Our homes in the winter months should of course be cosy, snug and a place to welcome family and friends, but just like fashion, interior and décor trends change from season to season. I have taken a look at the interiors trends for this Winter and asked local York interior designers and shops to guide us on how we can enjoy our homes this year and be on trend.
One of my favourite trends is Statement Shapes – curvaceous sofas and chairs and super scaled lighting. Look at these gorgeous soft shapes used in this project furnished by The French House with showrooms in York and London are one of the largest suppliers of French Antiques in the UK. They are a favourite to interior designers as they can renovate, restore and reupholster to match their schemes whilst adding antique and retro charm.
Kathryn who runs the York branch says ‘The surprise factor when incorporating antiques into a scheme is how a pop of colour and the use of textures can transform something from a different age into a contemporary “cutting edge of design” piece. It is always exciting working with our team of craftsmen to realise and tailor a customer’s vision!’
Another trend that is hanging around is mixing timeless classics with trendy accents. It is an easy way to have inject fashionable pieces without changing your whole style. This is not a new way to decorate your home and if your natural style is classical, then it can also be a fun way to experiment and to add character. Browsing vintage and antique shops, fairs, even carboots can be great fun too, finding a one-off piece or just something elegant like a mirror which not only adds light and enhances a space, can be beautiful to look at! Upside Down Design on Bootham have a beautiful design studio and shop full of interior and homewares, many with vintage influences like these 1970’s inspired vases.
This season the latest colours to hit interiors are peacock blues, deep rouge, berry tones, ochre, pretty vintage pinks and dark luxurious greens. There’s also a 70’s vibe with an earthy palette, contrasting with rich hues. Deep reds and berry tones have comforting affects, they also enrich and energise a space. I love these original 1950’s chairs from The French House upholstered in this deep berry velvet, or this stunning peacock blue velvet armchair from Interiors at Nine to Eleven in Malton, both perfect for extra seating this Christmas. You can also simply add colorful candles like these from Upside Down Design.
Winter interiors are craving a brave and bold new look in the form of maximalism. Maximalism is everything minimalism is not, forget the less is more and embrace more is more! After years of scaling back to achieve the minimalist trend, we have the go ahead for an eclectic look full of personality with rich colours and beautifully lavish and luxurious fabrics, velvet and silks being the most popular and if you are feeling wild add some leopard print!
Look no further for inspiration on this trend than Ella De Wastney on Gillygate who said ‘When I visited Maison et Objet at Paris last month there was a lot of sofas and chairs in boucle with brass contemporary legs a trend we see on the catwalk for Autumn/Winter boucle jackets with brass coloured buttons. This is not a serious trend, there are no rules. I always add a sense of fun and mischief ensuring this is a space you will want to spend time in.”
This trend will not be for everyone, but it is easy to add personality to an existing scheme with new lampshades made up in beautiful bold fabrics or colour, new statement cushion covers, a large ornate mirror or a piece of artwork or even vases of every colour full of flowers.
We can’t talk about Winter interior trends without thinking ahead to Christmas! We tend to roll out the same decorations year after year, but just like interiors, decoration trends change too. This Christmas we will be seeing lots of the colours and trends aforementioned, it’s a fun way to add some glamour to your home this Christmas.
Christmas baubles play an important part making a tree look spectacular. These glamourous baubles are available from Interiors at Nine to Eleven in Malton who have a large selection of decorations and home accessories in their showroom in the town square as well as fabrics and furniture to tempt. Owner Sarah is passionate about interiors and loves experimenting with colour and encouraging clients to do the same, Sarah’s moto is ‘be bold, brave and live life in colour’! My favourites are these leopard print and jungle tropical vibe baubles.
Imagine one of these gorgeous advent wreaths (£32.95 from Lola Pearl Vintage) with these pink candles (49p each from Upside Down Design) against Brompton Road Green by Mylands (also available at Upside Down Design) STUNNING!!
Business Owner at Upside Down Design and Interior Designer Carole Whitby says ‘It is essential that we stay ahead of the curve in our understanding of trends. That said, our first priority is to understand the needs of our clients. If someone loves pink, we will incorporate pink into the scheme whether it is on trend or not as we are creating homes that hug you as you walk through the door, not show homes that need broad appeal. This connection of colour and trend to the base needs of the client ensures a space that will be lived in and loved for many years.’
