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Trends: What’s in Store For 2016?
There have been some interesting interior trends in 2015; the rise of the ‘industrial’ look, metallics being used in unusual places, and a resurgence of geometric patterns. Whilst longer term kitchen trends, such as open plan living, are here to stay thanks to their rise in popularity, other trends come and go. So, as we go into 2016, we take a look at what interior trends will carry on, which will fade away, and what new trends will emerge.

WHERE DO INTERIOR TRENDS START?
When talking about kitchen trends, it’s useful to understand how they originate and filter through the home. Generally, colour, texture and pattern trends tend to begin in rooms like the living room or bedroom as these rooms are much easier to update and change with minimal expense and effort. A new bedspread, lightshades and curtains in a bedroom, for example, will completely transform the room. However when it comes to kitchens, many elements are costly and labour-intensive to change, so we tend to see trends filtering through this space in a slower, subtler way.
WHAT INTERIOR TRENDS FROM 2015 ARE WE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO SEE THROUGH 2016?
In terms of colour and design, grey has been the stand out colour of 2015 and we feel this is likely to continue; it’s a great neutral colour which has shades to suit both warm and cool palettes, so fits almost any colour scheme. Contemporary and industrial design trends also show no sign of letting up – both lending themselves well to current colour trends such as grey, and the bolder colours of geometric patterns. Alternatively, classically styled kitchen furniture will remain popular – the timelessness of classic styling, like shaker style cabinetry, makes it a popular choice regardless of fashion or trends. One big advantage of opting for wooden cabinetry in a classic style (such as Davonport) is that it enables you to keep the colour scheme up-to-date, as it can be repainted to fit with the latest colour trends.
Geometric patterns are likely to remain popular and grow in popularity through 2016. Their bold nature means that they have been slow to be adopted by many, but as more examples of geometric patterns being used in the home appear in the press and online, we expect this to have a snowball effect through next year.

Other interior trends which we see continuing in 2016 include upcycling and lighting. For example, a classic piece of furniture can be given a new lease of life and a contemporary feel with a new coat of paint. These make lovely accent pieces in living rooms and bedrooms. You can bring this into the kitchen or open plan space by repainting wooden dining chairs, or reupholstering seating in a contemporary coloured or textured fabric.
Interestingly, lighting has evolved to become a feature in itself; not just the fixture but the light it creates as well. For that reason statement pendant lights will most likely become even more popular in 2016.
WHAT NEW TRENDS ARE LIKELY TO EMERGE?
Metallics are likely to gain even more popularity. We expect to see bronze remaining popular, and to evolve with the addition of earthy metals such as copper. This ties in with the industrial trend continuing with an increased architectural and industrial feel is likely to be felt in both furniture and accessories alike. Supporting this we expect that darker colours combined with metals could be very popular in 2016.

Conversely, for those that want to keep things light, glass is a material that we feel will grow in popularity in the kitchen, incorporated through large glass vases and bowls as features.
In terms of patterns, we expect patterns with added texture is likely to become increasingly popular. This is an evolution of the strong patterns appearing in 2015 – many of which give a 3-dimensional feel. Textured wall coverings by companies such as Arte reinforce this, and add an extra dimension to a room. Infact wallpapers in general are evolving to be increasingly tactile, not least because companies have started experimenting with manufacturing them with new materials, such as bamboo, for example, which gives the paper a very tactile element.
Lastly, colour. In December Pantone released its colour trends for 2016 (as it does every year); Rose Quartz (a baby pink) and Serenity (a pastel blue). These colours lend themselves very well to ceramics; functional or ornamental crockery on open shelving would be the perfect way to subtly introduce these colours. They both also pair beautifully with grey, pastel blue in particular, so this is a scheme that we envisage seeing a fair bit of throughout the home in 2016.
SO HOW CAN INTERIOR TRENDS BE IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVELY IN THE KITCHEN?
With a lot of space taken up by appliances and cabinetry which can be challenging to change, it’s much easier to incorporate trends with smaller products. For example, we often see clients use accessories to bring colour and decor trends to their kitchen. As we touched upon earlier, ornaments, chairs or bar stools, utensils and even crockery are also good ways of incorporating trends without calling for a design overhaul.

Creating bespoke designs for people means that our designers get to experience trends that they might not necessarily choose for themselves. Designing for clients gives a special insight into other people’s style preferences and allows us to incorporate a wide variety of fashions and trends. It’s a very privileged and unique position to be in and provides a great amount of appreciation and understanding as to how trends can be integrated in a vast variety of ways.