George at Asda Homeware Designer and company Guru, Natalie Ratcliffe, looks ahead to forecast what our homes will be accessorised with in 2018 and what the next nostalgia trip will be after the success of the unicorn
“Home design continues to evolve and is increasingly shaped by social, economic and cultural trends, something that is apparent in each of our six core interior stories for 2018. There’s something to appeal to each generation and we’ve even identified the next big youth trend that will be following on from the ever popular unicorn.”
BOTANIC BOHEMIA
Blurring the boundaries of in-door living and the natural environment, this trend brings the outside in, reflecting a cultural impulse to shun technology and get back to nature. Botanic Bohemia isn’t just an aesthetic, but also a responsibility with sustainability and awareness of the environment being at its heart. Think natural un-finished materials like wood, stone, chunky wool knits and linens. This colour palette channels mother earth with tones of green, brown and purple, whilst print inspiration is taken from nature with floral, leaves, woodland and even mushroom prints taking centre stage. This trend is already evident in property developments and the rise of rooftop gardens, living walls and indoor trees and parks exhibiting this shift in our interiors conscious.
HOME HAVEN
Our mental wellbeing has come the forefront of the public sphere this year with an increase in home and work lives merging thanks to advancements in tech and being more connected than ever before. As a result there has been a need for personal retreats in the home that offer a place of cool, calm sanctuary from the stresses of our everyday lives – perfect for reading, nesting and thinking. This trend embodies minimalism with soft considered design that doesn’t distract, taking its inspiration from modern libraries. This is a build on the Scandi trend of Hygge that’s been prominent throughout 2017 with marble, blond wood, concrete and copper being the materials of choice and a muted colour palette of greys, blues and whites. This is simple, considered and curated design with every item in the room having a purpose.
COSMIC RETRO
Cosmic Retro is the unicorn of 2018 with its juxtaposition of space age and retro, think disco balls, iridescent metals, astrology and sequins, this trend provides new nostalgia. With space tourism something we could see in this lifetime and advances in tech, our interest in space, the galaxy and the stars has been renewed and this trend fully embodies a dreamlike wonderment. The colour scheme is taken straight from the skies with black, the entire spectrum of purple and silver being the palette for the entire trend. Coloured marble, crystals, iridescent acrylic and high shine metallic metals are prominent whilst prints are inspired by horoscopes, the constellations and astronauts. For 90s kids, it’s a revival of their childhood, for Generation Z it’s the newest in a line of social media friendly interiors, sure to be a hit on Instagram.
CULTURE CLASH
Motivated by a growing desire amongst Millennials to lead a more nomadic lifestyle, travel the world and explore new cultures, this trend brings to the forefront design from around the globe in an interiors melting pot. Taking note from Botanic Bohemia, there’s a rejection of tech and the aesthetic is an eclectic mix of materials, prints and objects that hold meaning or have a story behind their arrival in the home. Think natural rich colours, deep earthy browns and reds, copper tones and plush greens whilst fabrics range from woven fibres, canvas, fur and leather to dark woods and copper. This trend doesn’t take itself too seriously either; with kitschy animal ceramics, painted characters and pom-pom and tassels galore. Think fun, cultural and eclectic.
OPU-LUXE
Opu-luxe is a merging of 2017’s luxe trend with the new story of opulence which draws heavily from Oriental and ‘Japanism’ that’s popularity has been bubbling up under the surface throughout the last year. The colour scheme is deep and sumptuous with jewel tones providing relief from the darkest of blues, greens and blacks that are a fundamental part of this trend. Out of all the trends for 2018, print is the most prominent here with decadent florals and detailed butterfly’s taking centre stage whilst rich velvets, heavy embellishment, peacock feathers and lacquered black finishes are the supporting accents. Beautiful Japanese patterns, techniques and finishes are set to filter into our homes this year.
URBAN REVIVAL
Urban Revival is a build on the industrial trend that saw concrete become one of our favourite finishes in 2017. Inspiration is now moving and adapting to to a more urban take on this. Think shipping containers refurbished for offices, chipboard (a temporary material) now being used to make furniture and graffiti becoming a commissioned form of art in hotels and offices. This trend is not exclusive to, but is more widely expected to occur in cities where the inspiration is drawn from those streets and reflected in the indoor spaces. The materials are the key to embodying this trend and include steel, recycled plastic, chipboard and performance textiles whilst the colour scheme is bright pops of neon colour. There’s a real 80s spirit to this, think the Fresh Prince meets Pacman.