Where do the latest home decor trends come from?

Understanding where and why trends arise is a markedly difficult task.

“Interiors trends are often a reflection of the global climate: economics, current affairs and world events. They speak to our wants and needs, and often echo how we feel – safe and brave, or vulnerable and cautious?” says Diane Cocksey, senior interior decorator at Freedom.

Trend forecasters such as WGSN formulate predications years in advance, with big design fairs Maison&Objet​ and the Milan Furniture Fair considered global authorities.

“You will also find that fashion trends often transfer to home interiors. When we understand how to wear a trend we are better able to develop it into our living space,” Cocksey says.

We take a closer look at today’s most popular interior trends, many of which stem back thousands of years.

Photo: Brooke Holm Interiors by Fiona Lynch

Copper

Once upon a time, metal was considered an exterior-only material, used mainly as lacework, support and fencing on older properties.

Following the 1920s and the rise of art deco, metal moved inside the home to more ornamental and sculptural forms such as lamps and mirror frames.

The last 12 months have been all about one metal in particular: copper.

Like most home trends, copper was popularised by the fashion industry first, with Marc Jacobs, Dior, Chanel and Burberry all featuring copper tones across their 2007 collections.

The shade was then reignited for the interiors world following Dulux’s announcement of Copper Blush as the paint colour of the year for 2015.

Since then, copper has appeared everywhere from dish racks to freestanding baths and kitchen joinery.

Unlike silver toned metals, copper’s popularity can be attributed to its inherit warmth. Its versatility means it can be used across large area (wallpaper, tiles) to add texture, or more subtly (lamp shades, photo frames) to add light and a point of interest.

The Log Cabin by Simone Haag.
Photo: Courtesy of Haymes Paint

Scandinavian design

Specialty online homewares stores and the expansion of IKEA stores across the country have seen more Australians gain access to attractive and functional Scandinavian design.

The popularity of Scandinavian design can arguably be linked to the “stripping back” of Australian homes. No longer are antiques, multiple bedrooms and a large backyard the mark of a luxury home, but minimal, light and sustainable interiors.

Further cementing Scandinavian design’s appeal is the annual Stockholm Furniture Fair – the world’s largest meeting place for Scandinavian furniture and lighting design – and a “must visit” event for anyone in the European design industry.

Photo: Derek Swalwell Styling: Heather Nette King for Australian House & Garden March 2016

Marble

The use of marble in architecture can be traced back thousands of years to early Egyptian and Greek culture.

As this natural stone can take tens of thousands of years to form, the original is often supplemented for faux “marble look” products. Not only are these alternatives more affordable, they’re also generally more practical given authentic marble’s proneness to staining.

In the 21st century, marble moved from tiles and kitchen benchtops to the runway. The Fall 2008 collection by Jil Sander heavily drew on a marble, followed by Balenciaga in 2013. The trend was soon picked up my mainstream labels, with Country Road and & Other Stories taking inspiration from the stone’s look.

Following its fashion popularity, faux marble has become a popular material in lighting, storage and tableware.

New technologies have allowed marble-esque materials to be more easily produced, allowing for increased productivity and accessibility of the once purely luxury material. 

Its regal, timeless, organic look can be easily matched to suit any colour scheme, giving marble more longevity than is typical in the often “throw away” world of interiors.

Ivy Muse store. Photo: Annette O’Brien Styling: Alana Langan

Indoor plants

Fashion and interiors have been heavily inspired by the 1970s in recent years, with indoor plants, terrariums and macrame hangers all making a huge comeback.

2014 was all about succulents, 2015 was the year of the fiddle leaf, with 2016 showing a preference for hanging plants such as the chain of hearts, string of pearls and devil’s ivy.

The revival of indoor plants is part of a wider trend of humans wanting to be closer to nature, with openings to the outdoors and the blurring of interior and exterior areas increasingly common in the modern home.

Unlike previous decades where green plastic baskets and terracotta pots ruled the market, the indoor plant trend is now well supported by homewares retailers. The accessibility of plant stands, painted pots and hanging baskets in particular mean plant lovers can easily reinvent their indoor jungle without breaking the budget.

Photo: Courtesy of Pop & Scott