It seems the new year ushers in tons of predictions and best-of lists. This overwhelms many people with competing ideas in a crowded ideascape. What I’ve done is found the 10 most unique or meaningful 2018 design trends and have given you some practical ways to use them.
1. Floral Prints
The new year has brought in a twist on an old standard – the floral print. Don’t panic! These aren’t old lady prints from your Aunt Fran’s bedroom. Saturated with bold, high-contrast color and daring towards comically overscaled, there are ways to incorporate this trend for anyone’s comfort level. Dive all-in with wallcoverings or dip your toes with a pillow or two. This mural is especially beautiful and the pillow is very femme.
2. Circle Patterns
For the past two years people have been especially longing for a sense of coziness in their interiors (remember the 2016 design buzzword hygge). Now, ready to counter the gloom of 2017, we will see playful touches in interiors that bring joy. Cheery and cute, the circle is unpretentious and simple. This polka dot pillow would be just the right amount of whimsy for a family room. For the truly brave, I like the hexagonal penny tiles used in this circular pattern. It’s really unexpected!
3. Rich and Moody Palettes
For many years decorators and clients demanded light, bright, and open spaces. Cool-toned gray replaced the beiges popular in the early 2000’s and palettes have been almost entirely neutral. Now, I am seeing jewel tones sneak into accents like pillows and throws and the gray presently used is warmer – what we designers like to call greige. For those bold individuals, rooms can go much darker – giving a cozy and sumptuous feeling. Check out these gorgeous rooms. One has dark glossy walls and bright accents while the other has a ceiling in the same dark wall color. Wow!
4. Scallop Tiles
Swap out the ever-popular subway tile for a more dramatic fish scale tile. The cool thing about this tile is that it can be glamorous or playful! The trend to replace crisp, rectilinear lines for softer, rounded lines is in full-force with this fresh scallop. Fish scale tiles are becoming more accessible outside of the specialty and trade-only tile stores. For example, we found many nice options at Floor and Décor for 11.00 a square foot!
5. Bold Color Sofas
With painted accent walls going the way of the dodo bird, the boldly colored sofa is a great alternative to solve two design challenges: create a focal point and add some color to a room. While it is a big commitment to a color, a bold sofa screams design confidence and can make defining the space a breeze. Generously proportioned living rooms suffer from a lack of space definition – a colored sofa helps a large space feel cozier. Check out this hot pink sectional and these green pair of sofas.
6. Brass Accents
Warmer tones are finding their way into metal finishes, too. I loved how satin brass kitchen and bathroom hardware took hold last year, replacing brushed silvertones. Now, I’ve found manufacturers have the confidence to push this trend deeper into more permanent building products such as tile. My jaw dropped when I found this stunning mosaic at Floor and Décor. I’d really love to see this as an accent wall behind a vanity or featured like a tile ‘rug’ in an entry. Brass doesn’t always have to be ‘uptown’; look at the enticing interplay of concrete with brass in this bathroom.
7. Color in the Kitchen
We think white is a classic palette for kitchens, but since it has come to so dominate the field, we’ve seen all-white-kitchen fatigue set in. Now there is a push towards personalizing the ‘heart-of-the-home’. Painted cabinets in ocean-inspired hues like blue and green made a strong presence in 2017 and will continue to gain favor. For those that are a bit more conservative, we also see warm, medium value woods making a comeback. Warm woods will especially make a scene as islands or countertops, accenting gray or white painted cabinets. Gutsy folks can use blue cabinets for drama and sophistication while sage is being touted as the new neutral of 2018. We used sage subway tiles in this Farmhouse Kitchen Remodel Project in Chicago.
8. Matte Black Finishes
The interplay of varying textures and sheens will continue to define the aesthetic into 2018. I love the matte black finish for its ability to be used in contemporary, farmhouse, and coastal interiors alike. Try a matte black paint in a small powder room to make a bold statement. For just a touch of this trend try updating your cabinet hardware. Black metal can pair with almost any other color and metal in your space. Check out this matte black interior and these understated handles.
9. Tone-on-Tone
With a greater use of color in 2018, it can be easy to go overboard. One sure way to avoid color hyper-saturation while still embracing the trend is to limit the palette. A sophisticated and luxe use of color is tone-on-tone. I love how the blue furniture and blue drapery dissolve into the blue painted walls. Your colorful accents pop even more in a mostly monochromatic color scheme. I’ll boldly say that furniture pieces look more stately when painted the same color as the walls.
10. Velvet, Plush Fabrics
Coziness is the name of the game for 2018. Nothing says sumptuous comfort like velvet. In recent years we saw small accents of the material creep into interiors. Now, we are seeing velvet drapery with velvet sofas and velvet pillows! This takes the 2017 idea of maximalism and expresses it through texture.
Need Additional Design Help?
Can’t decide on whether these new trends will mean you need to remodel or redecorate? Leave a comment below and either myself or someone from the interior design team at Design Inside will help you out.
Found a new trend that you like but looking for ways to incorporate it with the rest of your project? We are here to help! We offer interior design services for those who need a little design help to those that need a lot of design assistance with designing and furnishing their home. If you don’t live in the Chicago or Milwaukee area, fear not! We offer online interior design services allowing us to help you with your design problems anywhere in the world.
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