A Rough Idea

At the moment in interior design we’re seeing a lot more of raw or organic shapes and materials being used. This is a great trend for those who love contemporary and diverse looks in their home, and want to experiment with different types of material; from metal, stone, wood, cork and concrete to natural forms. Take a look at some of these design to see if you might want to add some rough edges to your interiors.

This natural, pebble shaped mirror from Oliver Bonas takes the luxurious of the rose gold frame and plays it down with the relaxed shape, which is an interesting alternative to a formal rectangular mirror; making it a great buy if you want to soften a glam setting.

Full Length Rose Gold Pebble Mirror from Oliver Bonas

Break up a seating area with this raw shape petrified wood coffee table from Houseology. It appears like a slice straight from the trunk of a tree, but with a beautiful finish. It’ll add a diversity in texture and break up the space, as well as adding a natural element but in a formal and luxurious way.

Eichholtz Barrymore Coffee Table from Houseology

Offset the wooden coffee table with this agate top side table from Andrew Martin. The roughness of the agate edge contrasted against the angular brass legs give the side table a dynamic look that’ll add some unexpected glamour to a room.

Rosalie Side Table from Andrew Martin

If you want to add some natural motifs to your interiors in a larger way, there are a whole range of interesting wallpapers you could look at. This cement brick wallpaper adds a touch of industrial charm; it could look great in a sitting room with an added a cosy element like some textural sheepskin cushions completing the look.

Atlantis Cement Wallpaper from Andrew Martin

These pendants by Tom Dixon at Amara are perfect if you’re looking for something with an organic shape but still has a really glamorous touch. The finishes feel like precious metals and look like they’re melting, malleable to the touch. They would add a really vibrant edge to a room, over a dining table or hanging in a stairwell.

Melt Copper Pendant Light by Tom Dixon from Amara

Alternatively, finding products that used raw materials but take a contemporary shape can be a great way to give a room more texture when combined with other materials like velvets, paint or linen. This light made from concrete has a modern, simple shape, allowing the material to be the focal point of the design.

Dutch Bone Cradle Concrete Pendant Lamp from Cuckooland

Insert some a natural component and a little fun into your interior with this cork stool from Heal’s; it’s a playful when to add in some composition to a room, as well as having some back up seating when needed.

Cork Stool Model A from Heal’s

This could be contrasted nicely against this dark concrete mirror from Cult Furniture. It’s smart enough to be worked into a formal setting, but the added interested of the concrete means it can be toned down too.

Abra Modern Round Wall Mirror from Cult Furniture

This garden stool from Made is made from beautifully smooth concrete; it would look lovely in a juxtaposition against the green grass or on a minimalist desking. It could also be work inside the home as well; just add a little softness with a throw of cushion nearby.

Edison Garden Stool from Made

For a clean, strong look in the bathroom, using raw materials can create a dynamic look that plays to both masculine and feminine themes. This caddy from Next is made from a grey stone, and would look great added into a contemporary bathroom setting.

Pale Grey Stone Toothbrush Caddy from Next

For a larger touch of marble effect, this electric marble wallpaper is a giant textural feature. The orange tones against the dark bark almost glisten, making this wallpaper perfect if you want to create drama in say a dining room.

NLXL Piet Heim Eek Blakc Metallic Marble from IWOOT

From big drama to little drama, this pendant has a traditional style but made with a contemporary metal, to give it a stunning contrast. Two of these over a long dining table or as bedside lights would be the perfect finishing touch to a contemporary glamorous look.

Light & Living Alarice Pendant Light from Houseology

Whether you’re interested by raw forms or raw materials given an elegant finish, both are great ways to add texture and further depth to your interiors, so get out there and see how you can customise your own space.

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Plum Crazy

Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet, a punchy, vibrant purple. I’m always intrigued when the new colour is released each year and think of ways it could be used in interiors, not so that they fit with the latest trends, but so that they create an interesting and timeless look. As with all colours, there are endless hues and tones to be found in the purple spectrum, and so even if ultra-violet is not your go-to choice, there are an abundance purple pieces to lust over, that might be more your look. From big to small ideas, I’ve found some utterly gorgeous ways to include purple into your home, so take a look!

Lotus Wallpaper in Brinjal and Off-Black from Farrow & Ball

Farrow & Ball have recently released some reimagined wallpapers, using some favourite designs in new colours. A standout design is the Lotus in Brinjal with an Off-Black background. The two colours together creates a dreamy, romantic and dramatic look, perfect of spicing up a snug or dining room. It’s also a great way to use purple if you favour dark interiors and are looking to reinvent a room.

Curiousa & Curiousa have an outstanding collection of lighting, their beautiful glass pieces are sure to make a pinnacle feature in any room. This pendant is the perfect retro shade of aubergine, fitting in with its sixties lava lamp curves and shape. Great for making a combination of a cosy atmosphere and statement piece in a bedroom, or as an attention-grabbing light for the entrance hall.

Stemmed Orb Diffuser from Curiousa & Curiousa

Not all your purple additions need to be dark and dramatic, purple can also take a sweet and delicate tone. This bedding from Anthropologie is a dusty, faded shade of purple, the slightly darker toned trim is a sweet touch and could bring an inviting feel to a guest bedroom.

Caridee Bed Linen from Anthropologie

A touch of purple when it comes to your curtains could give a room that balance between calming and fresh; these pompom curtains from Urban Outfitters will help give a room a little lift. The Pompom detailing is oh-so-cute, giving the room some textural feel.

Blackout Pompom Curtains from Urban Outfitters

If you’re unsure about purple, adding it to your interiors in very small doses is a good way to see whether the colour is for you, and your home. A simple, elegant room with a small touch of purple here and there can make for an interesting look. This purple glass mirror from Amara is an unexpected find. A quick splash of colour in a downstairs loo, or mixed into a larger mirror display, this mirror could fit in perfectly.

Lust Mirror by Normann Copenhagen from Amara

Pair together this arrangement of purple headed thistle and this jellyfish paperweight for a lovely display on your desk or on a hall console table. The small additions of purple are fun but classic feeling.

Faux Purple Thistle Spray from Graham & Green

Purple Jellyfish Paperweight from Graham & Green

Adding purple to a garden or patio area isn’t something I would have automatically put together, but these chairs from Heals and the vivid green leaves make a great combination. An interesting way to give a rustic looking area a burst of contemporary colour.

Thayla Chair from Heals

There’s been a huge influx of purple furniture pieces and homeware this season, so it’s a great time to take a look at the colour and see if it’s to your liking; the great thing about searching through interior styles is that you never know if you’re about to fall in love with something new, and just maybe there’s a place for a little something purple amongst your favourites.

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Angel + Blume featured in the Interior Design Yearbook 2012

The Interior Design Yearbook 2012 is out now.  Packed full of inspiring case studies, gorgeous images and expert guidance from professional interior designers, it’s a must-read for anyone interested in design.  Writers include Jonanna Wood, Sally Storey, Tara Bernerd and our very own Cate Burren who was asked to pen the chapter on fabrics and textiles, as well as providing a case study.  Cate’s article is featured below and the yearbook is available here.

Trend: Fabrics and Textiles by Cate Burren

Fabric and textiles have always been a core part of an interior designers’ tool basket and fabric houses are quick to pick up on and reflect current tastes and trends. As a result, these textiles can act as a unique barometer of changing fashions and styles within our homes and interior environments, immediately evoking memories of childhood, reminiscences of bygone eras or recollections of people or places.

What is a trend?

There will always be trends in fabric design; styles and colours come and go in seasonal waves and fabric houses regularly present new collections. However, there are no fixed rules when it comes to following these trends. People often have an immediate reaction to a particular texture or pattern and each client’s choice will be uniquely personal to them. I find that this can play a key part in uncovering a client’s style; the type of fabric that they are instinctively drawn towards will tell me a world of information about their lifestyle and the look that they are after. As such, whilst I am aware of trends I will always consider the client and their needs first when selecting fabrics for them. It is far more important to me to ensure that the client has a finished home which suits their needs and lifestyle than a home which is filled with the most up to date products.

Current trends

There are lots of great developments in fabric design at the moment. Outdoor fabrics are looking better and better with products that really are weather resistant and there are some great voile fabrics on the market, especially linens that are so versatile and look fantastic. We are also seeing an increasing crossover between fashion and home furnishings, for example the Christian Lacroix collection for Designers Guild and the Oscar de la Renta collection for G P and J Baker. These collaborations are refreshing as they bring new styles and ways of working with fabrics to the interiors market. Colour has been gradually been returning to home fabrics after a prolonged period of beige and this trend keeps growing all the time. Probably as a reaction to our current austere times, consumers are also increasingly choosing the luxury of textured fabrics; tactile velvets, light reflecting sheens and fabrics with a touch of glitter and sparkle, which bring a bit of joy into our cost effective schemes!

How to get it right

It is essential to think about quantities; the trouble with mood boards is that fabrics are presented in equal size cuttings but in reality you may use 40m of one for a curtain and 2m of another for a stool and getting the balance of different fabrics right is key to a successful scheme. It sounds obvious, but it is also important to make sure you look at a large piece of each fabric rather than a swatch when choosing. Cuttings are not representative of a whole pattern and a piece of cloth that you love or hate in a small piece will look totally different in bigger meterage and you may not have the same reaction.

Finally, enjoy the process! Choosing fabric is the fun part of designing a room; selecting the colours patterns and textures that will pull a look together and add the final layer to a scheme is really rewarding. The beauty of fabrics is that they can also be updated relatively easily as opposed to furniture or flooring etc, so have fun and be bold with your choices.

Image credits: Zimmer and Rohde

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