Summer Interior Design Trends for 2019

Move over Living Coral, because one of the latest interior trends homes in on a colour that’s muted and zen – easy, breezy blue.

"Sky blue, dusky blue, hazy and pale misty blue – these paler blues were one of the more surprising colour trends to emerge for summer 2019. Guided by the fashion catwalks where baby blue came through strong, in the land of interior design, blue has become a hero in rugs, bedroom accessories in particular. Vases, boxes and pale blue piping and tassels at the ready."

This year’s spring/summer trends see shades of yellow basking in the ‘lime’ light. In spring’s report, we noted mustard as the colour du jour (or du saison more fittingly), and this summer, one of latest home decor trends is that of golden yellow.

"Imagine a yellow, less earthy than mustard. Golden yellow is brighter with more of an orange, or even at times green, base, and is much less muted than its Mid-Century-esque sibling shade. Warm tones are still prevalent this summer, especially in living and dining rooms. Try it in home accessories to begin with, and if you like how it looks, be brave and try it on a piece of upholstery. Even your sofa if you dare."

Rain on chrome’s parade is coming down in torrents this summer as people shake off the hold its had on our interiors for several years.

"Not everyone is ready to forget chrome so quickly. It’s a colour that feels safe and secure to many. That’s one of the great things about the trend for these colours that we’re calling ‘alternative silvers’. They’re reminiscent of chrome, like a distant cousin, but with more of a luxe quality to them. Warm, sheen-free silvers and champagne, pretty silvers with more of a matte finish than a high polish are to be embraced in our furniture. See Casamilano for inspiration."

Texture will always keep on giving, in terms of the endless depth it adds to a room as well as how many different varieties keep popping up. And one of this summer’s biggest interior design trends is about mixing plenty of alternative textures in the same room.

"This is much more than the classic rule of having some contrast in your decor, but rather the rise of seating with four or so different materials all in the one piece of furniture. Imagine leather meets fabric meets wood meets metal all in one dining chair – a real heady combination of materials. Take it to other pieces of furniture too – even coffee tables with upholstered panels alongside wood and marble."

The latest furniture trend for mixed materials isn’t the only texture tale to tell. Cue soft, curly, tactile bouclé.

"It’s always hard to find the words to articulate bouclé’s intriguing character. Transfixing in a similar way to tweed with its looped yarn (hence why it’s named after the French world for curled), bouclé on woollen cushion covers, lightweight cotton throws and even on curtains and upholstery packs quite the textural punch. Not only that, it’s inherently luxurious because of its instant connotation with the original, iconic Chanel jacket, which is never a bad thing for our interiors."

There’s an undercurrent of global chic in this summer’s interior design trends with designers quoting contexts like ‘Moroccan Renaissance’. But you need not go all out tropical. A rich tapestry of alternative veneers is a far more sophisticated way to bring a well-travelled spirit to your decor.

"We’re seeing lots of modern forms of marquetry coming through, like Tabu and gorgeous Bird’s Eye Maple that play with light and shade in your furniture. Try contrasting high gloss, lacquered veneers with more textured ones and touches of metal – layering up makes for kudos in terms of authenticity."

If you expected greenery to crop up again as one of summer’s home decor trends because of it achieving the accolade of Pantone’s Colour of the Year a few years back, then you’d be right and wrong (Pantone’s colours have a habit of hanging on for a good while after their key season). It’s a case of all things verdant coming through via motifs rather than paint.

"One of the hottest looks for summer is anything that shows nature as its muse. Think leaves, birds and flowers. Home accessories are your best friend here, because items like art and ornaments serve as the perfect tool to introduce a touch of Mother Nature. This is one of the ways to nod to Pantone’s Greenery too – nature’s favourite hue."

Classic depictions of demure femininity are riding high for this summer’s interiors. In place of sugary pink and frills however, there’s a decidedly Deco feel to present a grown-up take on girly.

"Step into the bedroom and dressing room for this sort of style. In terms of colour palette, there’s a lot of champagne, dashes of soft pink and expanses of warm neutrals with other tones coming through via glamorous, Art Deco-inspired materials such as crystal, glass and antiqued mirror. Once again, turn to home accessories but don’t overlook mirrored cabinetry and statement chandelier lighting."

Out of 2019’s interior design shows came a whole host of adjectives to describe the medley of shapes being offered up – lozenge-shaped furniture was one of the most referenced of all. It’s one of the current design trend that invites you to play with curves and angles.

"This is one of summer’s design trends that celebrates all things sculptural. Not everything needs to be abstract and boundary-defying, but simply of interest and of variation – Phillip Selva’s new Gatsby range is a case in point. Seek out scalloped edges on headboards, angular dining table bases with glass tabletops that lets them really show off, and curved edges close by to razor-sharp lines. And of course, the obligatory lozenge-shaped something somewhere."

Marble’s been on the design radar for more than a while, but this summer, its trend credentials are more about its pattern.

"Moving away from everyday marbles like emperador and calacatta, be prepared to go more unusual and dramatic this season with seriously heavy veining and dramatic colours such as intense reds and deep bottle greens. Wondering where to use it best? Pretty much wherever your home has hard top surface, you can opt for marble furniture. So your coffee tables, side tables, console tables and even shelving."

As part of the big trend towards what ELLE Decor refers to as ‘biophilia’ (a celebration of the connection between mankind and the natural world), think broader than references to nature’s colour palette and spectrum of materials.

“Animal print is back. Not that it disappeared entirely, but it stepped aside to continue to do its own thing on the side lines for a while. This summer though, the love for all things natural and tropical welcomes back everything from ostrich and leopard to zebra and giraffe – always the faux variety. Weave it into your decor through cushions and even a look-at-me piece of upholstery.”

The best design trends are when there are links between what else is rumoured to be a hit that season, because it helps them to slot together seamlessly. So, you’ll notice a smooth transition between the new decorating trends for nature-inspired style, animal print and this final pattern crush – tropical.

"Whether it’s a vibrant print on wallpaper, a screen-printed leafy statement on lampshades or block-printed palm fronds over cushions, tropical motifs help our minds to jet-set to shores far away where most of our minds want to spend this, the sunniest season. Tropical equals topical for summer 2019."