According to Pinterest’s just-released Fall Trends Report, beige is out, one-of-a-kind pieces are in, and maximalism is making a comeback.
After years of beige and bouclé dominating home interiors and furniture pieces, the breaking news is that now we’re thinking pattern, texture, and bold colour. The platform has noted an uptick of 260 per cent in searches for vintage maximalism, Art Deco-inspired searches are up 850 per cent, and queries for unique tiles are up 450 per cent.
In ways, this cycle of aesthetics isn’t too surprising: trends generally tend to rise and fall over a couple of decades or so. The difference now is that, thanks in large part to social media, these trend cycles are not only shorter, but they also fall out of favour quicker.
As a case in point, consider the Art Deco-fuelled interiors frenzy that hit as soon as The Great Gatsby movie was released in May 2013. Suddenly, jewel-toned furniture pieces and decor featuring geometric lines, brass accents and chevron were everywhere. That was just over a decade ago, and now the trend has returned, indicating a noticeable tightening of timelines.
RM Block
While trends are fun to dip in and out of, most Irish homeowners are looking to decorate their homes with key pieces that will stand the test of time. Furniture that blends aesthetics with comfort and sustainability is top of mind. And with space at a premium for many of us, modular design is in sharp focus too.
Double trouble
The most recent Census data indicates that around 32 per cent of Irish workers (about 750,000 people) work from home for at least one day a week. That’s placing a burden on our homes, and as a result, spare rooms across the land have now been colonised by desks and office chairs, squeezed in alongside a guest bed.
It’s often a cramped, and not entirely ideal situation, but it’s easily fixed. Hiddenbed Ireland (stand P45) has the solution in its range of Murphy beds, desk beds, and wall beds, all designed to optimise any small or multifunctional space.
The desk bed concept is particularly clever: space-saving and available in single and double sizes, it can transform from a full-sized workspace to a comfy bed in seconds.
Work set-ups are top of mind in Pinterest’s report too, with searches for inspiring office makeovers up a whopping 2,652 per cent. The platform says this is “all about elevating the everyday, making every corner an inspiring, unique escape.”
EZ Living Interiors (stand M30 + N30) is on the case, with a range of desk options in sizes and styles to suit modern interiors. The Lyra desk is a great choice: compact and stylish, it can fit into a spare corner, offering form and function.
Vintage and one-of-a-kind
Competing with a rise in interest in handcrafted furniture is our love-hate relationship with what’s known as brown furniture. These often-intricate pieces can evoke memories of the dark, dusty homes of older relatives, and as a result, many of us think this is a style that’s dated and quite formal, not really right for a modern home.
While some pieces may well be too large for smaller-scale contemporary rooms, those with a bit of design nous know that by carefully incorporating select pieces, they’ll create an interior with depth and interest. Another bonus is that vintage furniture is often unique; no one else will have the same piece.
It’s an environmentally friendly way to decorate, too, as reusing older furniture boosts sustainability, as well as the circular economy.
Think neat Edwardian occasional chairs or display cabinets that can be tucked into a corner, Victorian plant stands to add height and visual interest, or even a fabulously decorative overmantel mirror, scroll-footed hallway console, or delicate inlaid bedside tables.
Yeats Country Antiques & Interiors (Stand P70) has all the inspiration you’ll need to add a vintage vibe to your home. Leather club chairs with a beautiful patina will work well in living areas, supper tables offer space saving along with traditional style for smaller homes, and lighting plays its part too.
Ultimately, classic furniture pieces in beautiful woods like walnut, rosewood and mahogany are never really out of style.
Modular magic
These days, we want our furniture to be robust, work hard, and offer more than one function. There’s a rising interest in flexible, adaptable pieces that allow for easy reconfiguration to fit different spaces and needs, or even as families grow.
We also want to use our spaces efficiently, adding pieces that incorporate hidden storage, for example. Buying once and buying well makes sense: it’s cost-effective, and sustainable because you’re not sending poorly made, or unfit for purpose pieces to landfill every few years.
More and more Irish homeowners are getting behind the concept, and Ponc Design (stand L20) is perfectly poised with its sleek, stylish modular shelving system that can be designed to fit your space perfectly. Simply choose the modules you want, and you’ve got a custom system that’s exactly right.
For those with more compact considerations, the Smart Desk from Magic Decor (stand P60) is a great pick. Its genius lies in the fact it looks like a slim storage unit which can be tucked away. But it opens into a fully functional desk, which can be closed again once work is done.
Storage solutions
It’s an eternal need, so storage solutions are always on the agenda. From where to put the kids’ toys to banishing hallways of coats, shoes, and schoolbags, one of the things most of us want in our homes is smart storage.
Bolands of Gorey (stand O30), has a huge range of options across stylish sideboards to hide a multitude, to bookcases, TV units with drawers to hide clutter, as well as clever bedroom solutions.
Ottoman beds are a brilliant pick for smaller homes. With a huge space underneath to store bedlinen, winter coats, and extra duvets, they can mitigate mess in minutes. The company also offers a large range of chests of drawers for extra clothes storage: from six-drawer wide chests to large tallboys, there’s something to fit every space.
But what if you’d like your solutions with a side of personality? No problem: Mango Crafts (stand P10) has handcrafted options that combine that all-important storage with decorative appeal: think hand-carved cabinets, sideboards or even a home bar station.
And at Fineline Furniture (stand P30) handcrafting is also the name of the game. Solid timber is used to create furniture with a very Irish story. Using spalted ash, oak, pine, beech and walnut, there’s a huge range to discover.
Burgundy is back
Reflecting a crossover between fashion and interiors, the fashionistas’ favourite autumnal hue, burgundy, is trending in interiors too. The shade, a deep reddish-brown tone, ties into the rising trend for interiors featuring warm and earthy colours. This is a departure from the Millennial grey and cool Scandinavian styles that have been so prevalent for the past number of years.
Now, warm browns, dark mustards, rich caramels, and other earthy shades are making an impact. Burgundy fits perfectly here and is an easier upgrade on 2024’s pop of red or unexpected red theory, which many people found hard to incorporate into their interiors.
Burgundy plays well with other colours too. It looks particularly impactful against blues, as well as sage and olive greens. So how to use it? Visit DFS at the Interiors Theatre for inspiration and advice and check out the sofa company’s Brompton Chenille Regent Grande Sofa in a wine-toned hue. It’s an elegant take, while the Rest large double-ended chaise in burgundy cord offers plush comfort for all the family.
Visit Natuzzi Editions (stand M10) to find out how you can tailor a sofa to your style and colour preference. The contemporary and compact Conforto sofa is a great pick for apartment living or smaller spaces.
However, if the idea of incorporating burgundy in a couch or occasional chair is a step too far, consider testing the waters with accessories instead. A low touch take on the trend, think decorative objects like vases, cushions, or even lighting.
EZ Living Furniture (Stand O10) has a perfect pick with the Maleka burgundy and gold lamp. It offers mood lighting with retro style and is a great entry level way to access this deep and dramatic hue.
Tapestry and texture
Avid interiors followers will have noticed the recent rise of all things tapestry this year, in particular styles inspired by verdure tapestries. It’s a logical next step from the recent interest we’ve seen in printed textiles from William Morris, for example.
Verdure tapestries are a little less formal, though. These large, woven hangings tend to depict lush, detailed natural landscapes, forests, and foliage, and we’re now seeing modern versions of the style proliferate across decorative wall treatments, upholstery, and soft furnishings.
The use of tapestry adds huge texture and tone to a room, and the traditional shades of muted greens and browns, along with the use of natural forms, fits really well into current trends for all things sustainable and naturalistic.
While the style itself may be more than 600 years old, there are new ways to adapt it to a contemporary home. You might baulk at a full set of tapestry curtains, but rugs are a brilliant way to try this out.
Kukoon (stand L30) is an Irish rug brand with a vast selection of options to choose from. The Shira Blue Floral Tapestry Area Rug is a pick that offers a fresh take on tapestry. Available in various sizes, its floral design has a layered border and incorporates cream, beige, and terracotta shades. The result is an area rug that will work in many settings, instantly elevating a monochrome scheme, for example.
Cushions are another way to subtly introduce the tapestry trend. If pale, soothing shades are your cup of tea, then tapestry can be injected to add a bit of depth to a scheme. At EZ Living Furniture, the Merida cushion will create immediate impact on your existing cream or beige sofa.
Ultimately, making your home your own should be something that transcends trends. In fact, slow decorating, where you intentionally source pieces for your home that hold meaning and provide function as well as visual interest, is often the best way to create a unique, stylish space that is authentically yours.
