Trending on nature
Website Editor • October 26, 2019
By Rita Bancroft
Our busy world is having an impact on how we are decorating our homes; we are seeing a trend towards nature inspired colour palettes and natural materials. Colours are sophisticated, quality is enduring, and authenticity is valued.
Biophilic design and all things nature-inspired is a growing trend and one that’s set to continue. What isn’t there to love about bringing the outside in? It’s an interior style that doesn’t just work naturally; it’s also good for the soul. Natural materials play a big part in creating a happy, healing environment.
Harvey Maria see these soft new shades work beautifully with neutral pastels, bringing a calm, comforting feel to an interior. Rich jewel tones, including bottle green, are also joining the on-trend oxygenated shades, as we look to ‘balance’ our lifestyles through colour and design.
“Restful green shades are the new neutrals and they work so well with earthy, natural colours. By combining them with a wood or stone-effect floor, and lots of organic elements, you can create a harmonious space that’s calming and rejuvenating,” explained Harvey Maria founder, Mark Findlay.
Other green-toned designs from Harvey Maria’s range include Little Bricks Apple Green – a short stave design, in a soft organic shade – ideal for creating parquet patterns and borders.
Karndean Designflooring, predicts that the trend for minimalist Scandinavian inspired interiors will be refreshed with harmonious
pastel sugar tones. “It’s no surprise that the fresh airy feel of Scandi interiors has become a firm favourite with home decorators,” says Stella Coyle, national retail sales manager at Karndean Designflooring. “This year we are seeing the contemporary classic trend take on a new playful vibe with ice cream shades.” Known as Sugared Scandi, home decorators are pairing neutral tones on walls and flooring with furnishings and accessories in pastel tones of pink, blue, lilac and yellow to create flexible and relaxing sanctuaries from busy modern life.
“When thinking about the bones of a Scandi style home, you really can’t go wrong with a light wood flooring,” explains Stella. “In response to this desire for fresh contemporary flooring, we have expanded our popular Van Gogh range with six new oak designs. “The new designs authentically replicate the beauty of natural oak and include Blush Oak with rosy pink undertones and a flowery grain perfect for combining with warm pastel shades, and Cool Grey Oak with a misty hue and linear grain which looks stunning paired with crisp blue tones.”
Product provenance is a growing trend in many industries.
But when it comes to carpets, what does the conscious consumer want to know? British Wool director of marketing, Graham Clark, explains, “Every year we exhibit at a number of leading consumer events, such as Grand Designs Live, which gives us chance to talk to many different consumers. We’ve seen a big increase in the number of questions about provenance, and also the environmental credentials of wool – from carbon footprint to recycling. So, we have a fantastic opportunity to provide the information consumers are looking for, explaining the many natural benefits of British wool, and also the work we’re doing to ensure traceability throughout the entire supply chain via our licensing scheme.”
“Today’s consumer is interested in the origins of the products they’re buying, with sustainability and ethical production becoming increasingly important. When consumers buy a British Wool licensed carpet, they know they’re buying a product which contains genuine and verified levels of British wool. The crook mark associated with British Wool licensing provides an assurance of quality and origin, also signifying a long-term commitment to the British farming industry.”
Crucial Trading has a long tradition of only working with natural materials. This autumn, three new 100% wool designs were launched at Decorex, the UK’s largest international interior design show. The richly hued and striped Harbour and the luxuriously rustic Reef and Tranquil designs were definitely a hit.
Reef is a tight loop pile carpet with a rustic appearance. Available in seven beautiful neutral tones, it is the perfect accompaniment to any timeless colour scheme. Dyed to the same colour palette as Reef, Tranquil is a chunky bouclé design, its ultra-deep pile makes it sumptuously soft underfoot.
The faster our lives move the greater our desire to channel more calm into our homes. Adam Carpets predict that blue hues will be a strong influence in interiors during 2020.
Blue is incredibly versatile, soft shades give off an innocent vibe that can be translated into a flirtier look when combined with blush tones, whilst rich inky hues provide escapism in today’s data-driven society. One reason we are craving blues is they bring us closer to natural elements such as the sea and sky, so have the ability to create serenity in almost any space. A reflection of restfulness and mental and spiritual balance, the combination of blue and green tones speaks to our senses. This palette connects us with our natural world and provides much needed tranquillity in our lives.
Leading British carpet manufacturer, Cormar Carpets Company, has seen a resurgence in demand for dining room carpet. While the traditional dining room area has become less popular, the increase in open plan, integrated living spaces has led to a rise in demand for carpet. Based on real-life, in-home research and insight, there’s clear evidence this trend is set to continue as consumers increasingly look for comfortable and convenient flooring solutions to keep pace with their increasingly busy lifestyles.
With the added assurance of a 10-year guarantee, Cormar’s Easy-Clean Twist carpets provide a stylish, low maintenance and affordable solution to instantly transform lounge and dining room living spaces. Providing a natural, in-built stain resistance to stains and spills with tightly twisted two-ply fibres, Easy-Clean Twist carpets provide superb warmth and comfort, which dining rooms often lack as they tend to contain less furniture.
James Caldwell, sales director at Victoria Carpets explains, “For the last few years there’s no denying that grey has been leading the assault and it now ranks as one of the most popular colours at almost every price point. However, as is the natural cycle of things, as shades of grey have become dominant and mainstream, we’re starting to see style-savvy consumers look for a hint of colour. The popularity of silk-like qualities is probably a catalyst for this, with soft shades working particularly well with the look.
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