NEW YEAR INTERIORS fabric of our Ferdinand chair, and Jane Churchill’s embroidered, metallic-toned fabrics also make eye-catching accessories, too.”
TACTILE AND TEXTURAL
Just changing the fabric on a chair or an ottoman to add contrast and texture will give a new ‘feel’ to your room, according to Melanie Eyles, co-owner of The Curtain Exchange on Widcombe Parade, Bath. “Think beautiful armchairs covered in natural linen but softened with velvet cushions,” she says. “New trends are all about combining texture with colour to create a space that is tactile and inviting. When creating your perfect space, spend enough time working out how you want your finished room or house to look. Don’t rush out and buy every item that you love and hope that they will all fit in somehow. We lend out fabrics and curtains to try at home, and sometimes this is enough to give people the confidence to go for a look that they may have been too cautious to have considered before.” “Texture will be much more apparent in 2017,” agrees Boniti’s Kayleigh Murphy. “So products like terracotta and aged flagstones should see an increase in popularity.”
LIVED-IN
Home is where the heart is, as they say, and there’s no need to follow trends; in fact, we should never be a slave to styles, according to Gallery Beautiful’s Sonya Rothwell. “A home should reflect one’s unique, personal taste,” she says. “When someone steps into our home for the first time it tells them a lot about us. I love to see eclectic interiors built up of memories – little stories everywhere you look.”
Above: mixing metallic and pastel accessories, such as these House Doctor vases from AtNo67 Concept Store in Corsham, is an affordable way to bring a fresh energy to the home; below: Zoffany’s Acantha wallpaper is the epitome of luxury and features a marbling effect within the damask pattern, available at Woodhouse & Law, Bath
“Don’t get rid of things you love just because they don’t go with a new scheme,” agrees Rossiters of Bath’s Kim Paterson. “Homes should reflect your history as well as your taste.” When updating a space, interior expert Catriona Archer aims to repurpose existing items to make the most of what the client has. “On a recent project, a client had a lampstand that she was thinking of throwing away,” she says. “Instead, we gave it a new lease of life by painting it vibrant emerald green. It became the showstopper piece.” Hawker Joinery’s Mitchell Thomas says that demand for space-saving cabinetry and visible displays have increased recently, and this is fuelled by a growing interest in collecting wellbound books, alongside the desire to display them. “The need is quite often only solved through bespoke joinery as people seek to fill the various nooks and crannies of their home in this manner,” he says.
BOLD AND PLAYFUL
Jamie Graham, managing director of Graham & Green on Walcot Street, Bath, says 2017 is all about colour. “Whether it’s metallic gold mixed with smooth white marble, mustard yellow velvets or vibrant pink accessories, introducing colour is the perfect way to breathe new life into your home in the new year,” he says. Perhaps the most prominent trend coming forward right now, as far as Woodhouse & Law’s director is concerned, is the wallpaper renaissance. “Everyone seems a bit bored of plain walls and people want more depth, texture and pattern,” says John Law. “People are wallpapering whole rooms in everything from playful patterns to textural finishes.” Strong grey is the new white as far as Shaker & May’s Julia Greenland is concerned, “Using a dark charcoal, you can create a striking look for the kitchen. The Shaker style kitchen looks elegant, with its simple clean lines and architectural structures; it’s truly timeless.” 52 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk