What’s the point of having the world’s most stylish wardrobe if it’s housed in a home where the same dog-eared film posters have featured on the wall since 1999?
If you haven’t given your home the same amount of thought as your rotation of sneakers, you could be bringing someone home to a big – not altogether pleasant – surprise.
Luckily, giving your pad an update isn’t difficult. Design trends come and go, so we’ve done the hard work for you and spoken to the experts on what men need to know about right now.
Rugged Textures
This year is all about texture, and we don’t mean the battered old furniture off your grandmother’s patio. Instead, think the kind of linen you’d find on a summer suit, or the wool previously reserved for knitwear, alongside rattan and cane, all of which were seen at Maison et Object (a bit like fashion week for interiors).
Those materials are now being used on products like lamps and bar stools to give the home a tactile edge. Whether it’s the irregularities of raw concrete or a rough wooden tabletop, if it gives all the feels, chances are it can help you retreat from the non-mindful pace of modern life.
“People want to curate spaces where they can relax and enjoy living in the moment,” says Lorna McAleer, an interiors expert at Style Studio. “Reading nooks and tech-free spaces in calming colourways, including warm neutrals, offer a sanctuary within the home.” It might even be an excuse to get out the toolbox.
Bold Colours
When you’re choosing colours for your home, you don’t have to play it safe. In line with the shift in dressing, pale, insipid whites are out; the trends right now are all about going bold, says Farrow & Ball colour curator Joa Studholme.
The grey undertones in colours like vivid pink, olive green, blue so deep it’s pretty much denim help create a room that no one’s going to forget any time soon, particularly if used as paints.
For something a little warmer, look no further than the Dulux colour of the year, Spiced Honey. A warm, caramel amber, it pairs effortlessly with natural materials. Or, if you’re feeling a little more playful, Pantone’s colour of the year, Living Coral, feels like a fresher version of the blush pink that’s been all over the streetwear scene lately.
Sustainable Everything
Talk around sustainable fashion and grooming has been everywhere recently, and this year a stylish home is also a sustainable home.
“Increased awareness of how our actions impact the environment means that products with ethical credentials are gaining impetus, be it that they utilise recycled plastic waste or are produced locally with lower carbon footprints,” says Kirsty Hunt from Duette blinds.
Before you start swapping out wallpaper for rolls of hemp, it pays to know what to look for. “People are investigating biomaterials, composites, recycled textiles made from bamboo and more sustainable processes such as organic cotton,” adds Made.com design director Ruth Wassermann. Resist that set of plastic chairs.
’90s-Inspired Minimalism
For every grunge kid digging out their plaid shirts, this year ‘90s influences are going to be popping up in interiors as well as your wardrobe. Although that doesn’t mean you can get that Nirvana poster out of the attic.
Wasserman says that designers will be “bringing a ’90s-inspired minimalism into modern designs, using pale timbers and weave techniques in streamlined, linear furniture designs,” so it’s only a matter of time before tartan makes an appearance.
“It’s an easy style to integrate into your home in small doses,” says Sophie Miura, digital content director of interiors magazine Domino. “Add a sleek concrete planter or monochrome throw pillows for a ’90s touch.”
Art-Deco Lounging
For those who prefer their home to be a little more polished, art deco-inspired interiors have been seen in some of London’s most stylish restaurants and bars for a few years, and this trend is staying put.
If scalloped pink chairs aren’t for you, give the Gatsby era a small nod with rounded furniture, fringe accents, metallic colours, or even some artwork with a retro feel to it.
“You don’t need to renovate to experiment with this luxe style,” says Miura. “Opt for curved ottomans and dining chairs upholstered in velvet or smaller accessories, like candleholders or trays in blush tones and brass.”
Outdoor Wall Art Indoors
Like stylish coffee table books, artwork is a great way to give any space a refresh, and the best way to make it feel current is to go big. After all, there’s nothing like an extra-large print to command attention in a room.
Impossible-to-get-wrong palm prints have been the go-to in recent years, and they’re sticking around, but there’s also now an emphasis on working insects and birds into the foliage.
But let’s be honest, who wants to spend an afternoon hanging frames? Luckily, you don’t always have to get the hammer out. “These prints look equally impressive resting on the ground or on a shelf as hanging on the wall,” says Amy Penfold from print company King & McGaw. Sold.
Bespoke Furniture
Anyone who’s ever entertained will know that guests congregate in the kitchen (duh, it’s where the beer is). But that’s not exactly ideal for guys with a cramped, cultured space full of Pot Noodles.
The good news is that room layouts, particularly in the kitchen and living rooms, are becoming more creative. “Furniture no longer takes on its expected form, such as a central island that actually looks like a dining table,” says Anthony Crespi, director of Hubble Kitchens & Interiors.
For this reason, tailor-made storage that works with the needs of a room is taking off. “This can provide the perfect framework for creating a luxury walk-in dressing room out of a redundant box room, [because it] works with the space rather than against it.” We’ll take two sneaker closets, please.
