Rich colours

Grey remains the neutral colour within home styling, but other colours on walls and furniture will be bolder and braver this year. Create moody interiors using violet, emerald green and navy, which look great in lush fabrics like velvet.

Black and white is making a comeback colour combination, but if you’re not keen, add different shades of teal for added depth.

If you want a more energising red, add tones of tangerine and coral to soften the look a little and mix the textures to add more dimension rather than a block of solid colour.

It is also true that millennial pink is in fashion and the perfect way to use this in home décor is to mix it with berry which looks perfect for the autumn.

Dark woods

The years of pale, bleached woods from the Scandinavian school of home decor is coming to an end after some years. In 2018 darker wood tones like walnut will give a sense of modern luxury and retro glamour. Whilst we’ve seen dark wood around for a while, it’s now ready to take over completely. Furniture will have metallic handles and legs as finishing touches to add an extra touch of glamour. Mixed with yellow metals, black and marble, many high street pieces will look very sophisticated.

Global goodness

Trends have been influenced this year from the Indian subcontinent. The colours and patterns in use reflect the inspiration that designers have gained from travelling. There are materials in earthy shades of clay, terracotta and ochre, all adding together to create a tactile, natural and raw feel.

Rattan and wicker are materials more commonly being used in furniture this year. Macrame, that was last popular in the 1970s has made a comeback with most High Street as well as high-end stores offering macrame in their new collections from wall-hangings to cushions.

Patterns on soft furnishings and crockery are being inspired by traditional block printing and paisley inspired designs are back to the fore. This is a year where you can get away with lots of embellishments and appliqué detailing.

Tropical plants

Tropical plants continue to be popular in 2018, from palm leaves to the retro Swiss cheese plant. The trick this year is to mix plenty of lush, energising greens that will look great against the on-trend darker furniture and against the navy and charcoal walls that home stylists are using right now.

Use planters that you can hang or sit on the floor. Paint post in colours or patterns that complement your interiors or that you want to be on-trend, perhaps using a marble effect or hang using macrame.

Metallic accents

Luxurious metal touches are more brass than rose gold or copper this year. Brass furniture pieces, mirrors and accessories all help to add a luxurious finish to any room. Soft pink and the on-trend emerald green colours both accent brass and gold tones perfectly.

If you don’t want to invest last sums of money in your home styling, lamps and smaller accessories are the perfect way to inject a new trend into a room without having to invest in larger, expensive furniture pieces. You can add simple metallic vases that can add a huge impact.

Pineapple motif

In 2017 the cactus reigned supreme. This year it is the return of the pineapple as the trendiest motif for the home, though the cactus has not gone away. You can buy goods and accessories with pineapple motifs for every room in the house, even the bathroom.

Marble

Marble, and green marble in particular, has become more popular than ever. You can add a marble effect through lighting, bed linen or wallpaper. If you have a pale colour scheme, marble cushions are totally on trend.

Fringing

If we can have macrame back in our homes, then we can having fringing too. This is not yet totally mainstream, but it soon will be. Home styling follows fashion and fringing is massive in the Spring clothing collections. This is your chance to be ahead of the crowds.

Botanical prints

Flowers and botanical prints have never gone out of fashion. The only thing that makes them feel like new is in the scale of the prints. This seasons trend for prints is to go small-scale, as though straight out of an artist’s sketchbook or forager’s handbook. For some, green is an unlucky colour, so there are some on-trend floral designs in alternative bold colours that still feel tropical.

You can also take the botanical trend away from literal plants by having leaf-shaped serving pieces in your dining set.