It’s all about you. And about the rest of the world, all at the same time. Welcome to 2018, the year of contradictions. In 2018 we are set to revel in a world of contrasts, reflected in our home décor – our living and work spaces. Interior design trends 2018 are all about taking action and making sense of our own path in this ever-connected world, before the decade comes to an end.
Let’s explore the colour trends, new accents and cutting-edge styles forecast for 2018.
Colour Trends – Return to the 80s
INTENSE: Colours in 2018 interiors will shift towards bright and strong shades with prints like ‘Cubism Cats’.
2018 will see us embracing more intense colours instead of pastels.
The source of this truth is the word coming from the Milan Furniture Fair, an annual event that features the biggest industry names in interior design from around the world.
According to Elisabetta Rizzato of Italian Bark, the interior design exhibits at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair made it clear there would be a shift towards bright and strong shades.
She describes this shift as a ‘return to the 80s’.
In agreement is one of the world’s highest authorities on colour trends, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman. At the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago, Eiseman said 2018 would see more intense colours rather than pastels.
Let’s explore the colours that will define 2018.
1. Playful Primaries
PLAYFUL: Primaries will make a comeback making this Mondrian style ‘Composition’ print the ideal complement to a neutral decor.
Primary colours will make a come back. Think Minions! It’s all about fun colours like bright yellow, lime popsicle and klein blue. “People need to stop and smile,” according to Eiseman.
2. Millennial Pink
Rose Quartz has been given a life of its own, now well known in the industry as Millennial Pink. It’s all about this subtle hue offering us strength. “Pink has developed more power than ever before,” said Eiseman.
3. Sage, Celery And Avocado Green
DIVERSE: A new neutral decor colour palette will make an appearance – sage, celery and avocado.
Rizzato said there was no Greenery (Pantone Colour Of The Year 2017) in Milan, but instead new and interesting shades of sage, celery and avocado greens. It seems the world of design has already moved on to enjoy a more diverse colour palette of greens.
4. Connectivity Colour Palette
FREEDOM: Balance high-tech bright colour palettes with works like ‘Dream’ and neutral anchors.
One of Sherwin-Williams Colormix’s forecasts for 2018 is a colour palette they call ‘Connectivity’.
It features pops of bright colours anchored by neutrals and is inspired by a younger generation who is waving the flag of colour freedom and Instagramming every moment. The result is a high-tech palette of Cavern Clay orange, violets, digital greens and a high definition yellow anchored by Ibis White and Queen Anne Lilac.
Similarly, Pantone is forecasting ‘TECH-nique’ which is bright turquoise, pink and purple colours. These are anchored by Brilliant White and Frosted Almond – seemingly a nod to technology.
New Accents
Home décor in 2018 is all about sincerity. We respectfully tip our hat to the past, but we’re ready to move on to something bigger and better.
Nothing achieves this better than accenting your home with the latest trends. It’s not meant to be over-complicated. The right accents simply underpin who you are, what you love and where you want to go into the future.
5. Sincere Scandinavian
BLEND IN: Scandi becomes more sincere adding pastel accents like this ‘Spring Blush’ print and table setting to neutral decors.
Scandinavian style in interior design has always been a crowdpleaser due to its colour simplicity and minimalistic nature.
Colormix is telling us that 2018 is no different in a world where “less is more as we’re de-cluttering, moving more possessions into the cloud.” They call this trend ‘Sincerity’.
“Silence is no longer empty, but instead rare and rich with possibility. Our notions of what’s authentic are being complicated. We’re celebrating the unfiltered, yet captivated by the artfully processed. Blending in is the new standing out. Flaws are treasured.”
Colormix says this state of being plays out in sand, complex grays and hazy botanicals. Scandinavian to a tee.
However, in 2018 we will be adding pastels to our neutral, natural decors including accents like pastel furniture, pastel cushions, pastel throws and pastel artwork. It’s called Sincere Scandinavian.
6. Revered Intellectualism
ACADEMIC: Embrace intellectualism with bookshelves and surrealist art like ‘Butterfly Balloon’.
2018 is all about embracing rather than mocking intellectualism. Books and bookshelves will make a comeback. Think of a university professor’s home library circa early 1900s – cosy sofas, vintage lamps and surrealist art.
But we’re not talking about creating an entire room like this. Those days are well and truly over. It’s all about accenting various parts of your home with such decorative effects. Essentially, intellectualism is the new vintage.
7. The New Nautical
SAIL AWAY: Celebrate the new nautical with accents using sea creatures like this super cute shelf decor featuring ‘Shells And Starfish’ print.
Interior designer Kelly Elko says water in 2018 is all about creating a sense of the infinite through imagination and innovation.
The good news is that accenting your home in nautical style in 2018 will not mean decorating with anchors, compasses and old sailing boats. The New Nautical is less about the sailing and more about the water and the creatures who live within. As far as accent inspirations go, we’re super excited.
New nautical accents include the colour aqua, fish scale patterns and sea creatures like starfish, coral and octopus.
8. Iridescent Accents
BLING: Shimmering splashbacks, side tables and wall art like this ‘Optimism Of The Eternal Mind’ print will shine in 2018.
Our infatuation for ‘bling’ will mature in 2018 with a more restrained passion for iridescence. According to Pantone’s Eiseman, ‘the human eye can absolutely not avoid iridescence’. We are intrigued by anything that is shimmering or pearlised.
If money is no object, homemakers will invest in iridescent tables and decorative ornaments. However, for the rest of us we will enjoy the wonders of a shimmering splashbacks made with iridescent tiles or fun smaller items like pearl side tables, metallic ottomans or shimmering abstract art.
Cutting-Edge Rooms
2018 is all about making choices that suit you. This means it’s all about being clever in how you work a room. There’s no need to get bogged down in making every room in your house the same. Each room can have a life of its own – its own function, its own feel, its own ‘raison d’etre’.
9. Clandestine Courage
DECADENT: Relax and enjoy life in 2018 as you channel Morocco and Mexico with exciting brights and this ‘Marrakesh Dreaming’ artwork.
In 2018, give yourself permission to take time out from work. Rest and relaxation is less about feeling guilty and more about appropriating clandestine behaviour as a lifestyle.
What does this mean for a room? It’s inspired by Morocco and Mexico, with ornate lanterns, lacey hammocks, decadent daybeds and rattan or wicker furniture with a modern twist.
10. Nowhere Office
Colormix predicts that 2018 will be all about affinity. They say nationalism and globalism are in flux, challenging terrestrial boundaries. In response, we are remapping what community means to us.
“Airbnb, car sharing and e-learning have created a culture of everyday nomadism.”
What this means is the introduction of the concept of the ‘nowhere office’. Industrial designers have started to invent portable desks that can be moved anywhere. They can be used at home, moved from room to room and even taken out to a café, garden or coworking space. Quite extraordinary.
What this means for the world of home décor in 2018 is that we’re starting to say goodbye to dedicated offices. Our lifestyle and need to experience different spaces means we’re looking for desks and accessories we can easily move around our home – something portable we can move from a quiet room to a bustling hallway to an outdoor garden.
11. Whimsical Nurseries
MAGICAL: Pastels and whimsy will dominate nursery decor, making this ‘The Mermaid With Pink Hair’ art print absolutely perfect for this neutral baby room.
Ironically, while primary colours will dominate our homes in 2018, our nurseries will continue to become more and more whimsical. Rooms for baby will be full of magic – soft and artistic. The only limit to your creativity is your imagination.
Whimsical stylings include white and pastel colour schemes, hot air balloons, magical creatures, fluffy throws and cots designed to appear like something straight from a storybook.
According to Pantone, 2018 is likely to see the reemergence of fringing. Not the leather cowboy style of fringing, but the softer textured trim of a throw, a pillow, a rug or a curtain. We think this trend to fringing will perfect the whimsical nursery.
Interior design in 2018 is set to amaze. Are you ready to embrace a world of clever contradictions?
