Autumn trends

At the beginning of this year I explored decorating trends for 2010, predicting that painted effects and faux finishes would outdistance wallpaper in the popularity stakes and that turquoise would be the shade of the year.

With the advent of the autumn interiors shows and exhibitions it seems that these predictions were right on cue. With a ‘back to basics’ revival and an ever-growing awareness of environmental issues, it seems we are more than ready to experiment with different mediums to achieve individualistic results. Stencilled decorations, paint effects and faux finishes are all in tune with the current zeitgeist and, while wallpaper offers pattern and character, it is more permanent and expensive than paint.

Turquoise has made a big comeback as we adopt deep glowing hues and vibrant colour to offset gloomy economic forecasts. Varying the shade and intensity of turquoise produces petrol and jade colours which tend to be softer for winter schemes. Teamed with dark wood and flashes of ruby or glowing copper, these combinations are ideal for living spaces.

But winter 2010 is just as likely to witness a reintroduction of vintage and retro colours as we follow the reduce, reuse, recycle approach in our interiors. Whether you favour an unpretentious, natural style incorporating lots of polished wood, wool and linen or a reworked classic look with direct references to French and Gustavian decoration, you will be able to express your own aesthetic this year. Most of all, however, we are going to see an explosion in the popularity of the ‘shabby chic’ look as we adopt craftmade concepts, traditional folk art features and vintage design.

Winter 2010 promises to be an exciting time in the interiors world.

As published in At Home magazine, August 29 2010.