Pic:
House of Fraser
Do: Go for eco-interiors
If you can find furniture and home products that are made sustainably, from renewable sources, perhaps upcycled, recycled or simply pre-loved, it’s the way to go. The result? An eclectic, interesting home that’s always evolving.
Don’t: Buy plastic
Why would you if you could avoid it?
Pic:
Graham & Green
Do: Find eye-catching storage
Two things that are on trend for the year ahead: decorative storage and brass finishes – which makes a piece of furniture like this a real winner. You needn’t buy new, though – embracing upcycling and painting a piece of furniture in a warm metallic to give it a fashionable new lease of life is even cleverer.
Don’t: Use silver
Warm colors are where it’s at.
Pic:
Anthropologie
Do: Look for super-sized florals
Over-blown floral prints, fashionable back in the 1980s, are a big trend for the year ahead – so if you want to give your home a really up-to-date look, it’s time to embrace them (again). Choose yours in spring colors to keep the room feeling fresh, and add them in artwork, pillow covers and bedlinen.
Don’t: Put them on fixed covers
We love them, but they’re probably a fad… so make them easy to swap out.
Pic:
The Paint & Paper Library
Do: Choose material contrasts
Jewel tones, marble and eye-catching wood have all been hailed as hot looks for 2018 and beyond, so if you’re considering a major revamp, introduce them in the kitchen or bathroom. On a tight budget? Look for bowls, cutting boards or platters in wood or marble and paint cabinets in a rich shade of aubergine or plum.
Don’t: Go too sickly sweet with the color scheme
Keep the colors you choose grown-up and you’ll want to live with them for longer.
Pic: The Shutter Store
Do: Rethink window dressings
With comfort, homeliness and jewel tones big home trends for the year ahead, it’s time to revamp your windows so that your rooms are flooded with warm, enriching, welcoming light all year round. How? Shutters
are top of our home makeover list (obviously) because they not only act like double-glazing, allow you to control light and privacy levels, and offer tons of curb appeal, but because you can also have ours color-matched to suit your scheme. Choose spring colors, like yellow to cast a warm, bright light, or jewel tones for a moodier feel.
Don’t: Assume it’s shutters or drapes
Shutters alone look streamlined and contemporary – but you can match them with curtains, too.
Pic:
Ikea
Do: Create a picture gallery
It’s one of the easiest and cleanest DIY interior design projects going – but its impact on a room can be massive. For best results, choose artwork with matching tones or a common theme, or choose random pieces, all framed in the same style. Plan the hanging pattern on the floor first so you get the combination and shape just right. And plan the mini gallery around or over a piece of furniture for a grounded look.
Don’t: Leave big gaps between pictures
A space of no more than a couple of inches between each frame will be best for a random group – spacing for a neat line of pictures can be wider.
Pic:
Carrera
Do: Use plants to merge indoors and out
Well-designed homes always include a room where boundaries between indoors and out are blurred. If you live in an apartment, this might be as simple as putting window boxes of foliage both inside and out, or framing a view of foliage outside with planting inside. In a house, glazed doors that look over a generously-planted back yard and well-placed houseplants indoors will do the trick.
Don’t: Leave dead, dying or failing plants on show
Consign them to your bedroom instead, where they can be nursed back to health.
Do: Pile on layers
In this rather uncertain world, a home that offers comfort is more important than ever, which is why throws and cushions in warm, inviting colors, and fabrics you want to reach out and touch or throw over yourself are a big trend for bedrooms, living spaces and dens in the coming years.
Don’t: Forget to layer the floor, too
A deep pile rug can transform an unwelcoming room in an instant.