Top trends 12 for '12

These dozen trends are likely to define interior design in the next 12 months, writes ALANNA GALAGHER

TIMES HAVE CHANGED. We are now spending more time in our homes and we want to create spaces that feel special.

We need a place to feel like a sanctuary from the trials and tribulations of everyday life, says decorator Elaine McHale of HomeInteriors.ie.

There is also a sense of frugal fatigue and we want to add bright colours to the home to help pick up the mood and express a sense of optimism, adds Lisa White, creative director of the home and life section of trend forecasting firm WGSN.

As a result there is a softening of design, she explains: “With all of the hard realities and life, people want as much softness as possible, with more pillows, throws, rugs and other soft, decorative accessories.”

1. PATTERN

There’s a return to texture and pattern, especially ethnic fabrics, says Fionnuala Nolan of fabric emporium Brian S Nolan. “Homeowners want a more personal look to their living spaces. Nostalgia and the whole country house thing, in part championed by Downton Abbey, is also trending. This is reflected in the return of wallpaper on all walls. Texture on floors includes patterned velvet carpets available at TC Matthews and vibrant rugs, such as Rug Star’s Checkerboard Funk, available at Rug Art. These take flooring to a new level.”

Sanderson’s Bloomsbury still life fabric wallpaper costs €50.82 per metre. The Matisse leaf costs €48.70 per roll at Brian S Nolan.

2. HAVE YOU BEEN TANGOED?

Consumer products need a jolt, a shot of energy and boldness. Pantone’s colour of the year, Tangerine Tango, is a sunset orange that is full of vitality and depth of hue.

“There’s the element of encouragement with orange, it’s building on the ideas of courage and action that we want to move on to better things. I think it would be a disservice to go with a relaxed, soothing colour now,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, recently told the Washington Post. Dulux is backing brick red, a softer version of the same colour family as Pantone, as its colour of the year.

3. THE LIVING SCRAPBOOK

Homeowners want to surround themselves with mementos; family photos or cabinets of curiosities. It’s the idea of a living scrapbook says Louise Smith, senior global colour designer at Dulux. “We want our homes filled with personalisation, from family photos printed on to paper to showing off souvenirs from our travels.”

People are expressing an interest in photo collages, says Patrick Ryan of the Canvas Works (canvasworks.ie), an online shop that has just opened a premises in Kinsale, Co Cork. While living in Ibiza he created work for Jade Jagger and DJ Pete Tong. “Adding text to the collages makes even more impact and is a visually arresting way of displaying your family tree,” he says. These can also be mounted on to aluminium or framed in acrylic boxes – a much fresher feel to the now ubiquitous printed canvas photos.

4. METALLICA

This is the year metalwork goes mainstream, in light fixtures, accent pieces and decorative objects. “The underlying theme is one of upcycling, salvage and recycling using furniture that is hard wearing light and durable,” says Eunan Byrne of John Duffy Design Group, who oversaw the fit-out at Cinnamon, a new cafe in Ranelagh. Although new, the Tolix stool, a feature of the eaterie, is a central element to the trend.

An easy way to introduce metal at home is to invest in a rust-effect giant floorlamp by Muno (€325), says Vanessa Mac Innes at Temple Bar-based Industry (01-6139111, industrydesign.ie). Or try a factory-style pendant, in colours such as curry and burnt orange at Hicken Lighting (01-6777882, hickenlighting.com). Prices are from €199 to €299. Cork-born, London-based Aiveen Daly (0044-208-9620044, aiveendaly.com) champions metal in a more luxe fashion using bespoke studding on cabinetry and studding on leather walls.

5. WOOD GETS HEART

After years of worshipping glossy shiny surfaces, the style pendulum swings back to wood. Declan Moloney of Lost Weekend (01-2755818, lostweekend.ie) is excited about Fritz Hansen’s All About Wood collection featuring Arne Jacobsen timber stacking chairs stripped back to their natural state. These will be available from February. At upmarket flooring company Ebony and Co (01-6690970, ebonyandco.com) it’s all about the richness of wood colour. Its hand-scraped walnut illustrates a move towards a more natural look in flooring. Equally, its antique unmilled barnwood shows an appetite for using wood on more than floors. It now looks modern on ceilings and feature walls.

6. DISTRESS CALL

Distressed finishes are huge, says Helen O’Dwyer, head buyer at Meadows Byrne. “The more tattered, distressed and unfortunate a product looks, the more in vogue it is.” Reclaimed wood has a story to tell, says architect Sean Fogarty of Rocker Lane Workshop (01-5242374, rockerlaneworkshop.com). Its carver chair, €300, and room divider, €1,000, can be bought at Budda Bag (01-8734245).

7. WHAT CAN I GET YOU?

The rise in home entertaining has heralded the return of the cocktail cabinet, complete with decent spirits, bar tools and a cocktail shaker. Marks Spencer has done a rather cool Geisha cocktail cabinet for spring/summer 2012.

8. COUNTER CULTURE IN KITCHENS

Pyrolave is a new counter-top innovation that means no more scrubbing the hob after cooking. It’s a lava material that is fitted with induction rings. It’s available in a multitude of colours at Máise (01-4763780, Máise). Prices average at €8,000 for a large island in the Pyrolave lava material in a colour of the customer’s choice.

9. GOING FOR GOLD

The London Olympics has led to a plethora of design innovations. The gold medal goes to Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects for its award-winning design proposal for the Central Park Bridges in London. Bo Concept’s London Chair is available in a choice of options; go for a wool felt shell and oiled oak legs for a Scandi-chic look that is very now. It’s on display at its Beacon South Quarter store (01-2932008, boconcept.ie). Price from €229. Debenhams’ new Edition Homeware by Yukari Sweeney, a Japanese designer married to an Irishman, is another way to work the theme into your home. This cushion (right) is €33.

10. BUYING IRISH

We need to champion our own. Online establishments such as Designist (designist.ie), Irish Design Shop (irishdesignshop.com), No Fixed Abode (nofixedabode.ie), Makers and Brothers (makersandbrothers.com). and Red Dog The Store (reddogthestore.com) are all to be commended for flying our colours.

11. THE RETURN TO BASICS

Practicality reigns supreme in 2012 as expenditure continues to be contextualised. Tap water has replaced bottled water in most households, which makes the Bobble jug, a sleek water filter that looks appealing as well as being functional, a welcome household addition. The jug comes in six vibrant colours and filters out the unpleasant taste and odour of chlorine found in much municipal tap water. Priced €39.95, it is expected in stores such as Arnotts, Stock Design, Anthony Ryan’s in Galway and Menarys.

12.THE RISE OF THE TRIPLE-A RATING

The price of electricity is rising and with water charges also being discussed, Irish consumers are becoming energy conscious, says Paula McCoy, home buyer at Arnotts. She says 80 per cent of her customers are asking for A-energy rated appliances with laundry and dishwashing the two areas to have caught on.

“Their new appliances use so much less energy and while more expensive to buy they cost less to run,” she says, citing research at Siemens that shows the running cost of an A-rated drier to be €43.20 per year. A B-rated drier costs €119.68 per year – 2012 will see the price gap between A-rated tumble driers and less efficient models start to close. A Siemens eight kilogram IQ-300 condenser drier costs €799.99 at Arnotts.