Make way for metals you want to look unpolished? Lab-like kitchens are out. Bare walls are over. Say goodbye to predictable floral prints, people – it’s abstractions of nature that are heating up. So long, strict linearity. Curvy is a natural expression of maximalism: luscious spaces, unabashed layering and sensuous shapes feel more honest. Even moody grey subtle hues are starting to feel tired and uninspiring without any contrast.  This year, we’ll see the return of a new bunch of the prettiest neutrals. Here’s what’s trending and ending in 2018.

The Petersham Kitchen, DeVol Kitchens, www.devolkitchens.co.uk

PIGMENTED KITCHENS

Kitchens that resemble forensic labs, heavy on stainless steel, grey or—the most overplayed tone—white are beginning to look unimaginative. Plus keeping an all-white kitchen clean in a house full of children can be a challenge.

For 2018 we can expect to see an increase of colour in kitchen designs, from the cabinetry to the sink materials with sinks in granite, concrete as well as copper and marble. International appliance companies are offering exuberantly toned enamel stoves – expect to see kitchens treated increasingly like living and dining rooms. Their design is following the general wave of layered eclecticism.

THE NEW NEUTRALS

The colour beige has had its day as the foolproof colour for homes. Neutrals are an essential part of the decorating arsenal, they are the soothing salve to the colour of your possessions.  Except you are going to be seeing more tea rose, lavender and peach, the new neutrals du jour.  They’re brought up to date with big dollops of grey in them, (so they don’t look too retro). The latest trend is all about sophisticated versions of pastels, gentle colours that appear in nature and have been muddied with earthier tones in the mixing process. Also expect to see less grey everywhere – the only grey professionals see standing the test of time are very subtle hues – an off-white with a tinge of cool grey will outlast the dark and heavy grey trend.

The Loft Kitchen, DeVol Kitchens, www.devolkitchens.co.uk

TARNISH APPRECIATION

The current mood for finishes is less slick and glam, as we lean toward living metals that show someone actually lives in a house. Rose gold faucets and shiny copper are reading as cheap, trendy and mass produced. We want things that develop a patina over time, and add character, personality and soul to our homes, with antique brass tapware by Devol or unlacquered-brass shower controls by Waterworks. Pale composite white bronze, which also patinates, is seeing more use. It’s richer and more substantial than nickel. The trend for stainless steel kitchen sinks is fading as we increasingly opt for living metals such as copper, which have more warmth and react to the oils in our hands.

Aged brass taps, DeVol Kitchens, www.devolkitchens.co.uk

Handcrafted knobs and handles, DeVol Kitchen, www.devolkitchens.co.uk

Carrara marble sinks, DeVol Kitchens, www.devolkitchens.co.uk

DISTILLED FLORA AND FAUNA

Traditional floral prints won’t be adding much excitement to our upholstery in the coming months according to top international designers who say classic chintz has run its course. It’s abstractions of nature that are heating up. Evoking nature with randomly scattered biomorphic shapes is an intuitive next step in bringing the outdoors inside in an abstract and visceral way. An all-over organic approach to pattern feels more honest than rigid patterns that you can see stop and start.

Blooms wallpaper in navy, Rebecca Atwood, $10, www.rebeccaatwood.com

NOT BROKEN, JUST BENT

So long, strict linearity. There’s an uncomfortable neatness that comes with hard lines that people are opting away from. The boxiness of Midcentury Modern credenzas as well as sofas with rigid cushions and unbending arms. Everyone used to show off their overly formal living room with stringently shaped furniture that no one ever sat in. Now people think of that as unwelcoming and outdated.

Curvy is a natural expression of maximalism: luscious spaces, unabashed layering and sensuous shapes as we see  more rounded furnishings in our interiors for 2018. Look out for lots of soft lines, from swerve-legged desks launched by big American brands such as Maguire for Spring. Plus curvaceous sofas and U-shaped chairs that hug you, and feel more fluid and casual, creating a cosier, more inviting space.

Image courtesy of Remodelista