The big interiors trends to know now for autumn/winter
From pie crust trims to the new art deco, there are plenty of homeware updates to sink your teeth into this season. Delve into the big interiors trends to know now...
Your next WFH set up: The pastel office
If you ever needed an example that the tectonic plates of interior design are constantly shifting, let it be this: traditionally reserved for spring décor, pastels have now found a home in autumn interiors, too.
According to Pinterest, searches for pastel desks are soaring, giving the spring staple a year-round seal of approval.
And what better way to inject your office space with a sense of calm? With its soft backdrop of cerulean, pistachio and cream hues, anchored by a contrasting retro teak desk, this home study (below) puts a twist on the trend.
For a smaller smattering of pastel, opt for pale accessories and upholstery.
A new take on hosting: DIY dinner parties
Dinner parties are evolving into personalised sensory feasts, festooned with craft, DIY touches and artistic plates.
A hodge podge of creativity, says Etsy’s Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson, is the name of the game: ‘We’ve seen people take to the drawing board and create hand-written menus for a more personal touch, or even drawing place settings straight onto paper tablecloths in beautiful calligraphy.’
Hesitant to take a sharpie to your best table linens? Start small by refreshing old plates with porcelain brush pens, paint your own place cards, and transform lavish fruit like pomegranates and clementines into candlestick holders. As for tabletop ingredients, intricately moulded butter is the accessory du jour.
‘We love the creative freedom that butter gives – you can turn a simple ingredient into a masterpiece, creating a whimsical touch to tablescapes,’ say US dinner party extraordinaires, Nikki Hageman and Kaitlin Sherman (@dontcookforcowboys).
Whimsy, it certainly is.
For inspiration, Instagram is awash with plenty of viral visionaries here in the UK too, including culinary artist Imogen Kwok, table stylist Kirthanaa Naidu, and host-fluencer, Matilda Bea to name a few.
But if the mere thought is exasperating, simply call in the experts: a gateau from Presto (created by Central Saint Martin’s alumni, Lauren Duncan) is bound to impress. Take it up a notch with a whimsical woodland themed cake topper illustrated by Welsh artist, Amy Swann. Your guests won’t suspect a thing…
An update on the scalloped edge: the pie crust trim
The beloved scalloped edge isn’t going anywhere (for now), but a more organic take on the style is emerging.
Introducing: the pie crust trim. It’s the curved design, but not as you know it.
This looser, more laissez-faire – and dare we say it, a little more grown-up – update on the scallop feels ever-so timeless, while still flaunting all the higgledy-piggledy charm of its predecessor.
The trending textures: stainless steel & chrome
Formerly the stomping ground of marble, rose gold and copper, kitchen work surfaces and fittings are returning to stainless steel and chrome.
In some ways, silver surfaces have never been out of vogue: take River Café founder Ruth Rogers' infamous, sweeping stainless steel kitchen (designed in 1983 by her late husband, architect Richard Rogers) for example.
But heavy metal is certainly having a bona fide moment and shows no signs of waning. The futuristic material is just the latest '90s trend to trickle into 2024 interiors – and as is often the case, its comeback is echoed in the world of fashion too, where oodles of silver has been sent down AW24 runways.
As for steel-ifying your own home, look to Beams Renovation for kitchen design and Bettina Ceramica for accessories.
Autumn’s palette: biophilic colours
As we slink into autumn, you’re likely already feeling the desire to hunker down and soothe yourself in nature, but you might not be familiar with the word for it: biophilia.
While there’s nothing new about drawing inspiration (and comfort) from the great outdoors, this season, interior designers are ravenous to bring nature’s lulling ebb and flow back inside.
Besides, the external stressors of modern living have never been so entwined with our design choices – our open plan homes are now a one-size-fits all approach for work, rest and play.
So, why not fall back on the oldest trick in the book to pacify our modern-day woes? Plain English Design’s new colour collection (above) certainly does. Its 50 new shades promise to take you through an 18th century portal to ‘stroll the parklands of history under tree canopies and shifting skies.’
But if mossy tracks and bosky meadows don’t whisper ‘relax’, perhaps some of this season’s other big contender colours will: sunshine yellow kitchens are à la mode again, while rich, cosy tones of rust and brown (more classic choices for autumn) have timeless, grounding appeal.
You needn’t reach for the paint stripper just yet – dip your toe into trend with green, yellow, brown and rust accessories, or for all-out autumnal opulence, imaginative tiling on chimney breasts and fireplaces works a charm and offers a sophisticated riff on colour blocking.
The new maximalism: updated art deco
Shorthand for unapologetically bold design, Art Deco has become synonymous with glamour and excess, its interiors only singing louder when accompanied by towering champagne coupes, strings of pearls and an abundance of gold.
Yet while 2024’s new breed of art deco certainly gives a nod to the distinctive hallmarks – curves, geometric shapes, clean lines et al – its approach is softer and quieter. Less Great Gatsby, more thoroughly modern maximalism.
Pay homage to the trend by leaning into curved silhouettes and bold shapes, whether in the form of statement armchairs or simply a joyfully wiggly table.
Let the furniture speak for itself (browse Vinterior for antiques or Swoon Editions for contemporary pieces) or up the ante with bold patterned wallpaper (Wallpaper Direct and House of Hackney are good starting points).
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