OUR LATEST ISSUE
Be hot on trend and embrace the past
Spring will bring hints of decades past to our homes.
Interior Designer Jamie Hempsall looks at the design trends shaping up for this season.
Ignoring the odd freak frost, the last couple of weeks have shown that Spring is just about upon us. As buds begin to develop, so the new fabric collections are starting to appear!
There are two significant trends for Spring, both of which evoke memories of past decades.
Without a doubt, the strongest move this season is towards floral themes, with a delicate retro hint, strongly evoking the feel of the thirties and fifties. That’s not entirely surprising as these decades were also quite austere times financially, with people looking forward to a release with soft colours and delicate fabrics.
Whilst summer fashion may be recreating the “Miss Marple” tea party look with heavily patterned fabrics and broad-rimmed hats, the interior take is a little more subtle. Fabrics look light and airy, the floral designs are large but unfussy, and have plenty of space between to allow the lighter backgrounds to show through (think art student, rather than maiden aunt!). See the Chateaux range by Prestigious Textiles (£17.50/m – www.prestigious.co.uk; 01274 688448).
Strong colours are in evidence everywhere with deep blues, burnt oranges and hot fuscia pinks on simple linen and cream backgrounds: look for Fontette from the Pompadour Collection by Osborne & Little (£65/m - www.osborneandlittle.com; 020 8812 3000) or their Lorca - Tanjore range inspired by India (from £115/m, details as before).
However, you can also find more ethereal greens and blues on some of the lighter feeling fabrics, beautiful when catching a spring breeze through the French windows into your garden!
There is strong evidence of the ongoing trend for a natural feel for fabrics, with large use of linen and silk. If this is your ideal then think about Clarinda Crocus or the Whitewell Florals from Designers Guild (£45 & £69/m – www.designersguild.com; 020 7893 7400).
If you like the idea of a floral fabric, but are worried that the look could be overly feminine or twee, then help is at hand. A simple way to tone down the effect of a floral fabric is to team them in curtains and cushions with strong blocks of contrasting colour (such as a simple silk or cotton border or heading). Not only is this a simple solution, it is also cost effective, allowing you to use a cheaper plain fabric to bulk out your design.
An even more contemporary solution is to combine florals with a striped fabric. Although this sounds like a design nightmare, the overall effect is extremely dramatic: provided there is a strong link between the two fabrics in both colour and design.
This season several fabric houses have introduced collections that include florals and stripes so that you can be certain of a happy combination. One of the best examples is the Honolulu range from Prestigious Textiles (from £11.00/m – details as before).
The other trend in evidence this spring is for strong structural and textured fabrics featuring geometrical patterns which burst out of natural backgrounds. The looks build on trends seen in the age of deco, but are not quite as harsh.
The Freedome Collection from Prestigious Textiles, includes the wonderful “Galaxy” fabric with undulating, crinkled columns which positively invite you to stroke them (£27.80/m). For a more classic take on this trend, consider the Du Barry Velvets from Osborne & Little feature stripes and curls of acid coloured velvets, complemented by a linen background (£79.00/m). Alternatively, look at the highly structured designs from Designers Guild such as Lytton from their Maitland collection (£75/m) or the more organic “skin” inspired Nabucco range from their Monteverdi range (£95/m) in outrageous turquoises and light pinks – the perfect foil for structure and order.
Jamie Hempsall, a BIDA member, undertakes interior design commissions throughout the UK. See more of his work at www.jamiehempsall.com or contact him on 01777 248463.
