Cambridge interior designer Katie Malik looks at design trends for 2017

Interior design trends for 2017: What's hot and what's not

Every year, people wait for this piece on the next year’s trends, as it’s very exciting to see all the changes taking place. As a designer, I always emphasise that not all new trends must be followed religiously, and in the end everyone should choose something that appeals to them personally.

Nevertheless, new trends can certainly be our inspiration for the New Year’s renovations, revamps and new home designs. Here is some of what we can expect to see in 2017:

1 More ‘DIY shabby chic’, a rustic base with hearty, unvarnished hardwood floors, apothecary bottles and simple furniture made of recycled wood – which will still be quite trendy, so don’t get rid of any old tables or turn that palette into clever seating.

Shabby chic has certainly been ‘in’ recently, but 2017 seems to welcome even more of it since as a society we are becoming increasingly aware of the value of recycling and reusing ‘the old’.

2 More colours! Refreshing, extremely revitalising ‘greenery’, which is used to “evoke the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew”. According to Pantone, among muted, earthy tones, we’ll see pops of primary colours like lapis blue and primrose yellow.

We’ll also see new colours in quartz, and mixing more colours and textures together will be particularly noticeable in new kitchen styles.

Green is very easy to replicate in almost any home and has an immensely positive impact on people’s wellbeing. Try to fit in as many plants and flowers as possible, but still be careful not to turn your home into a botanical garden. If you’d like to start small, invest in some green accessories first.

3 More ‘art’. More art doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune on new paintings, as stunning gallery walls which introduce both interest and personality to your home can be made up of affordable modern art, family photos or vintage prints.

4 More ‘automation’. We can’t avoid heading into the future and, as a result, we’ll see more automated items in the home: sensor-activated lights, hands-free faucets etc. We will most certainly see a firm ‘futuristic’ trend in kitchens: more sleek surfaces, curved furniture and cabinets.

5 More space. The easiest way to create extra space in your house is by redesigning your loft. Loft-inspired additions to homes, such as mezzanines, are going to be very trendy.

Demand for houses will inspire developers and architects to consider using the attics of existing buildings, creating fantastic, cosy options for first-time buyers or those who enjoy stunning views.

What’s not going to be hot? It seems we’ll have to slowly say goodbye to the following: Copper finishes (replace with metallic finishes of gold and silver), cushions with logos (look out for high quality and originality), florals (if you still love florals, try more graphic ones) and open-plan design (think zoning instead).

Happy New Year to you all and good luck with your design endeavours in 2017!

katiemalik.co.uk