interiors with different looks, such as a velvet range that includes a gorgeous roses blanket for a country house feel, while for the minimalist homeowner who wants to warm up their home, the company’s abstract range brings in colour and texture yet still gives a more minimalist look.”

As for little ones, he says that having spent more time with kids and pets over the past 18 months, there is a need to make sure they are catered for in their own space. “The company has a great selection of children’s and pet blankets and accessories which will fit nicely into home interiors creating a cohesive look.”

As the days get shorter and the nights longer, clearly it’s time to light a scented candle and cosy up at home.

Left: Luxe cushions in rich colours from Gallery Direct. Below right: Sumptuous Savona rose throws from David Fussenegger. Below middle: The Farrah Furniture Collection from Hill Interiors. Bottom: A set of three pineapple mirrors from Bombay Duck.