Interior Design
5 Emerging Interior Trends From Decor + Design 2019
Australia's number one interiors trade show revealed the decor trends coming to your home soon
The region’s best homewares, furniture and design minds gathered at Decor + Design in Melbourne, Victoria, from 18 to 21 July, to reveal the direction of our homes’ decor. We previewed the coming years’ colour and materials palettes, shapes and design directions, as well as manufacturing innovations. Read on to see what you can expect and why, with insights from Victoria Redshaw of trend-forecasting company, Scarlet Opus.
Image by Erika Maccarinelli
Three notable things to watch out for as recycling and innovation grow…
Three notable things to watch out for as recycling and innovation grow…
- The colour of recycled goods is determined by the waste products used in the process. Blue is one of the most common colours to emerge from the recycling process, so expect to see more variations of blue palettes in future years.
- As with the SMarT tables, the final product depends on the supply, then composition, of recyclable materials; therefore uniformity is out the window and ‘sustainable bespoke’ is in.
- Our love affair with matt finishes may start to wane. Instead, expect to see homewares embracing a luminosity drawn from the use of recycled materials such as bio-glass, the re-use of ocean plastics, and grown materials such as algae.
Logan Dresser from Satara Australia; image by Erika Maccarinelli
2. Charred timber or shou sugi ban drawn from a Japanese aesthetic
Shou sugi ban is a Japanese technique used to preserve timber where the surface is charred with a bare flame then treated with an oil rub.
Black is still big, from architectural cladding to kitchen joinery and furniture, but in future it will be rendered with a handmade aspect.
Satara Australia’s Logan Dresser has a charred appearance similar to shou sugi ban. Nothing is – or should be – immune from being made sustainably and with ethical manufacturing. The Logan Dresser is make of reclaimed teak with a charcoal finish.
Japanordic: An International Love Affair
2. Charred timber or shou sugi ban drawn from a Japanese aesthetic
Shou sugi ban is a Japanese technique used to preserve timber where the surface is charred with a bare flame then treated with an oil rub.
Black is still big, from architectural cladding to kitchen joinery and furniture, but in future it will be rendered with a handmade aspect.
Satara Australia’s Logan Dresser has a charred appearance similar to shou sugi ban. Nothing is – or should be – immune from being made sustainably and with ethical manufacturing. The Logan Dresser is make of reclaimed teak with a charcoal finish.
Japanordic: An International Love Affair
Black and fan shapes were evident in GlobeWest’s Avery Palm screen
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7 Ways Sustainability is Changing Danish Design
Candle Kiosk candles; image by Erika Maccarinelli
This handmade, black aesthetic is trickling down to smaller homewares such as candles. Candle Kiosk’s black candles shown at the trade fair have a mottled appearance, their texture a natural effect of the cold-pour process. And, as such, every candle reflects the ‘sustainable bespoke’ ethos.
Authenticity and quality will be of increasing importance as we seek to turn away from cheap, disposable goods. The 100 percent cotton wicks used in these candles are knitted in Germany and remain upright, so they have a long burn time (the smallest candle in the range burns for 55 hours, the longest 190). Concern at the amount of plastics in our oceans led Candle Kiosk founder, Winnie van Donk, to design environmentally friendly recycled paper packaging, from the product box to the protective buffering.
Redshaw says this is an example of the movement towards ‘the art of living’ – to live avoiding distractions, trying for a measured, less busy lifestyle. “It’s about consideration of our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the natural world; serenity, balance and preservation,” she says.
“We will see this reflected in a greater use of honest materials that are natural, durable, sustainable and crafted to be sensitive to location.”
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This handmade, black aesthetic is trickling down to smaller homewares such as candles. Candle Kiosk’s black candles shown at the trade fair have a mottled appearance, their texture a natural effect of the cold-pour process. And, as such, every candle reflects the ‘sustainable bespoke’ ethos.
Authenticity and quality will be of increasing importance as we seek to turn away from cheap, disposable goods. The 100 percent cotton wicks used in these candles are knitted in Germany and remain upright, so they have a long burn time (the smallest candle in the range burns for 55 hours, the longest 190). Concern at the amount of plastics in our oceans led Candle Kiosk founder, Winnie van Donk, to design environmentally friendly recycled paper packaging, from the product box to the protective buffering.
Redshaw says this is an example of the movement towards ‘the art of living’ – to live avoiding distractions, trying for a measured, less busy lifestyle. “It’s about consideration of our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the natural world; serenity, balance and preservation,” she says.
“We will see this reflected in a greater use of honest materials that are natural, durable, sustainable and crafted to be sensitive to location.”
Is Veganism the Future of Decor?
By Living terrazzo-look pendants; image by Erika Maccarinelli
3. Terrazzo is still going strong, but chips and colours will become bigger and bolder
The terrazzo trend looks to be continuing its trajectory, influencing pattern design and bolstering a colour-chip aggregate aesthetic. Of the myriad examples at Decor + Design were these pendant lights from By Living. Constructed from Jesmonite – a composite combining a gypsum-based material in an eco resin – with a beech spindle, they are handmade to order in Melbourne.
3. Terrazzo is still going strong, but chips and colours will become bigger and bolder
The terrazzo trend looks to be continuing its trajectory, influencing pattern design and bolstering a colour-chip aggregate aesthetic. Of the myriad examples at Decor + Design were these pendant lights from By Living. Constructed from Jesmonite – a composite combining a gypsum-based material in an eco resin – with a beech spindle, they are handmade to order in Melbourne.
GlobeWest Paloma Luxe side table
Because the ’70s are making a comeback…
This GlobeWest side table speaks to how steadfast the terrazzo trend is. However, get ready for coming years where it will adapt further, with the chips becoming larger and colourways becoming bolder.
“This will be amplified as the ’70s and ’80s design vibe that has been a recent obsession of the fashion industry takes hold in the interiors sector – because although terrazzo is 500 years old, as a material it had a major revival and was widely used in the late ’70s and ’80s,” says Redshaw.
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Because the ’70s are making a comeback…
This GlobeWest side table speaks to how steadfast the terrazzo trend is. However, get ready for coming years where it will adapt further, with the chips becoming larger and colourways becoming bolder.
“This will be amplified as the ’70s and ’80s design vibe that has been a recent obsession of the fashion industry takes hold in the interiors sector – because although terrazzo is 500 years old, as a material it had a major revival and was widely used in the late ’70s and ’80s,” says Redshaw.
The Right Way to Bring Back ’80s Style
Akkaara’s Sculptured Pendant light and Entangled wall carpet; image by Erika Maccarinelli
4. Rustic and primitive ‘looks’ are out, authentically made products with a cleaner natural aesthetic are on their way in
There is a move away from rustic and tribal towards what Redshaw calls ‘modern/graphic craft’: a cleaner natural aesthetic. Most importantly, these products are made by artisans, often in cross-genre collaborations that are created with social equity concerns at their core.
An example is Akkaara, a Melbourne-based company whose tagline speaks of products that are ‘handcrafted to glorious imperfection’. Its unique Sculptured Pendant lamps feature hand-chiselled stonework.
4. Rustic and primitive ‘looks’ are out, authentically made products with a cleaner natural aesthetic are on their way in
There is a move away from rustic and tribal towards what Redshaw calls ‘modern/graphic craft’: a cleaner natural aesthetic. Most importantly, these products are made by artisans, often in cross-genre collaborations that are created with social equity concerns at their core.
An example is Akkaara, a Melbourne-based company whose tagline speaks of products that are ‘handcrafted to glorious imperfection’. Its unique Sculptured Pendant lamps feature hand-chiselled stonework.
The company’s Entangled collection features handwoven screw-pine coverings, where the leaves of the screw pine – which grows along the banks of rivers in Kerala, India – are dried, organically dyed, then woven together.
The manufacture of these coverings makes a profound difference to the artisans who make it. Hand-weaving screw pine is a significant cottage industry in India, and one that offers a source of income to women’s collectives.
Ethical Decorating: Do Up Your Home the Planet-Friendly Way
The manufacture of these coverings makes a profound difference to the artisans who make it. Hand-weaving screw pine is a significant cottage industry in India, and one that offers a source of income to women’s collectives.
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Tribe Home’s 100 percent Taimany rug collection is a case in point. These one-off handwoven vividly patterned rugs harness the modern craft aesthetic. They are made in the Herat region of West Afghanistan, the centre of traditional weaving by Beluch and Tajik housewives and manufactured under Tribe Home’s ‘Care and Fair’ initiative, which supports improving local infrastructure, welfare and livelihoods.
The weaving of these rugs offers these women an income beyond the control of men, and therefore usable for their children, their homes and themselves.
The weaving of these rugs offers these women an income beyond the control of men, and therefore usable for their children, their homes and themselves.
Satara Australia’s Roxy Folding Chair; image by Erika Maccarinelli
These are increasingly wrought in colours that communicate optimism…
Think terracotta, mustard, rich green and brass. Satara Australia’s Roxy Folding Chair is a prime example of how this trend is being interpreted for the Australian lifestyle. Using woven synthetic wicker in a teak frame, this chair embodies both the style and colours that are tipped to become popular.
These are increasingly wrought in colours that communicate optimism…
Think terracotta, mustard, rich green and brass. Satara Australia’s Roxy Folding Chair is a prime example of how this trend is being interpreted for the Australian lifestyle. Using woven synthetic wicker in a teak frame, this chair embodies both the style and colours that are tipped to become popular.
e360 Design ‘Butterfly Migration’ artwork by Jennifer Robson; image by Erika Maccarinelli
5. Fantastical imagery will provide the relief we seek
Jennifer Robson is an artist who lives and works in the rainforest in the Gold Coast hinterland in Queensland. Her work consists of digital prints on an aluminium panel with copper leaf. Images are left unvarnished, so will age and patinate with a touch of green over time.
Redshaw sees a growing trend towards images that show an imagined place of a fantastical nature. It comes, she says from a collective ‘eco guilt’ and wishful thinking. She expects to see more botanical, oceanic, and dark jungle imagery and inspiration in the future as part of this trend. One of the key colours here is dark jade. She also predicts the rise of a lucent, or luminous, purple from lilac to dark, across all rooms of the home.
Upcoming product shapes will extend to networked structures such as tangled plant life, fluid and floating designs, oscillations, seemingly swollen contours and fan-like shapes.
Your turn
Which of these trends are you getting excited about? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Need to know more about the current state of the industry? Don’t miss the latest AIA Awards: Alterations & Additions Winners
5. Fantastical imagery will provide the relief we seek
Jennifer Robson is an artist who lives and works in the rainforest in the Gold Coast hinterland in Queensland. Her work consists of digital prints on an aluminium panel with copper leaf. Images are left unvarnished, so will age and patinate with a touch of green over time.
Redshaw sees a growing trend towards images that show an imagined place of a fantastical nature. It comes, she says from a collective ‘eco guilt’ and wishful thinking. She expects to see more botanical, oceanic, and dark jungle imagery and inspiration in the future as part of this trend. One of the key colours here is dark jade. She also predicts the rise of a lucent, or luminous, purple from lilac to dark, across all rooms of the home.
Upcoming product shapes will extend to networked structures such as tangled plant life, fluid and floating designs, oscillations, seemingly swollen contours and fan-like shapes.
Your turn
Which of these trends are you getting excited about? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Need to know more about the current state of the industry? Don’t miss the latest AIA Awards: Alterations & Additions Winners
1. The use of waste materials
An increasing number of consumers are concerned about environmental damage and climate change, and this is emerging as a key influence in future interiors trends.
Few examples demonstrate this better than the inclusion of Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMarT) Microfactories at Decor + Design. SMarT is a University of New South Wales cross-discipline group from the faculties of science, engineering and the built environment. Its aim? To develop innovative environmental solutions for the world’s biggest waste challenges. One of its first projects is the creation of materials to be applied to decor.
Its attractive SMarT tables – which are moving into the commercialisation phase soon – are made of a blend of waste glass, single-use coffee cups, used coffee grounds and waste textiles, all sourced from waste aggregators, recyclers and community groups.
Attending interiors trade shows all around the world, Redshaw synthesises what she sees to identify global directions. She says the rise of post-consumer plastic, oyster shells and waste material from the food industry being used to make products is a trend she expects to increase in the coming years.
Find an interior designer or decorator near you for customised advice on working trends into your decor