With so many ways to refresh your home, settling on a colour scheme and style can seem like a mystifying process. Three talented interior designers from McKenzie & Willis shed some light on the key interior themes coming through this year.

Colour

“There’s been a shift in the past couple of years to move away from pops of colour and jewel tones to quieter, more harmonious interiors,” says Hannah Newborn. “Things are a lot more pared-back. Emerald green has been replaced with olive green. Grey is gradually being phased out in favour of sandy, earth-based tones and calming neutrals.”

Louise Foote says, “Our climate is not hot enough for greys and cold whites. Warmer colours are coming in with murky mustards, browns and cinnamon. Fabrics are leaning into these more ochre based tones with a notable increase in soft pinks and skin tones.” Louise also notes that warm whites, creamy off-whites and warmer chocolate browns are popular, as are colour combinations of dark denim blues with brown and gold. Blues with greens are coming through with a greater variety of natural green shades, such as moss and avocado.

Texture

Anna Kouwenhoven Deavoll notes an increase in the volume of natural fibres on offer. “We encourage our customers to use these more natural products such as engineered timber flooring, wool and linen. In upholstery fabrics there’s a move away from shiny to natural matt looks with an organic feel.”

Hannah says, You might have a sofa with a neutral base colour, styled with cushions that have chunky open weaves, contrasting colours and finished with a gorgeous wool throw. Designs are more tactile than before; rather than plain patterns, they are layered and textural. Embroidery is coming through with a hand finished look and more traditional appliqué techniques. This is creating a more artisanal, handcrafted feel of yesteryear.” Hannah explains that these new textures are elegant, comfy and quietly three-dimensional.

Pattern

“We are seeing a real softening of geometric patterns into more fluid, curvaceous prints and textures, within our contemporary fabric ranges. Classic botanical designs will always be popular and we have loved seeing a hint of nostalgia coming through with some of our 'Arts and Crafts' favourites like the new William Morris 'Cornubia' collection from Ben Pentreath, as well as the 'Brentworth' collection by GP and J Baker. Both of these new releases have beautifully re-coloured patterns from their archives,” says Anna.

Hannah is excited about new manufacturing techniques in textiles. “Designs are more tactile than before; rather than flat-printed patterns.”

Sustainability

There is an increasing volume of beautiful, recycled textiles coming through. “More fabrics from our key suppliers are now made from fashion industry waste- which is exciting,”says Anna. “The textile industry is ever evolving and it is wonderful to see these more sustainable practices being adopted. We are now able to offer gorgeous fabrics that have been produced in an eco-friendly manner with an affordable price tag.”

Advice

Clients can often be wary of trying new paint colours and wallpapers. This is the easiest and most economical way you can refresh a space and does not need to be daunting.

Louise recommends wrapping paint colour around two walls rather than a single feature wall. “Recently, my clients painted their walls in Resene Wombat, which is a big change to what they had used in the past. Although initially hesitant, they now love the colour so much the have used it in another room.”

Anna says, “It can help to take your time to select furnishings. Slow things down and get us on board to help with the overall vision. Ideally work in stages. We start with the main items of furniture that function well for the client. Then, work on the colours, textures and finally all the finishing touches such as window furnishings and accessories.”

“Furniture needs to be the right scale for the room,” says Louise. “when the proportions of the space are balanced you immediately get an inviting atmosphere that people want to spend time in.”

Hannah’s advice is to choose items that are made with the long term in mind rather than a passing trend. It’s all about things that bring you comfort and joy.

“When we visit you in your home, we chat about your lifestyle, the bones of your house and what is important to you and your household,” adds Anna.

“It’s a very personal process, and we enjoy helping people to create beautiful and functional spaces they truly love.”

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