This year’s interior trends have seen all sorts of wonderful designs, colours and patterns emerge, with High Street shops jumping on the bandwagon and introducing products and accessories that steal the show – from geometric shapes and patterns through to wildlife influences and dipped furniture.
So what can we expect from 2016? In the name of research (and because we’re a tad nosy), Home and Horizon quizzed Senior Trend Analyst from Ronseal, Naomi Shedden, on what we’ll be admiring (and buying) next year…
Naomi Shedden
Q: What are the main new trends expected to emerge for 2016?
A: There’s a few….grey shades indoor and out; creative DIY projects; mixing materials in the home plus a focus on natural materials.
Q: How can the average homemaker look to introduce these new trends into their home?
A: This year’s trends are a perfect fit for consumers looking to save some money as there is a focus on creating your own unique pieces rather than buying an ‘off the shelf’ product.
Creativity in general is becoming much more important, particularly in terms of DIY projects. Platforms like Etsy and Pinterest provide the perfect space to celebrate and nurture this.
Both old vintage pieces and new budget items can be given a unique and fresh look with a lick of paint and some new accessories. In 2016 we expect to see a growth in the trend for up-cycling new pieces of furniture, rather than old ones.
Savvy householders have discovered they can achieve a premium look in an 
affordable piece of furniture; they’re going out to IKEA and buying a basic item but adding a unique look with paints and luxury extras like feet or beautiful drawer handles.
For those with a little more to spend, you may want to invest in new grey shades in upholstered furniture and think about creating a focus on materials like woods and stones as these are trends that are set to continue.
Q: Which colours are we going to see more of for 2016 and what type of ‘look’ will people aspire to?
A: In terms of colour in the home, the biggest trend that is impacting the British market next year will be a continuation of the trend for grey and cooler neutrals in general.
For the last few decades the typical British home has been based on a warm brown palette of magnolia, beige and brown. We all know someone with magnolia walls, beige carpets and a brown leather sofa. We’re seeing a massive shift now towards a more European grey palette, and this is going to be a major change for householders.
High Street stores have started to sell more grey toned upholstery than brown shades already. This shift is inspired in a large part by imagery from Scandinavia.
Warm shades of grey – or combining cool and warm neutrals together is one way that householders can start to tap into this trend without going about a complete overhaul.
Q: What’s the one item you can’t live without in your home?
A: I have a chest of drawers in my hallway that I inherited from my grandparen
ts that hold a very special place in my home. It bears the marks of several generations of our family and it’s one thing I will never paint over!
I also love a nice piece of art; fundamentally I don’t think any space can feel quite like a home without beautiful things on the walls.
Q: What personal project have you been working on at home?
A: We recently installed a new kitchen and pulled out the old breakfast bar.
We’re planning a slightly more creative replacement for it, using what was left over from our wooden worktop and inspired by a café we visited in New York recently we’re having scaffolding poles cut to size to provide the frame. It’s going to be extremely cost effective but also unique!