Trends are decided upon by all the design industries and are usually cyclical. Most Trends you see now usually would have been around many years ago in some other form. A trend seen on the runways of Paris will eventually be translated into a trend in the interior design industry. First at furniture and tile fairs, then translated and developed by all homewares stores before ending up in homes everywhere.

Some of the Key Trends to look out for 2018 are:

Colours and Textures

We’ve seen a really muted palette in terms of interior colours this past year. Neutrals and pastels have been high on everyone’s radars, especially with stores such as Kmart bringing out their home wares range in pastels. Next year we will see much bolder and vivid colours, such as mustard, burnt orange, fuchsia and deep blues in rich textures such as velvet.

Image details: Cottage Home in Sydney, Photography – Tara Pearce, Stylist - Jane Frosh

Materials

We all know that copper has been around for a fair few years now, and then last year and this year we saw an insurgence of brass and gold home wares and products in the design world. For 2018, silver and chrome will be making a bit of a comeback. Chrome in tapware has never quite gone out of style, but we will see it more in decorative pieces. You can expect to see silver in pairings with cooler colours such as greys, dark blues and purples. Also, pressed metal, pearly and translucent materials will be making their way into our homes next year.

Image Details: Native Trails

Nature

We’ve seen a lot more natural products come into the market this year, with most homeware stores offering some form of a jute rug or woven basket. This will continue strongly n 2018 and be more prominent as we continue to forge a bond between the outdoors and indoors. We have seen succulents in almost every home, but the move to more foliage heavy plants will be seen more with Fiddle-leaf fig trees, Bird of Paradise and ferns. These make great indoor plants, but if you worry about taking care of plants, then artificial plants can look just as good and achieve your desired look.

Image Details: Uniqwa Collections

Timber

For quite a few years we’ve seen natural coloured timbers, such as oak and materials like plywood, used a fair bit in design. Next year we’ll see a move towards much darker timbers used in kitchen and bathroom joinery, furniture and even in timber look tiles.

Image Details: Hans Verstuyft Architects, Beligium

Trends are only a forecast on what direction design might be taking, however you cannot look past the use of timeless colours, materials and textures. If you would like to design your home with current or upcoming trends, a key fact to remember is that trends are just that: a trend. They are not meant to last long. A good way of designing your home would be to choose timeless design elements and things you personally love in the permanent and expensive fixtures and fittings of your home such as your walls, floors, bench tops, bathtubs etc. Then, use on-trend designs for your homeware items that can always be changed at any point, such as pillows, artwork, vases etc.

Shilpa Mohan

Interior Designer

DDC Architecture + Interiors

Shilpa Mohan is an Interior Designer at ddc architecture + interiors in Sydney. She spends her time designing and styling commercial, residential, hospitality and public places around Australia. Shilpa’s curiosity for how a space transforms the way you think and feel was the reason she wanted to become an Interior Designer from a young age. She incorporates design with form and functionality when designing, because she believes a space should not only look beautiful, but should work effortlessly.