The 16 Smart Trends to Invest in Now

Unlike fashion trends, interior trends are slow-burners. They grow over several seasons, adapting and evolving as they go (sometimes ever-so-slightly), so it’s wise to choose things you’ll love long-term. In fact, you’re probably already tapping into these 16 trends we spotted during Clerkenwell Design Week – you just don’t know it yet.

Whether you’re in the market for new furniture, or want to give your home an update that'll feel current for a good few seasons to come, these are the trends worth knowing about:

Colour Directions

A step forward from the sugary pale pastels that have populated the design world of late, we saw a shift towards more grown-up dusky pinks and corals at furniture brands Tacchini, Mitlab and Fritz Hansen, plus earthy, muted shades of burgundy and burnt orange and a brighter nod to yellow at print mavericks Timorous Beasties. Our eye was also caught by the green spectrum, from mint to emerald and retro greens (think khaki and corduroy hues) at newly launched brand Out of the Valley and Curvalinea.

Bring it home: The quickest and most effective way of getting your space up to date is, of course, with paint! Pick out a few of the shades we've mentioned above and see how they might look in your home virtually with the Dulux Visualizer app.

Pattern & Style

We saw a globally-inspired approach to pattern and print across the board, most notably Aztec patterns at London-based interiors brand A Rum Fellow, with zig-zags, weaves and dying techniques making an appearance at Italian brand Moroso, too. Elsewhere, furniture with colourful details, from chair legs to table tops, added a colour pop to update simple shapes with an urban feel. A new era of luxe was signalled by the countless velvet upholstered pieces we saw, such as Danish furniture brand Gubi's elegant sofa. And the eternally chic Scandi aesthetic was still abundant in furniture and accessories, with a nod to retro modern style - Fritz Hansen, Gubi and Carl Hansen & Son lead the way with young Brit upstart Matt Pugh hot on their tales.

Bring it home: Adding a few accessories such as cushion and throws in vibrant Aztec-style patterns will bring any space bang up-to-date. If you're looking to upholster furniture, velvet would be our pick for a style-savvy material that'll wear beautifully with age.

Material Focus

Materials followed a natural influence, with raw woods, fine timbers and marble leading the way. CTO Lighting used marble for its luxe table lights, bringing out the beauty in the stone's rich vein, while new British brand Out of the Valley used a combination of different coloured timbers together in its designs. Both materials were celebrated for their irregularities and natural patina.

A sub-trend that we picked up on was the use of wire or metal framework in furniture and accessories, tying into the urban look. Homeware retailer SCP, Dare Studio and Modo all tapped into this look.

Bring it home: Marble accessories will bring a sophisticated and timeless elegance to your space. From faux marble bedding to slab-topped butchers blocks, check out our favourite marble finds in our Trending: Marble Decor article.