Many of the autumn/winter 2018 shows featured interiors heavy with jewel colours, vibrant emerald greens and deep sapphire blues. Following on from last year’s opulent Raj Palace Christmas look, these bold shades are heralding consumers’ peacockish tendencies.  

This daring embracing of the dark side also runs to paint colours, with deeper tones on walls and also on cabinets, showing bravery not just with feature walls but also with whole rooms painted in deep greys, navys and rich greens. Favourites include Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue and Downpipe, Crown’s Scottish Pine and Little Green’s Scree.  

While Pantone’s 2018 colour of the year, Ultra Violet seems to be taking a little time to gain traction (perhaps it’s just a little too old lady’s hat for some) and last year’s Greenery was just a little too, well, green, the Rose Quartz of 2016 is firmly embedded in 2018 interiors this winter.

Working as an accent shade to soften bolder tones it also sits well alongside the other key accent of this season, gold. Little Green’s Hellebore is a fabulous, strong pink with just the right amount of warmth and Confetti is a shade that works well against dark greys, while Farrow and Ball’s Setting Plaster proves that pink doesn’t have to put you in mind of bubblegum or Barbie.

As an interesting side note for those not comfortable with pink interiors, until the early 20th Century, colours didn’t have a gender identity at all, both men and women happily wore pink and blue, then advertising campaigns in America in the late Fifties started to pink as a shade for women and the dye – sorry die – was cast.  

Countering all this opulence and glamour is a parallel colour palette that’s a touch more grounded, allowing those who loved the industrial trend, or those who are a little more country than rock ‘n’ roll, to reach out and embrace the palette and patterns of the South American desert. While it’s been visiting various places on its journeys for a while now, the Global Traveller look has firmly set its suitcases down in Frida Kahlo’s homeland, Mexico.

This means a welcome return to terracotta tones, punctuated with rich mustards and burnt oranges, with a touch of zingy greens and blues for good measure. Visit the Making Herself Up exhibition at the V&A and see the shots of Diego Riviera and Frida Kahlo’s amazing home, The Blue House, and you’ll pretty much see this look nailed.

The decadent colours of the jewel look are paired with soft, strokeable velvets. It’s the material of the moment, particularly for one of this season’s key accessories, the cocktail chair. While it might not initially seem a great solution for busy family homes, particularly those with small children and pets, companies such as sofa.com now have ‘smart’ velvets that should resist most things a family can throw at them.

Leather, too is experiencing a resurgence. However, it’s moved a world away from the shiny blacks and deep browns we’ve been seeing on sofas and armchairs for a while. Now, it’s the turn of super-soft, nut-butter browns and earthy tans that work so well with the Global Traveller trend.

Surfaces are still channeling the industrial vibe, with both rough concrete and cool marble appearing on everything from plant pots to mirrors and tabletops. Terrazzo is also finding favour – again, via the global traveller look – and as well as fabulous worktops peppered with stone chips of many colours, it’s showing up in china, accessories and tiles, too.

Gold remains the metal of the moment with copper and brass not shining quite so bright. Adding to the soft pinks of the opulent trend, it’s soft rose gold that’s the current favourite.

While the Scandi look is still holding on for dear life – both for autumn winter 2018 and Christmas, too, the slow but determined return of dark woods seems to be gathering traction in many Insta-worthy homes. Currently, it’s a few key pieces but we wonder how long it will be before people are opting for wood in darker hues again. Particularly those timbers with textured and heavily grained surfaces.

The key decorating trends emerging for autumn winter are:

Global Traveller… With influences as far afield as Africa, Mexico, Asia and the Tropics, it’s a look that embraces strong colours and patterns as well as rich textures by way of macramé, embroidery and sequins. Motifs to look out for include tropical botanicals such as cheese plants, succulents, particularly cacti, birds of all kinds including flamingoes, cranes and parrots, Aztec-style geometrics patterns and wild animals embellishing all manner of products from lamp bases to cushions.

Embellished Elegance… A touch of Twenties glamour and sparkle combined with classic mid-century furniture aesthetics dressed up in fine finishes such as velvet, gold and mirrored glass encapsulate this deliciously dark and sensual trend. Emerging from the boudoir, key pieces such as antiqued mirror-topped tables, elegant chandelier lighting and eminently strokeable fabrics are bringing a touch of sophistication to the rest of the home. It also gives new life to marble.

Now it not only tops tables and sideboards, it features as a textural decoration on accessories such as rugs, pendant lights and, of course cushions. This look is where gold is most at home, adorning all manner of products from mirror frames and bedlinen to bedside lamps with kooky animal themed bases. Emerging as another decorative feature is oil slick, with its luminescent shine and neon colours – look out for lighting, glassware, vases and objet d’art for now but this one is set to grow and grow.

Country Life… Embodying all that is cosy and warm about the English countryside, this look is tradition, but this time with a little twist. Classic furniture shapes – Chesterfield sofas and wing-backed armchairs have been given a makeover with rich mustard, emerald green and deep blue fabrics such as felt and velvet, plus butter-soft tan leathers replacing the more staid tweeds and dark brown finishes we’ve been used to. It’s not a buttoned-up look by any means – don’t think stuffy English Country House – it’s much more layered and fun, with a touch of Scandi sophistication for good measure.

Handcrafted ceramics are really coming into their own, giving a bespoke look to table settings, while raffia and wicker pendants bring a Nordic feel. Of course, you can’t have country without nature and this look has it in spades, with gorgeous rambling rose prints on everything from furniture to table linen and wallpaper, while all the animals of the forest come out to play. Fox, deer and rabbit motifs are everywhere still but they have been joined by owls, mice and hedgehogs. Textures are soft and welcoming – think faux (and real) sheepskin on rugs and cushions, plus felt, faux furs and lots of quilting for cushions as well as bedspreads. While it may not seem like a neat fit, concrete is also emerging as an accent on lighting and tables – but smoother and sleeker than in previous industrial trends.

Cocktail chair… Perfect in both the sitting room, boudoir and even the kitchen, choose one in an accent shade to the main suite or as a standout piece in an open-plan space. In bedrooms, they add a certain roaring twenties art deco glamour.

Swoon, Oliver Bonas and John Lewis have a variety of shapes and materials available that provide both comfort and an elegant accent all in one single piece.

Faux flowers… Not green fingered? For those that find it hard to follow the trend for indoor botanicals because they all shrivel up and die after too much/too little love, then the huge improvements in faux flowers will suit them down to the ground.

Want to spend a bit of cash? Then Abigail Aherne’s the woman to watch, with life-like plants in all shapes and sizes from huge cacti to delicate ferns. Meanwhile, for fab faux flowers on a budget take a trip to Dunelm, which has an amazing array of roses, eucalyptus and peony blooms that are convincingly realistic and a bargain to boot.

Nest tables… Another throwback to the Seventies, the nest table is experiencing a huge resurgence and is fast replacing the gold drinks trolley as the must-have interior buy.

Opt for geometric wire frame bodies and faux marble tops courtesy of Tesco Home, burnished metal and etched mirror finishes from Lombok or simply go for a more timeless timber design from John Lewis.

Handcrafted ceramics… Ceramics have always been a popular quick and easy accessory buy to liven up an interior but this season’s must-have pottery pieces have a much more hand-crafted feel.

Whether they’re oversized marbleised floor vases from John Lewis, the Picassoesque jugs featured in Oliver Bonas’s autumn winter show, or the non-conformist rough edges and not-quite perfect finishes of Anthopologie’s latest china platters it’s all about the handmade look.

Statement pendants… Metal finishes shine bright for lighting with copper still popular and gold working its way in here just as much as it is in the rest of the home.

Mottled mercury finishes that give a tarnished antique mirror feel are an elegant addition for pendants over and island and easy-fit models are a good buy if the budget’s tight.

For those preferring a slightly more rustic aesthetic, rattan and wicker continue to be influenced by the Nordic look – Ikea’s bold Sinnerlig pendant was spotted gracing the interiors of the Scandi noir hit The Bridge recently.

Over at John Lewis and Debenhams, simple wicker and wood designs create playful shadows across walls.

Maximalism – echoing the Victorians love of ornaments and knick-knacks – seems to have grown out of a combination of wanting to surround ourselves with beautiful things and a love of technology that leads to an excess of electrical appliances that require defined storage. While covering every surface in a living room might work, it’s not so easy, or advisable in the kitchen, where keeping surfaces clear of clutter is as much a safety issue as anything else.

Hidden kitchens are one answer but there’s also the growth of beautifully fitted out perfectly functioning larders, breakfast stations and sideboards to help us stash our stash.

For those who want to display their favourite pieces, curated collections are the way to go. Thoughtfully combined groups of glass, ceramics and even pots and pans can add a decorative feel to the simplest of white, handleless designs.

Influencers are big right now. Whether it’s on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or Pintrest, covetable interiors are enjoying more coverage than ever before. All you need to do is look at how many followers key accounts can command – from doctor-turned-interiors junkie Little Big Bell to the interior heaven that is Apartment Therapy – to see how things have shifted from glossy monthly magazines holding all the cards.

Social media is also a huge influence on how and what we eat. From all those marvelous ’hand and pan’ videos that take us through a recipe in minutes, to the meal-in-a-box services that allow us to be more adventurous in our cooking without having to clutter up the kitchen with jars and bottles of once-used spices and condiments.

The improvements in vegan food now means that many of us, while maybe not committing for the whole time, will often opt for a vegan choice once in a while. We’re also looking at ways to curb our single-use plastic habit, too. That’s not only good for the planet, it’s good for our bodies, too. That’s something that body coach and fitness guru Joe Wickes knows and has capitalized on in recent years. Now you can follow his fitness regime and diet while cooking your oh-so-good for you food in his new range of pans.

Craft beer and gin continue to be the tipples of the moment but there’s whisper that rum is soon to have its day in the sun. You heard it here first. Cheers.