When we think of spring we tend to think of flowers – crocuses, daffodils and tulips – and bringing these inside will instantly freshen up your home. However, the spring interior design trends for this year (as seen in a recent visit to the Spring Fair at the NEC) veer towards the more exotic, or in direct opposition, the monochromatic.

Incorporating a Tropical Theme

Heavy foliage wallpapers and fabrics continue to be fashionable, some with varying shades of green, others with highly colourful exotic plants, both of which can be used for bold cushions and if you’re courageous, a wild piece of upholstered furniture. I’m not sure I can, hand on heart, recommend a corner sofa in this, but a 2-seater or armchair will add a wild punch to any room.

A great way to incorporate the tropics into a room would be to start small and build up. If you have fallen in love with a jungle-themed wallpaper for a feature wall, either colour match your soft furnishings or opt for sympathetic colours that work in harmony alongside the colours in the wallpaper.

We love bringing vibrant colours into our designs; a bold use of a jungle print for a French door and a subtle navy armchair next to a banana plant is our IT geek’s heaven, but it’s a bold choice. You either have to commit to being brave or how about opting for a stylish tropical cushion for a smaller hit of the tropics?

Have a look at our Pinterest board here for some ideas on the jungle theme.

Welcome the Colour Green into Your Home

If you’re not sure about the wild floral elements but like the depth of the jungle colours, then dark greens are also playing a strong role in the adventurous interior. Green is a fabulous backdrop for art, or a contrasting headboard and we’ve used it successfully in bedrooms, halls and landings.

The colour green for many evokes a peaceful, calm place to unwind and is linked to health and wellness. Look closer at the veggies you eat just to get a great choice of green colour palettes from avocados, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and winter greens to cavolo nero and everything in between. Be inspired by the wonderful natural environment that surrounds you and find ways of incorporating these into your home for a fresh and peaceful interior design.

You may also be inspired by adding a variety of texture into your interior style, a dark green velvet headboard provides a fabulous backdrop for a bed or perhaps a pop of lime green cushions sitting against a navy sofa. We incorporated this green colour scheme into a barn conversion in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, you can see the results here.

Animal Inspired Interiors

Animals also featured heavily in the spring fair and in our suppliers’ catalogues. These can be quite fun and certainly work in children’s rooms, even if they feel too silly for the more sophisticated palette. I find silly is referred to as ‘witty’ in the industry – if that makes you feel better.

Tropical birds used as table stands, monkey lights and wild animals are going to be this year’s big interior style feature. Interesting design concepts on everything from cushion covers, wallpapers, curtains and table lamps to kitchen accessories, garden accessories and even quirky animal laundry baskets.   

Injecting a little humour into your interior design might not be for everyone, hanging monkey lights are certainly great in the right setting but you may want to add a few elements as opposed to the whole animal kingdom.  

We found the monkey candlesticks a fun addition to a party table, and adding a little animal playfulness into your interior design is certainly going to be a conversation starter!

How to Incorporate Cane into Your Home Interior

Rattan and woven cane furniture and accessories were visible in spring fairs this year – they look great with the foliage themes above. No longer are they reserved for the conservatory. The woven chair is suitable for the dining room and also the living room – perhaps paired by the window with a café style table.

Cane mirrors and hanging decorative items were also on display and storage units with woven textures also featured.

Rattan and cane furniture are reminiscent of the ‘Plantation Style’ or ‘British Colonial Style’ pre-civil war which uses natural fibres in pale colours to contrast against darker floors and walls. The open handcrafted workmanship used in rattan and cane furniture brings simplicity and unfinished style to your home that’s uncluttered, with textural interest. Try incorporating a rattan armchair with a natural sheepskin throw for a blend of natural textural Scandinavian style or over-stuffed comfy cushions for an interesting Plantation style.

Monochromatic Interior Style 2020 

Black and white also showed its monochromatic gloriousness in the spring interior design trends at the shows. I love black and white – it’s so dramatic. Are you adventurous enough to have an entire room decorated without colour? Alternatively, add a few key pieces here and there – a side table or stool, cushions or a sculpture.

A monochromatic style conveys a chic, timeless design concept that’s easy to incorporate key pieces into your home. Try adding a few black and white cushions to your collection to add a little diversity and interest to your living room interior.

Opting for an intricately inlaid mother of pearl black side table in a bedroom or investing in a black and white chevron chest of drawers for the hallway may be just the thing missing to complete your eclectic interior style.

You can see some monochromatic touches in our interior design project in Buckinghamshire here.

Faces, Faces Everywhere 

As we walked around The Spring Fair 2020, faces seemed to be staring back at me. Portraits, be they actual art or part of a vase or even rug, have to appeal (I didn’t say they have to be attractive – Lucien Freud’s work verged on the repulsive – IMHO – but still attracts) so choose your faces carefully. There’s also something to be said for how to group faces. You don’t want them to be lonely. I know this sounds weird but instinctively, I think faces belong together.

How to add a Spring Touch to Your Home  

• Stick with the traditional refresh by removing heavy knits and throws and replacing red and orange cushions with lighter coloured fabrics.
• Take a look at each of your home’s rooms and store away the darker coloured items and replace with lighter, cooler tones to welcome the spring into your home.
• Have a general refresh of your cupboards – decluttering always revives the mind and makes people feel more positive, especially creating more space in your home.

If you’d like to discuss how to incorporate this year’s spring interior design trends into your rooms, or how to reconfigure them in order to use them more effectively, then please get in touch. 

Email: niki@nsid.co.uk

Website: www.nsid.co.uk

Mobile: + 44 (0)7782 256444