Five Interior Design Trends for Autumn
From purple to the new Art Deco, Emily Smoor unveils the hottest trends to add some stylish new-season touches to your home
Twice a year I have this insatiable urge to sort my house out: a purge of ignored piles, reorganization and endless trips to charity shops. The seasons of transition, spring and autumn, seem to instigate this need in me. They say that a change is as good as a holiday, and with the summer holidays now a distant memory, sometimes an interior re-shuffle can be just the refreshment you need. Here is my guide to this year’s autumn trends.
NEW ART DECO
While the Scandi trend for simple, light and sparing interiors has reigned supreme for the last decade, the new Art Deco has been stealthily creeping from the wings towards centre stage. Curved sofas, velvet and brass, intense colour and fringing are all symptoms of Art Deco fever.
FOLLOW THE CURVE
There is something incredibly glamorous about a curved sofa –it changes the dynamics of a room, welcoming you with open arms and diminishing harsh angles with alluring lines. Graham and Green have brought this look to the High Street with their fabulous ‘Tiffany’ sofa, available in a great range of fabrics, including stain-guarded velvet so you need not panic when you accidentally spill your Cinzano. Or you could try the Hetherington Pouffe by made.com which is a punchy little number. With its brass-clad base and velvety fabric, this curvy accent piece comes in three colours with a surprisingly low price tag. £99 at Made.com
FRINGE BENEFITS
Gosh, haven’t we come on? I love this brave new world of interiors that is embracing Maximalism, vibrant colours and frilly bits. I am from the ‘Measured Maximalist’ School, where I love eclecticism and colour but applied with care. I think it’s always wise to have the odd irreverent piece in a room, a micro dose of OTT -after all we mustn’t take ourselves too seriously. These fringed pouffes by Italian maestra, Lorenza Bozzoli, (above) are a perfect example. While I can imagine they would quickly resemble some sort of tangled, Rasta Minion in my house, thanks to the ever-respectful creatures who live there, they would no doubt be a source of joy and conversation as long as they survived.
Lighting is the perfect way to update a room with a single investment. The Rothschild and Bickers ‘Vintage Light’ (above) features free blown glass in jewel tones for a sultry take on granny chic. Fast forward a few decades to the gold plated ‘Wink’ pendant by Masquespacio (below), this achingly cool yet understated piece offers fresh perspective on Modernist shapes.
TIP!
Bullion fringe is widely available and a great way to update your furniture without breaking the bank. It can easily be applied at home with a glue gun and tacks –speak to your local upholsterer if you need a helping hand.
PURPLE -THE NEW MILLENIAL PINK?
I can’t quite believe that I am writing this but there is a new colour in town -and I think I like it. Yes, I am talking about purple! This shade has had a rough past -it just goes to show how the wrong brand ambassador can do lasting damage. Purple to me has long been associated with Changing Rooms circa 1998 and its over-ruffled star, Laurence Llewelyn Bowen. 20years (gasp) later and we are only just recovering. While I am not for a minute suggesting that you join Lawrence on the revolving bed and paint your walls Quality Street purple, we cannot tarnish all purples with the same brush. This much-maligned colour has a lot to offer; gentle mauves, fresh lilacs and soothing lavender work beautifully, especially in slubby linens, vintage velvets and soft wools.
CANE
The resurrection of this timeless material is one of my favourite trends of the last few years. Cane is a beautiful natural fibre derived from the rattan vine. These durable fibres are woven together in a lattice design to create strong but incredibly comfortable seats, headboards and delicate looking screens. What was once a very traditional material is now being re-imagined in contemporary designs. Gebrueder Thonet Vienna’s ‘Loie’ lounge chair and ‘Allegory’ desk (above), are a brilliant example of its new look. Ikea is also championing natural fibres and their Hjartelig rattan headboard is an excellent budget-friendly option to bring the look home.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a larger piece, why not take baby steps and embrace the ever-growing wave of rattan lighting? It produces a lovely soft light and adds that natural texture without breaking the bank.
A WORD TO THE WISE
I can’t pretend I don’t love seeing the emerging looks but we have to remember that the very definition of a trend is that it is transient. The ever-evolving nature of design is important; it keeps us designers energised and forces creativity and risk-taking. However, unless you fall head over heels in love (not lust!) with a trend, remember the rule –‘invest in timeless, accessorise with trends’. So while that lilac, 1930s fringed sofa might seem like a brilliant idea now, will you still be in love in 2020 -or just regretting a one night stand?
For more from interior designer and stylist Emily Smoor, see fantoush.com or follow her on Instagram @miss_fantoush for projects, diy tips and tutorials.