The interior design industry is fuelled by consumer’s desires for beautiful environments and spaces and this, in turn, generates the demand for ever evolving trends in furniture, accessories, fabrics, finishes, artwork and many, many products, in many, many colours and finishes, to create these spaces.
Technological advancements in the production of these products keep us designers on our toes as we strive to know what is new and available to our customers. And while keeping abreast of new developments and opportunities is important, I for one, have never been a fan of blindly following a trend. New trends come along and create buzz and excitement about the opportunities they present to us as designers, but it is important to be selective about how we utilise and apply these to our designs.
Cohesive interior spaces rely on core design concepts pulling everything together to create interesting, inspiring and individual interiors for unique people; in designing for individuals we must find that core concept and work outwards from it. For me, this is key. The good news is that a core concept can come from anywhere and anyone, and it makes the difference between a good interior space and a great one.
It could come from the customer themselves and their passions and interests – do they have collections or obsessions? Are they passionate about sustainability and conscious consumption? Are they minimal and carefully styled or expressive and maximalists? The core concept could come from the space itself; is it a building from a particular time in history? Does it have architectural features to be celebrated and highlighted? Is it open plan and light or is it intimate and moody? Or is it a complete blank canvas, ready to be given its personality? Could it be the purpose of the space which decides its styling and design; the branding of the business could be the key colour concept for the design or the philosophy of the brand could inspire the materials and finishes used in the space.
The key thing is to find the crux of the project and create the space from this baseline. This is what will create unique and inspired interior spaces which celebrate their owner’s passions and individuality. Trends will come and go and offer us new opportunities to explore, but the uniqueness and quirks of buildings and the people who use them will always be the most interesting inspiration to me.
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