Interior products make our lives easier while looking good
As we head towards autumn and winter, furniture brands, paint suppliers and trend forecasters are predicting the looks and palettes that will be adorning our homes in winter and next year.
As we head towards autumn and winter, furniture brands, paint suppliers and trend forecasters are predicting the looks and palettes that will be adorning our homes in winter and next year.
The interiors world moves in a different way to that of fashion – our furniture and our spaces are designed to last years rather than months, so they need to be more timeless than clothing. Having said that, fashion does have an influence on the design industry, and this clearly comes through in colour and texture.
Leading fashion trend forecaster Trend Council, presenting a report for WeConnectFashion, predicts plenty of mint through to jungle and emerald greens, along with various purple tones: orchid, African violet and paler, floral hues such as wisteria. These are reflected in Pantone’s colour palettes for 2015, which include Vineyard Green, Sea Spray, Misty Jade and Kelly Green, plus Violet Quartz, Winsome Orchid and Hyacinth.
Shades from fashion’s AW14/15 catwalks are also finding their way into our homes, with pumpkin tones, mustard yellows and burgundy reds a great choice for a look that’s warm and rich. Biscuit and Champagne hues and steely greys were also popular on the runways, and these make for ideal base tones if you are looking to repaint walls or bring new carpeting in for your floors.
At Danish home and lifestyle store BoConcept, greys made an appearance in 2014 and they will continue to do so in 2015, when they will be combined with a palette of different shades of blue. “Under this year’s collection headline ‘It’s a Concept’, we celebrate individuality by offering multiple options in a completely coordinated collection,” says Søren Barslund, store manager at BoConcept Hong Kong. “That’s why we’re introducing more blue this year; it enables you to mix and match with delicate grey or with shiny metallic colours. Additionally, blue will lighten the whole look and make it more elegant.”
For those looking to bring coming trends into their homes in simple ways that don’t involve resurfacing floors or painting walls, cushions and throws in 2015’s favoured colours are a simple solution. Cushion covers can be swapped when you feel the need for a refresh – as can throws. Start with a neutral base, with white, black, grey or taupe as your foundation colours on walls, floors, sofas, curtains and blinds. Then it is easy to layer seasonal shades on top.
Other trends include anything that improves functionality and makes your space user-friendly. Digitisation is storming the private arena, with everything from home surveillance to air-conditioning, mood lighting and entertainment systems programmable from your smartphone.
In Hong Kong, HKT’s Smart Living can do all of these things via its Eyetab device. The system is best installed when you are renovating. Internationally, Loxone uses an app to control heating, lighting and music – wherever you are in the world. Honeywell also offers home automation systems that let you unlock your door when you are not at home – if, for example, your children have forgotten their keys or if your neighbours need to drop off a package.
Digitisation is also making cooking, cleaning and bathing easier, thanks to programmable, intuitive touchpads that take their cues from the smartphone. Some of Samsung’s new fridges come with Wi-fi enabled LCD monitors, while Whirlpool’s Smart Appliances can text, e-mail or digitally nudge you to remind you that a wash or dry cycle is up, or to let you know something is wrong. LG’s Smart ThinQ appliances let you check on the food in your fridge via the brand’s app – and they will also send diagnostic information to the app in the event that your appliance experiences problems.
Home improvement isn’t just about digitisation. It is also about clever furniture that can adapt to your needs. Panasonic’s SQ LE530 lamp is one such example: adjusting between two different forms to take it from desk lamp to mood lighting, changing the strength and ambience of the light it emits as you go.
Brands such as B&B Italia, Poliform and Minotti have introduced coffee tables that swivel for ease of use, plus sofas and armchairs with backrests and armrests that can be adjusted for maximum comfort. Natevo is incorporating LED lighting into dining tables, creating an easy, all-in-one dining system.
Function and comfort are core components of the furniture industry’s approach to design moving forward – but not at the expense of style. Designs are sleek and stylish and they artfully mix materials like metals, such as stainless steel, aluminium, brass or gold, with stone, wood and Lucite. Maxxalto is doing this with tables and chairs, as is Hong Kong-based brand House of Edwards, which can be found in Bowerbird Home. This blend is resulting in furniture that feels luxurious without being ostentatious.
Interior products are moving in a direction that is about making our lives more comfortable, while continuing to look good. In order to have a place in the world, home products need to serve a purpose. This is what good design is all about.
