Soft and Warm for Winter

Celebrating those curves

No one wants to play it straight anymore, especially not indoors. “Curves are back!” says Emma Turner, an interior designer based in mid-Devon. “In our search for cocooning and relaxing homes this winter, we will see more sculptural and curved furniture.”

Sofas and chairs are truly embracing their curves, with beautiful shapes and soft fabrics designed to help soften the edges of your living room or hallway.

Mirrors, tables and lighting are rounded or even wavy, making your home look relaxed and adding a gentle feel. Rugs too are highly irregular these days. Forest & Co in Dartington have a great selection, including a bear-shaped style.

Emma adds: “If you’re not ready to lose the straight lines, choose one statement piece of furniture, keeping the rest pared back.”

Corking furniture and floors

Cork is a material that’s part of the ‘biophilia’ trend, where we seek to connect with nature. It’s sustainable, renewable, durable and guaranteed to lighten up any home while bringing warmth and texture.

Introduce it to your home this season in the shape of a chair or side table, or use it for flooring. Beach Bros in Exeter sells a complete range of cork floors alongside its solid wood options.

Shopping sustainably

This is a trend that, thankfully, shows no sign of going out of fashion any time soon. “Awareness for our planet has been a big shift,” says Anne Gleed, owner of Anne Gleed Interiors in Stokeinteignhead. “People are sourcing more vintage furniture and being more conscious of the items they buy and their origin. “Many of my clients want sustainable products and this trend is only increasing with public awareness of the environment emergency.”

Keeping it local is just about the best way you can shop to keep those delivery miles down – and to support our brilliant Devon makers.

Keeping it green

This applies to your walls and furniture, as well as your shopping habits. Green is still very much on the interiors agenda this season. “With its connection to nature and versatility, green continues to be a go-to shade,” says Emma. “It’s a colour that can be calming, vibrant or dark and dramatic, meaning its hues can be used all over the home.”

Don’t stay neutral

“Brown hues offer a great alternative to traditional neutrals, such as grey,” continues Emma. “As autumn approaches, rich, deep browns will create inviting spaces. Pair with light marble in kitchens to create a luxurious place to cook and entertain. Rich browns work equally well in period or contemporary spaces.”

Turn up the heat

Desert tones, such as burnt and sandy shades including terracotta, are also in, drawing inspiration from a scorching sun and velvety sand – just what you need to feel warmer on those cold winter nights. Keep the trend going with desert-inspired finishing touches, such as a cactus design cushion (Mor Interiors in Lynmouth) or a specially commissioned cactus lamp, made by Peter Lanyon Furniture in Newton Ferrers.

Colours go pop!

Yep, we’re rolling back the years this season with a tribute to the 70s and 80s. Both decades feature heavily in the latest looks to have in your home, from bright neon accessories to patterned flooring and bold monochrome and lilacs. The team at paint firm Annie Sloan say that 70s tones and shades, such as plum and terracotta, are popular choices at the moment.

Kitchens are getting a colourful makeover. Don’t be afraid to make a strong statement with your choice of cabinet colours before calming everything down with cooler, softer shades. Yealm Kitchens in Newton Ferrers creates contemporary styles, featuring deep colours alongside more traditional tones.

Get drenched

Found your colour? Well, run with it. The trend when it comes to painting a room is something that experts refer to as ‘colour drenching’, the process of choosing one colour and painting it across multiple surfaces in one space.

In a small room, painting a ceiling the same colour as the walls can help create a cosy, cocooning feel.

Natural wonders

Organic shapes and natural materials, plants and timber – it’s all going to feature heavily as we head into hibernation. “We all want to be surrounded by comfort and tranquillity,” says Anne, adding that nature knows best when it comes to making your home look and feel like a calming place to be.

Vintage textiles and floral fabrics and prints can be used alongside green velvet sofas and jute textured rugs.

Statement pieces should be carefully considered and naturally beautiful. Some ideas include ‘lump of wood’ side tables, light fittings, stone coffee tables, timber dining chairs, rattan and timber-lined feature walls. Keep it high quality, durable and unique.

Pacha Design, based in Welcombe, North Devon, creates handmade furniture and objects from carefully selected reclaimed and sustainable materials, such as oak and metal.

Forget the masses

For years, design lovers have decorated their spaces to appeal to the masses with a view to sell. After the time we’ve had, this has been well and truly thrown out the window.

Personalise your rooms for that special connection and help make everyone feel at home for years to come. Create entertaining spaces to welcome friends and have fun times in – think cocktail cabinets and dinner party-ready dining rooms.