NEW YEAR INTERIORS When it comes to more dramatic changes, kitchen extensions are going to be what everyone is talking about this year, reckons Matt Prall, managing director at Frome-based bespoke kitchen design business Papilio. “As the economic confusion continues, we believe home owners will be looking to add large improvements to their residence rather than going through the hassle of moving” he says. “The kitchen is the hub of the home and will therefore see the most action.” Julia Greenland, design and showroom manager of Frome-based kitchen company Shaker & May adds, “If you want to go further, why not opt for a total redesign? Perhaps you could knock through into an adjacent dining room or have an extension built to give you a large open-plan kitchen-diner that’s ideal for modern family living.”
NATURE AND ANIMALS
Keep your eyes peeled for minimalistic natureinspired pieces in January, animal illustrations being at the forefront, including representations of owls, flamingos and other birds. Nicky Boulton and Sue Neville’s Bath business, Temple & Ivy, is a luxury lighting brand specialising in a striking range of African bird-leg lamps. Combining traditional sculpting with the flamboyance of the natural world, these made-to-order designs are statement pieces for creating unique interiors. “The rising trend for bringing the outside in inspires us,” says Nicky. “We’re driven mainly by wildlife programmes, modern materials and oldfashioned techniques.” According to interior stylist Catriona Archer who runs her eponymous business in Bath, colours found in nature will be key for 2017. “Emerald greens and confident blues will burst through,” she says. “These will be softened with pale mint, plaster pinks, pewter and antique glass or accented with botanical prints.” “There’ll be a fresh take on fir green, splashes
Interior designer Catriona Archer suggests South Bank paint by Fired Earth to complement this season’s botanical trend
THE RISING TREND FOR BRINGING THE
OUTSIDE
IN INSPIRES US. WE’RE
DRIVEN BY WILDLIFE PROGRAMMES, MODERN MATERIALS AND OLDFASHIONED TECHNIQUES
With its Jacana feet, The Shella lamp from Bath’s Temple & Ivy brings a touch of Africa to the home 50 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
of pale blue and botanicals in design,” agrees Martha Piotrowska, owner of AtNo67 Concept Store in Corsham. “We’ll also see an abundance of terracotta, hexagonal shapes, brass, and world maps for walls.” Even workspace styles are becoming more environmental, as SRA’s Emily Giles explains, “Whether they be within the commercial or home environment, office trends are veering towards bringing the outside in, with the introduction of green walls [walls partially or completely covered with greenery], textured materials, and polished chrome. Our focus is on comfortable, inspirational, flexible workspaces which are welcoming and conducive to wellbeing.”
INDUSTRIALISED METALLICS
Industrial styling is big news for the new year, especially in bathrooms, according to Kim Marcer, who co-owns Ripples on London Road, Bath. “For those of us that are magpies, metallics continue to reign in 2017; gold finishes are in huge demand and it’s not just seasonal,” she says. “Invest in some beautiful metallic pieces for your bathroom and you can trust they will never go out of fashion. We have a beautiful new collection at Ripples called Coco which our customers are going crazy for, think monochrome colours, metal legs and crisp white basins.” Coppers and rose golds were the hottest metals for 2016, but there’s now a move towards brass – especially the antiqued variety – reckons Papilio’s Matt Prall. “Reflective surfaces create a lighter room and a sense of opulence,” he says. Kim Paterson, head of interiors at Rossiters of Bath on Broad Street, adds, “When mixed with deep blues, metallic tones will lift the look and give it warmth. A great example is the signature w