Interior Trends for 2016 and Beyond

With the New Year comes ambitious resolutions and a plethora of forecasts, predicting the hottest interior trends for room design and home décor. Of course, keeping up with the latest trends is part of my day-to-day, however my predictions for 2016 not only span the next season of interiors, but promise lasting style for the New Year and certainly beyond.

Apartment Living 

On the rise for some time now, apartment living in Australia is set to make its biggest impact yet. With a swathe of new apartment projects approved across the Eastern Capitals, apartment living and design will be sure to receive increasing recognition while promising a new urbanity. In Melbourne in particular, the number of new apartment projects has risen 72.3% since 2010. Both changing lifestyles and affordability are being credited as the major influencers for this significant rise in demand, and we’ll be sure to notice this effect in the aesthetic of interior design trends as the year moves forward. Practical furniture pieces with dual-functionality promise to cater to this trend, both saving on space and adding a design panache all their own.

Pantone's Pastels

Pastels have been making their comeback for sometime now, but with the Pantone Colour/s of the Year released, their popularity has them cemented into the trends of 2016. A blush hued rose-y pink and serene blue, aptly named serenity, sum up the movement toward soft interiors, devoid of harsh or demanding elements. Incorporating this trend within your interior for impact both now and in years to come is made simple with my furniture and homewares offing both on-trend luxury and enduring style.

Timeless Tufting 

You may think to yourself, “Max, tufting has been around forever”, and it certainly is a timeless design element, however I’d like to highlight the movement away from highly fabricated pieces in 2016, to those crafted by hand with the element of human touch. In today’s world of instantaneous gratification, the incorporation of time-honoured processes into furniture design and interiors is one that I am happy to see making a mark in the “trends” of 2016. Both tufted upholstery and hand applied nailhead trim emulate a sophisticated look with sympathy toward the aesthetics of yester-year, and you’ll find this within my selection of carefully curated furniture pieces both now and in new collections to come.

Black Interiors

A white interior will always have its place, yet a dramatic look I’m loving now, and expect to flourish this year, is black-on-black. Black details within an individual black piece, or a collection of black furniture and homewares within an interior promise a deluxe atmosphere. And for the brave, black walls only serve to create the perfect backdrop to contemporary and classic décor styles alike.

The Formal Dining Room

A resurgence in formal dining rooms not only pleases the interior buff within me, but the entertainer too; I love nothing more to host my loved ones in a splendid interior and it’s certainly a past time I treasure. Dinner parties, soirees, and general gatherings are made all the better in a luxurious dining room, spoiling your company both visually and palatably. My tip? Keep the look opulent with a deluxe materiality and soft lighting.

Bar Carts & Cabinets

Stylish hosting seems a hot interior trend of 2016 and one I expect to see continue. Bar carts and cabinets follow this theme with a nod toward old-world, high society influence, yet contemporary designs ensure the look remains both chic and stylish for the interiors of today. My love for hosting is rivalled only by my love for design, and in this case they meet in perfect harmony. 

Molten Metals

A trend for those who have difficulty making a commitment, mixing metals in furniture and interior design is a movement I’m happy to welcome. With the popularity of copper, bronze and brass on the rise, and old classics such as silver and gold still holding sway, the ability to mix these molten metallics in of-the-moment style allows me to indulge: it’s just too hard to pick one favourite! My Florence Coffee Table personifies my non-committal tendencies with bright silver and gold complementing one another to stunning effect, proving mixing metals is one interior trend to keep your eye on.

Marble Everything 

It seems almost pointless to highlight the popularity of marble over the past few seasons; it’s hard not to notice marble making an appearance in everything from furniture to homewares and everything between. Yet with such exquisite characteristics, marble in one trend certainly not set to slow down anytime soon. Black marble, white marble, even a marbled, veiny effect in rugs and antiqued mirror promise elegant allure to suit any interior.

Raw Textures

A natural material such as marble brings me to my next point; textures such as stone, raw timber and rattan offer tactile, carefree and enviable resort living at home and promise the on-going popularity of time-honoured styles such as Hamptons elegance and Plantation style, yet all with the allure of an artisan aesthetic. A timeless trend if there ever was one. 

2016 is the year of the Personal Touch. Individual touches within your interior go a long way in expressing personality, so be sure to share with me your own personal interior trends of 2016...