While you might expect earthy, darker shades to reign supreme at the Autumn/Winter collections, this year they’ve been somewhat ousted by softer colour combinations. While bold jewel shades popular in recent years are still the favourites for statement soft furnishings, solid base tones of stone, mushroom and pale grey joined by touches of lilac and blush are creeping in to keep the luxe look under control.

For those who still have a penchant for a bold punch of colour, this can be added by including dramatic elements such as decorative feature walls, quirky tiles featuring splashes of emerald green, mustard, purple and deep ocean blue. Natural shades that will help ground a look are found in floors and bamboo and rattan furniture, which also help to add texture.

Farrow & Ball’s latest paint collection was created in collaboration with The Natural History Museum, using Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours – a classification guide to colours from the natural world published in 1814 – that was used by many artists and scientists of the age, including Charles Darwin as a reference source.

The 16 new shades include Duck Green (see main shot above), so named for the colour of a mallard’s plumage, soft Skimmed Milk White and a rich Imperial Purple, perfect for pairing with a comfy velvet sofa for a sumptuous sitting room.

Miele recently launched its Generation 7000 appliance range the biggest in the company’s 120-year history. It’s packed with innovative technical specifications, including ovens with integrated HD cameras, extractor hoods and induction hobs using Miele’s Con@ctivity technology and a Miele@mobile app that allows you to take control of your cooking process from your phone or Alexa device. The FoodView camera – a first in pyrolitic ovens – even allows you to see the contents of your oven from your phone or tablet via an internet connection, allowing you to adjust the temperature or cooking time remotely should you need to.

Covering 15 separate products groups including ovens, hobs, dishwashers, coffee machines and cooling the Generation 7000 series offers four design specifications in the built-in oven lines, with each sitting at a different price point depending on which features they include. ContourLine, PureLine and ArtLine, which is handless, are joined by VitroLine. The stunning all glass-fronted VitroLine, available in Graphite Grey, Obsidian Black and Brilliant White, is a highlight, and features a colour coded, ergonomic handle with a distinctive glass inlay detail.

Meanwhile, for those with a taste for tradition in the design if not the operation, Rangemaster has just launched the 110cm Nexus Steam, which combines a classic range-style cooker exterior with an up-to-the-minute steam cavity. Using steam injection to rapidly heat the cavity the temperature can be controlled to within a single degree for precise and flexible healthy cooking. It also prevents the transfer of flavours, so multiple foods can be cooked at once.

Dark Maximalism

Less is definitely not more in this modern take on industrial Gothic glamour. Think Victorian sitting room crammed with precious pieces curated into beautiful displays. Heaps of deep, sumptuous fabrics, in royal blues and emerald greens are the background for lashings of luxurious gold, copper and brass, which help to conjure up visions of elegant Royal palaces. Even amid all the accessories, standout pieces will shine. Include a simply stunning sideboard, a plush sofa or large chandelier as a design statement to help to anchor the look and prevent it from feeling too cluttered. 

Japandi

A striking cross between the calming influences and simple lines of the eternal favourite Scandi and painterly inky blues of Japanese prints and geometrics, Japandi is all about finding the perfect blend of rustic minimalism.

The Kanso Living collection from Sainsbury’s Home perfectly reflects this paired back minimalist ethic referencing the materials and craftsmanship of Japan and combining them with warming bleached wood and concrete elements and dark powder-coated metal storage. Sure to be hits are the dash-line tableware motif and inky painterly cushion prints.

Abstract form

An artful blending of funky fifties design and striking Bauhaus asymmetric shapes this trend favours abstract patterns featuring punchy shades of ochre, petrol blue and lilac. Perfect to use on pieces that act as an interior canvas for the image – a rug, cushion duvet cover or even as wallpaper – to create a playful, fun element to an interior. It works equally well in modern or traditional homes but it’s wise to overdo it or a room could look like a riot of Matisse-style cut-outs rather than a considered, well-thought out design. Habitat rocks the look well with abstract Clara tableware in two colourways and its Gino and Diaz patterned cushions, while the Inaluxe Jazz Flute rug, £249, from Furniture Village is a great statement piece. 

1. Chic chandeliers 

Move over grand country-home style crystal chandeliers, we’ve taken a shine to the latest modern-look lighting that’s a brand new take on the traditional light fitting. Whether you’re after illumination with a bit of rock-star chic like the Eichholtz Tortora Chandelier or a wooden industrial Gothic interpretation of country house lighting like the dark beaded Tahlia from Next, there’s a design to suit both modern and classic homes.

2. Glam Sideboards 

Once considered a tad old-fashioned and a clutter magnet, the sideboard is having a renaissance. It started with the trend for mid-century modern furniture, which saw a rise in popularity for cabinet designs from Ercol and G-Plan. Now those slightly utilitarian lines are being joined by glamorous pieces from the likes of Swoon and Oliver Bonas. The versatility of a sideboard has been much ignored for the past few decades but now they are back with a vengeance in dining rooms, kitchens and in sitting rooms, performing a multitude of tasks, from holding china, linens and glassware to doubling as well-stocked drinks cabinets for those that find bar carts a little too untidy

3. Fluted Glassware 

Whether it’s in front doors, kitchen cabinets or simply tableware, fluted glass is everywhere right now. It’s the perfect solution for kitchen cupboards as it helps to bring a little lightness to wall cupboards in particular while at the same time hiding any interior clutter

from the eagle-eyed gaze of guests. Translated to table and decorative-ware it helps to add a gently reflective texture to pieces and works well with the Japandi trend in particular. Amara have a range of ridged glass vases, while Kelly Hoppen has elected to add ridges for texture on white earthenware vases  

Biophilic design is the concept that humans have an inherited need to connect to nature because of our evolutionary dependence on it for both survival and personal development. In architecture it attempts to connect a building’s occupants more closely to the natural world, often by incorporating elements such as natural lighting and landscape features.

In interiors this has seen designers and homeowners alike realise the importance of creating a natural environment both outside and inside our homes to improve our general health and wellbeing. Broken into three parts – direct and indirect experience of nature and experience of space and place – plant life is key to Biophilic design. Adding greenery to a home will help to improve mood, reduce stress, decrease pollution levels and increase humidity, all of which can help to make us healthier and happier. 

So how are designers helping us to include Biophilic design in our home? The growing revival of houseplants is one of the simplest and most effective ways to introduce a direct experience of nature. Hardy plants such as Mostera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant) and a Seventies favourite, Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant) or Aspidistra (cast iron plant) are currently big Instagram hits as they’re all pretty hard to kill and look impressive on the ‘squares’. In the kitchen, creating a herb garden has the added benefit of being useful, too. Replant supermarket herbs in handmade ceramic pots and keep in a well-lit space, watering from time to time and basil, parsley and rosemary will be the herbs that keep on giving. An alternative is super realistic foliage. Companies such as Abigail Aherne, Neptune and Oka have great selections of faux flower stems including hydrangea, magnolia, peony and rose and even large scale cacti and succulents to give the appearance of a flourishing indoor garden without the work and worry.

Creating an indirect experience of nature can be done by creating a feature wall using foliage inspired wallpaper – such as Farrow & Ball’s Bamboo in soft green, or you could go full on with a Wallsource botanical mural.

Finally, natural materials such rattan, wool, sisal, rough-hewn wood and crafted ceramics in earthy-tones all foster a connection with the outside world. A few cushions with heaps of natural texture and floral or plant motifs are a quick fix and will provide a feeling of calm and be a mood enhancer on even the darkest of winter nights