Article Category: Design Trends

Stressful times call for calming colours. It’s no wonder that soothing colour schemes are tipped to continue trending for the year ahead and beyond. Soft, light palettes make great backdrops for statement retro and rustic pieces. Let’s take a look at them!  

Way-popular Grey

Grey is muted and mutable. It can be tinged with blue and veer on mauve, or contain a smidgen of green and verge on olive. Unfairly accused of being dull, it is a calming and cooling hue that provides the perfect backdrop for splashes of colour. This cosy living area shows how plain grey can pull together gorgeous spaces that are both cosy and contemporary all at once.

HDB 4 Room 23 Ghim Moh Link | Carpenters

Sand and Stone

After off-white and grey, yellow-tinged whites are a popular choice for homemakers who are looking for a warmer yet still neutral colour scheme. This restful living room teams a taupe sofa with a stone veneer feature wall to create a versatile space that can be toned down or livened up with loose accessories. Warm light suffuses the room with a soft inviting glow.

HDB 4 Room 512C Yishun St 51 | Le Interi

Define and Dine with Palest Pink

Purpose-specific areas can be demarcated by feature walls in palest pastels that gently define a space without segregating it. This dining corner is pretty as a picture with its backdrop of pale pink, which pairs perfectly with the vintage baby chandelier. The dining table, though decidedly modern, references marble-topped kopitiam tables of yesteryear.

HDB 5 Room Blk 164 Bishan St 13 | New Interior Design

Un-moody Blues

Pale blue-greens, from spearmint to cyan, are enjoying a surge of popularity. Distant relatives to their darker cousins, electric blue and midnight blue, these no-drama, calmer blues are ideal for studies, bedrooms and sitting rooms where relaxation and concentration are sought. With its robin’s egg blue walls and grey timber-look cabinetry, this study is, well, conducive for studying.

HDB Executive Condominium Watercolours EC | Starry Homestead Pte Ltd

Green Dreams

Hospitals have traditionally painted their wards light green as the colour is believed to have a calming effect on patients. Homemakers are applying the same colour psychology to the bedroom. Shades of light green, from sea mist to mint, are a great choice for a serene, gender-neutral space. Here, a feature wall creates a loose nature theme that is picked up by the timber-look wardrobe, bed linen and wall art.

HDB 5 Room Blk 812A Choa Chu Kang | Renozone Interior Design House

For a Calm Renovation, HomeRenoGuru

To ensure a calm renovation process, it is imperative that you engage an interior designer who puts your mind at rest. A hasty decision could have you seeing red over missed deadlines, blown budgets and shoddy workmanship. When in doubt, simply refer to HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app. Fill out a simple online form and they will send you a shortlist of established and trusted interior design companies that match your budget and your needs.

There’s a word that’s been popping up in interior design blogs and Instagram posts. It’s ‘grandmillennial’. Also known as ‘granny chic’ or ‘new traditional’, the style it describes affectionately embraces everything our grandparents loved. Are you a secret grandmillennial? Read on and find out.

Who and what

Typically aged from mid-20s to mid-30s, and predominantly though not exclusively female, grandmillennials genuinely love ‘old stuff’. This is in stark contrast to the ironic, somewhat smug way in which hipsters have reclaimed and redefined retro style. In fashion, grandmillennials lean towards Laura Ashley floral dresses and hand-knitted sweaters. In interior design, they embrace everything from wicker furniture and Tiffany lamps to vintage tableware and floral prints… You get the picture.

HDB 4 Room 264 Toa Payoh | Great Oasis Interior Design

More is more

Move over, Marie Kondo. Grandmillennials are virtually incapable of heartlessly decluttering their lives. They will boldly mix and match items from different decades with an instinctive editorial eye. Holiday souvenirs will be displayed alongside family heirlooms and retro relics, and every shelf will be filled with fancy things and quirky curios.

HDB 4 Room 717 Pasir St 72 | Lome Interior

Trend-averse yet on-trend

True grandmillennials are actually trend-averse. Chances are they were ‘going their own way’ before the term ‘grandmillennial’ was ever coined, blithely indifferent to modern trends. And yet, in an ironic twist of style ‘devolution’, the rest of the world has jumped on the granny chic bandwagon. Ruffles, tassels, fringes and flounces are all enjoying a moment, right now.

Landed House Sutton Place | Promax Design Pte Ltd

Shamelessly sentimental

Grandmillennials lovingly frame family photos and cherish the memories each one evokes. Very disciplined disciples may force themselves to store more than space permits them to display, but they will seldom if ever toss a personal possession. Sentimental value trumps market value, every time.

Condominium @ Parc Oasis | Inspire ID Group Pte Ltd

Accidentally sustainable

Grandmillennials look for the real deal, not self-conscious reproductions. Their habit of cobbling together a look from family castoffs and thrift store finds is great for the planet and the pocket, too. They wouldn’t think of buying flat-packed furniture that is destined for landfill in a few years’ time. And they’d rather sit on solid woodand weathered wicker than fill their homes with sparkling new designer knockoffs, any day. Grandmillennials are greenies through and through.

Landed House 1 Kew Avenue | Flo Design Pte Ltd

Your grand home renovations plans

If you are contemplating a home renovation, whether you are a grandmillennial or a modern minimalist, you need to devote maximum thought to the interior designer you engage. HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app, can help. Fill out a simple online form and HomeRenoGuru will provide you with a list of no-obligation recommendations for established interior design firms that match your theme and your budget.

No e-book compares to the beauty of a physical book. A real book, with cover art that intrigues and entices, and the thrill of turning the first page to the last. Regrettably, books are becoming a relic of our pre-digital past. Save the ones you love, before it’s too late. Here’s how local bibliophiles (that’s book lovers) are housing them in their homes.

Built-in bookshelf

This floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelf neatly incorporates two rows of enclosed storage space, top and bottom. Note how the height of the shelves has been varied to accommodate taller and smaller volumes. The sunlit space and deep comfy sofas are an invitation to lounge around all afternoon with a good book. Such civilised pleasure.

Condominium Savannah Condominium | Ciseern by Designer Furnishings Pte Ltd

Food for thought

In this open concept living and dining area, the bookshelf runs parallel to the dining table, neatly aligning the elements in the room to visually elongate the space. Come homework time, the dining table can double as a makeshift desk, with plenty of room for snacks and conveniently close to a small library of reference books.

Condominium Aspen Height | Interior Diary Private Limited

Reading room

What could have been the dead space of a corridor has been turned into the luxury of a dedicated reading room cum chillout space. All it requires is a built-in bookshelf, a comfy sofa to lounge on, a teddy bear to hug while reading the sad bits, and a ladder to reach the uppermost row.

Landed House Jalan Gelenggang | Y-Axis ID

Step-by-step approach

If you don’t have a lot of space, or don’t want to commit to the permanence of a built-in bookshelf, you can always invest in a free-standing ladder-style shelf. This light stained wood unit looks fantastic against the matte black feature wall. The potted daisy adds a dash of homely cheer to the vintage industrial vibe.

HDB Executive Apartment | Swiss Interior Design Pte Ltd

Great wall of books

This built-in bookshelf spans what would have been the wall of an entire room. An olive green beanbag and armchair invites one to sit on it and savour a book. The whiteboard, one can only imagine, is there to aid school-aged children’s tuition, or perhaps to record the brainstorming sessions of an entrepreneurial couple as they dream up new business ideas. Anything is possible in a space so inspiring, surrounded by the wisdom of ages in books!

Condominium Austville Condo | Design 4 Space Pte Ltd

Read up on your home renovation

Avid reader or not, it pays to research the reputations and the reviews of local interior designers carefully before you hand over your home renovation to one of them. No time? Not sure what you’re looking for? How do you know that the reviews you find are genuine? Turn to HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app! Fill out a simple online form, stating your house type, requirements and budget, and HomeRenoGuru will provide you with a list of no-obligation recommendations for reputable interior designers who will make sure your home renovation has a happy ending, with no surprise plot twists and turns.

Pantone’s much anticipated ‘Colour of the Year’ is ‘Classic Blue’. A deep, dependable colour, it reflects our need for faith and trust as we enter a decade of immense and disruptive change. Brace yourself for the blue boom.

See Blue

A classic blue TV feature wall creates a strong focal point in a neutral living room and adds a regal touch. In this simple, elegant space, the recurring motif of gold borders feels a little bit Grecian and a little bit Victorian while effortlessly pulling everything together.

HDB 4 Room 442 Pasir Ris Drive 6 | Flo Design Pte Ltd

Brown and Blue

Blue with a tinge of green teams beautifully with wood and light, warm, earthy colours. The teal feature wall in this open-concept living area defines the dining space with a pop of colour in an otherwise neutral space.

Condominium 1 Jalan Jintan | Leef Deco Pte Lt

Blue Cue

The blue skies framed by floor-to-ceiling windows serve as a visual cue for the blue-toned colour scheme within this open-concept living space. The deep turquoise blue in the living room gives way to a cooler, lighter tint in the dining room, creating a serene and comfortable space that is integrated yet subtly separated according to function.

Clearwater Condominium | Carpenters

Kitchen Blues

While blue is notoriously not a food colour, it looks great in a kitchen – and on tableware for that matter. (Think Willow Pattern plates) In this modern galley kitchen, the crisp, strong contrast of deep blue and white creates a cooking environment that feels bright and fresh. Patterned black and white floor tiles add visual interest and a splash of green livens things up.

HDB 4 Room Blk 402 Admiralty Link | Northwest Interior Design Pte Ltd

Blue in the Bedroom

A lighter shade of classic blue, with a whisper of grey, creates a soothing environment for a master bedroom that is not too masculine and not too feminine. In this colonial inspired room, white wooden wainscoting creates a gentle contrast with the blue painted walls and doubles as a bedhead.

Landed House Sunrise Walk | Ciseern by Designer Furnishings Pte Ltd

Electric Blue

There’s more than one way to ‘paint’ a room. The stairway to this second-storey bedroom is painted with light – coloured LED lights to be exact. It’s an increasingly popular way to change the complexion of a room with the flick of a switch, literally.

Landed House Project | Promax Design Pte Ltd

Avoid the Renovation Blues

Regardless of the colour scheme you choose, if you’re about to renovate your home there is one effective way to avoid seeing red and feeling blue over unforeseen and unfortunate developments. Seek the counsel of HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app, and get a list of recommendations for interior designers from a trusted authority. Simply fill out a simple online form, stating your house type, preferred theme and budget, and HomeRenoGuru will do your homework for you.

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, the colour gold is shimmering and shining in all directions. You can incorporate it in your home without making it look like a cross between the Palace of Versailles and a downtown pawn shop. Here’s how:

A Little Goes a Long Way

Since gold has that wow factor, use a light hand when adding it to a room. A gilded knick-knack, a piece of metallic wall art and some warm lighting are all you need to create a luxe corner and an opulent moment.

Condominium 57 Flora Drive | Carpenters

A Golden Thread

An eclectic, maximalist living room can be tied together by a thread of gold weaving in and out, throughout. In this busy but welcoming space, a chandelier and sconce lights, a heavy gold frame, a cushion cover and a velvet stool, all in shades of gold, tie everything together. Beautifully.

Condo 4 Room Waterfront Isle | Design 4 Space Pte Ltd

Golden Memories

In this ivory passageway, a golden cherub sits comfortably with a golden Buddha head, reflected in a gilded mirror flanked by gold-framed paintings, and all bathed in coruscating warm light. Amid all that ivory and gold, a zebra-print rug evokes images of a swashbuckling adventurer returning with hunting trophies from exotic lands… This assortment of golden souvenirs and accessories are props in a richly evocative 3D photo album of golden memories.

Condominium River Place Condo | Rezt & Relax Interior

Above All, Gold

Why not turn the traditional decorating rules on their head and colour your ceiling gold? Gone are the days when ceilings were white, white and off-white. And you don’t need a palatial or art deco theme to pull it off. This simple, minimalist room is made fabulous with a ceiling painted in Nippon Paint Momento special effects paint. It draws the eye upwards and creates an ambience that is both cosy and contemporary, all at once. The dappled texture of special effects paint, versus a solid expanse of flat gold, complements neutrals and naturals like wood and stone.

HDB 5 Room Keat Hong Close | In2Space Interior Pte Ltd

Shine A Light

Turning a space from ordinary to extraordinary can be as simple as hanging a trio of metallic lights over the dining area. These rose gold pendants are gorgeous against the mint and white wall, and the effect is doubled by a reflective mirror.

HDB 5 Room Jurong West Street 65 | Starry Homestead Pte Ltd

Draped in Gold

Adding the opulence of gold to a master bedroom or living room can be achieved simply by hanging gold curtains. Pick up the hue with wall art and accessories. Bathe the space in warm light to extend the golden glow throughout. With its soft gold drapes and upholstered gold bedhead, this room is all-gold.

Landed House Jalan Dondang Sayang | I-Chapter Pte Ltd

Arabian Nights and Days

The Middle East conjures up splendid images of gold, brass, lamps and ottomans. This living area is a modern take on it. The recurring geometrical patterns culminate in the splendid spotlight gold ceiling trim. Who wouldn’t want to bask in all this reflected glory?

HDB 5 Room 406A Northshore Drive | Eight Design Pte Ltd

A Good ID is Worth their Weight in Gold

Whether or not you plan to introduce gold into your décor, finding the right interior design firm is Golden Rule #1. Unless you are a repeat customer or have a 5-star recommendation from a trusted friend or relative, you’d be wise to seek the counsel of HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app. Fill out a simple online form and they will provide you with a list of established and trusted interior design companies that match your budget and your needs.

While pastels and neutrals are sweeping homes and hotels from cities to suburbs, there is a diametrically-opposed trend that is gaining traction. Yes, black is back. Embrace this darkest of colours for a high-end, on-trend look that never really grows old.

Black and Write

This inventive space is anchored by a black built-in bookshelf with a sliding blackboard for writing thoughts for the day and notes to self, and a striking raised asymmetrical black platform that loosely defines the study space. The black thread is picked up by the black desk, sofa, swing chair, track lights and ceiling fan. A furry white rug and monochromatic cushions keep add loads of textural interest to the disciplined palette of black and neutrals.

Scandinavian | Rezt & Relax Interior

Light and Dark

This open concept living and dining room is dominated by a black TV feature wall and a trio of rose gold pendant lights. A flood of natural sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows eliminates any risk of dinginess, while a black leather sofa and textured floor rug separate the lounge area from the dining area.

Condominium Monterey Park Condo | Flo Design Pte Ltd

Black Ground Not Background

This quietly dramatic open concept kitchen-dining area is made spectacular by the dramatic black and white-flecked flooring. The floor-you-can’t-ignore is picked up by a framed print, a black fridge, powder-coated legs on the dining table, upholstered seats on the dining chairs and a thoughtful bench by the doorway for taking shoes on and off.

HDB 4 Room Ang Mo Kio | Leef Deco Pte Ltd

Dark Kitchen Magic

Black makes sense for one very obvious reason – it hides the dirt. But beyond its grime-concealing properties, black has many benefits in the kitchen. First among them is its ability to unify the many elements in a busy utilitarian space. In this stylish open concept kitchen, black pulls the splashback and wall-mounted cabinets together. Wood-look cabinet doors and white countertops, flooring and ceiling relieve the darkness and dispel any risk of claustrophobia.

HDB 4 Room 808D CCK Ave | Carpenters

Night is Day and Day is Night

Black bedrooms are alluringly seductive and create a restful sense of ‘night-time’ at all times, conducive to late rises and afternoon naps. This luxuriously large bedroom is actually two rooms joined into one. After the original wall was partially hacked, the remaining partition was painted in matte black. Akin to a suite, the resulting space encompasses a bedroom cum study cum dressing room cum home gym. A black bedhead is echoed in the striking black and white bed linen, black rocker, ceiling fan, track lighting and punching bag.

HDB 5 Room Blk 329 Anchorvale Street | Starry Homestead Pte Ltd

Choose an ID Who Won’t Keep You in the Dark

Communication is key to a happy and smooth renovation journey. Glowing reviews consistency cite good communication as a positive aspect of their renovation journeys. HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app, can connect you with a shortlist of recommended interior design companies who will keep you informed on the progress of your renovation. Simply fill out a simple online form, stating your house type, preferred theme and budget, and HomeRenoGuru will do your homework for you.

Platform beds are popping up in homes everywhere. You get to save on a bedframe, gain storage space below, minimise the risk of falling out of bed (or at least shorten the fall)… What’s not to love?

Room Within a Room

A platform bed that spans wall to wall creates a room within a room. It’s like stepping up into your own private sleeping pod, or TV-watching pod, or reading pod. Add natural sunlight filtered through blinds and you have the perfect scenario for sleeping in. We love this bedroom!

Condominium 38 Forestville | Carpenters

Standout Stand-Tall Bedhead

Because it’s closer to the ground, a platform bed allows you to create a taller-than-usual bedhead, thereby visually elongating the height of the ceiling. This stylised coral bedhead emulates a rustic brick pattern while feeling thoroughly modern.

Landed House Lynwood Grove | Renozone Interior Design House

At Arm’s Length

This simple, striking room design makes clever use of protruding pillars by using the recessed space as shelving for books, earplugs, even a laptop for when you can’t sleep at night and figure you might as well catch up on work or study and buy yourself some naptime during the daytime. White against grey creates an attractive contrast and improves the visibility of the shelves in dim light.

HDB 5 Room Jurong West St 93 | Leef Deco Pte Ltd

Luxury and Light

An elaborate built-in bed with connected lighting and a matching bedhead requires commitment. Then again, who wouldn’t fall in everlasting love with this gorgeous monochromatic room? The paltform bed is connected to an upholstered bedhead and built-in bedside tables.

Landed House Goodman Road | U-Home Interior Design Pte Ltd

Simple Forms and a Splash of Colour

Bold colour choices can transform a plain room into something special. The clean lines and right angles of a platform bed lend themselves to isolating and highlighting rectangles of colour. This ivory room with a burnt orange feature wall and TV wall is a perfect example.

HDB 4 Room Anchorvale Link | Y-Axis ID

The Suite Life

In a large room, a platform bed can semi-divide the space by function – sleeping and sitting. This stunning black-and-white bedroom cum living space plays with straight lines and circles, which are echoed in the wallpaper, the lampshade, the floor lamp and the curvilinear chair. You’d never want to check out of this ‘hotel’…

Landed House Choa Chu Kang | Northwest Interior Design Pte Ltd

Complementing with a Good Mattress

The right mattress can provide exceptional comfort, support, and pressure relief, but without a suitable bed frame, its potential benefits may be compromised. A well-designed platform bed can enhance the performance of a good mattress by providing proper support, stability, and alignment. It ensures that the mattress maintains its shape and integrity over time, preventing premature sagging or wear. Additionally, a sturdy platform bed minimizes motion transfer, allowing for uninterrupted sleep, while proper ventilation and airflow promote a cooler and more hygienic sleep environment. The combination of a high-quality mattress and a compatible platform bed creates the ideal sleep setup for maximum rest and rejuvenation.

Zinus 25cm iCoil® 2.0 “Cool” Series Euro Top Mattress (10”)

Breathable Bamboo Fibre Fabric + Certipur-US Certified High-Density Foam + iCoil® Pocketed Spring + Border Encasement

 

Image by Zinus.

Get Into Bed with the Right ID

Before you commit a sizeable sum of money to renovate your home, it’s very important to find the right interior design company. A hasty decision can turn into a costly mistake and endless sleepless nights. Put your home in the right hands and you’ll be sleeping easy for years to come. HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app, can provide you with a list of recommendations for reputable interior design companies that match your budget and your needs. Request for a no-obligation quote now!

Could it be that the era of open-concept living is drawing to a close? Some industry seers think the writing’s on the wall.

Snapshot of the Past

The last decade has seen walls fall and borders blur. We’re not talking about world politics, we’re referring to the Singaporean interior design sphere. Arguably the single biggest trend in residential architecture and interior design has been the open-concept style of layout, where there are no fixed walls to divide cooking, dining and living areas. But if the trend forecasts are accurate, walls will be going up.

HDB Executive Apartment Bukit Batok St 52 | Design 4 Space Pte Ltd

Kitchen is King (Again)

Many homes now come with an open kitchen concept. One of the trends tipped to transform our homes is the reinstatement of the kitchen as the heart of the home. There are many reasons for this forecast, but probably the major one is the global obsession with food.

Today, celebrity chefs are bigger than rock stars. TV cooking shows see millions of eyes glued to the sizzling action and gruelling bake-offs. Vegan, keto, gluten-free and plant-based are terms tossed around in casual conversations daily. Eating in is the new norm, and mastering a complex dish – or perfecting a simple one, comes with bragging rights on the side.

HDB 5 Room Boon Lay Avenue | Starry Homestead Pte Ltd

Keeping the Kitchen Magic Secret

The kitchen of the future is kitted out like a commercial business. That’s not to say it’s not homely, but more a reflection on the calibre and volume of the equipment. Despite the ingenuity of multi-purpose appliances which can be steamers, ovens and food warmers in one, there are still many single-function contraptions that need a space of their own. Plus, you need bench space, and lots of it – to sauté, flambé, marinate, macerate and all the rest of it.

You need a wall between you and the guests – not only to contain the cooking odours and sounds, but also to build the suspense. If your guests could see the magic happening, well, it would spoil the surprise.

HDB 5 Room Punggol | Le Interi Design

Bigger Bathrooms

Aligned with the rise of the ‘home spa’ and the emphasis on the importance of ‘self-care’ by the medical, fitness and life coaching fraternities, bathrooms will become bigger and more luxurious. Not just a place to have a shower, brush your teeth and slap on some makeup, but a pampering space for some me-time.

Of course, space must be sacrificed or acquired for the accommodation of this luxury. Many homeowners are already sacrificing a second bedroom for a walk-in wardrobe and powder room. Given the growing pressure to declutter and shop more mindfully, perhaps the walk-in wardrobe will be sacrificed for a bigger bathroom, tub included? There are interesting times ahead.

Landed House – Burghley Drive | U-Home Interior Design Pte Ltd

A Room with a Purpose

The world is turning its back on shallow virtual pursuits and re-embracing the real thing (not the cola). We are picking up hobbies, again. Digital cameras are being abandoned for film. Digital music is being rejected for analogue, with vinyls and turntables making a comeback. Young people are sewing their own clothes, for creativity and sustainability. Etsy businesses are reproducing faster than rabbits.

With this return to the real, we need more space to pursue our hobbies. Spare rooms and storerooms will be converted into purpose-specific spaces – music rooms, sewing rooms, darkrooms, billiard rooms… It’s all part of the move toward more meaningful, mindful living.

HDB Executive Apartment | Sky Creation

The Suite Life

Another prediction, albeit more relevant for those lucky few who live in landed properties, is the rise of the ‘suite’ – a bedroom with a bathroom and small living area attached.

The suite caters for two groups of people – your live-at-home single adult kids and relatives, and your visitors from overseas. Industry insiders say that travel for leisure will become less about ticking off four cities in seven days, and more about visiting one place for longer and immersing yourself in local culture.

Having self-contained private quarters for your guests will make them feel free to come and go as they please and minimise the intrusion into your family life. Yes, it requires the luxury of space, but what a luxury that would be!

HDB 4 Room Cantonment Road | Fineline Design Pte Ltd

Let Only the Facts Shape Your Decision on an ID

It’s hard to know what today holds, let alone foresee the future. But what you can control, you should. For example, do not make rash decisions when appointing an interior design company to manage your home renovation. HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app, can provide you with a list of recommendations for reputable companies that match your budget and your needs. Request for a no-obligation quote now!

Maximalism. Florals. Organic shapes. Handmade. Tactile textiles Can Interior Design really be inspired from Fashion? We say yes! Read on for more on the wearable and liveable micro-trends that are tipped to take up residence in our homes in 2020.

Everything’s Connected

In this Internet-fuelled interconnected world, and in truth long before the dawn of digitisation, interior design and fashion have been referencing, inspiring and mimicking each other. Both are accessible, three-dimensional means of artistic expression that anyone can buy into. The year is no exception.

Maximalism

The world is tiring of all that uptight discipline and restraint. While a minimalist aesthetic limits creativity and condemns our homes to a plainness verging on dullness, maximalism allows you to create a visually rich and uniquely personal space. In the maximalist home there is a place for collections, family heirlooms, sentimental bric-a-brac and holiday souvenirs. The fashion equivalent would be anything from ‘bohemian chic’ to eccentric ‘eclectic’.

Condominium River Place Condo | Rezt & Relax Interior

Florals

Take a look at the collections of all the masstige and designer fashion labels and chances are you’ll find flowers. And lots of them. No doubt it’s related to the growing concern for our ailing planet. It could also be a backlash against the doom and gloom of the global economy. Either way, florals are a lovely way to brighten up a home. From a cushion to the whole sofa, from wallpaper to blinds and curtains, life can be a bed of roses!

HDB 5 Room Bedok | Leef Deco Pte Ltd

Organic Shapes

Taking a leaf from nature – organic shapes are uniquely beautiful and increasingly popular in interior design. From ‘live edge’ tables and benches made from slabs of solid timber to curvilinear bathtubs and asymmetrical undulating sofas and floor rugs, right angles are not so right anymore. The trend can be seen on the runways in relaxed silhouettes and loose, flowing forms. In jewellery, the natural shapes of uncut gems and baroque pearls are flaunting their perfect imperfections.

HDB 5 Room 217A Boon Lay Ave | Dots N Tots Interior Pte Ltd

Handmade

In a rebellion against mass manufactured plastic ‘stuff’, the word has embraced the crafts of our grandparents’ generation. Knitting, spinning, quilting, painting, woodwork, pottery – the happy hippy pursuits of the sixties and seventies are trending again. And the evidence is everywhere – from handmade jewellery and hand-knits to handicrafts in the home.

HDB 5 Room 38 Kim Pong Road | Carpenters

Tactile Textiles

Trend tipsters predict a corduroy comeback. Ditto suede, velvet, hessian, jute and anything handwoven. It’s tipped to be a touchy-feely decade – in fashion and interior design.

HDB 5 Room 185 Jelebu | Starry Homestead Pte Ltd

Common Sense Trumps Trends

If you’re contemplating a home renovation, far more important than picking up on what’s trending is picking a reputable, reliable interior design company. HomeRenoGuru, Singapore’s leading home renovation website and app, can provide you with a list of recommendations for established companies that match your budget and your needs. Request a no-obligation quote now!

 After the cool industrial-inspired grey tones of the last ten years, trend tipsters predict that brown will be the colour of the decade.

HDB 5 Room Bishan | ID Gallery Pte Ltd

Bye-bye Black, Goodbye Grey, Hello Brown

The gurus of trend forecasting, a seriously big industry on which manufacturers of everything from wall paint to bed linen rely, predict that shades of brown will displace black and shades of grey as the big colour story of the next decade.

In a trend seminar hosted in Amsterdam in June called ‘The Brown Age’, world-famous Dutch trend forecaster Li Edelkoort tipped brown to displace the darker shades in our wardrobes. And since design traditionally takes its cues from fashion, and vice versa, it looks like our homes will follow suit.

According to Li’s colleague Philip Fimmano, the creative director of New York-based Edelkoort Inc Trend Union, “Grounded and reliable brown is emerging as a colour correction after a decade-long overdose of grey and concrete”.

Condominium 80 Upper Serangoon View | Eight Design Pte Ltd

Fifty Shades of Brown

When we say brown, we are of course referring to a family of colours. From beige, sand and milk coffee, through to mid-browns like caramel and camel, and all the way to deep chestnut, chocolate and espresso, brown comes in a myriad of shades. All of them work together, and with almost any colour.

Unlike the failsafe black, which may overwhelm or dominate colours that it’s paired with, brown goes well with a surprising number of colours. From turquoise to fuchsia, mint and orange all the way to copper and gold, brown is a flexible and accommodating colour companion that almost always makes the other hue look good.

Condominium 1 Jalan Jintan | Leef Deco Pte Ltd

Green Interlude

In the short term, plant-like greens are tipped to make it big alongside brown. From zesty lime to grass green, and in particular olive green, it’s the hue that made its debut (well, comeback) at Milan Design Week 2019. Interior design trendsetters and tipsters foresee it going from strength to strength in 2020.

Needless to say, green and brown are natural companions.

HDB Executive Apartment Woodlands | U-Home Interior Design Pte Ltd

Loving Mama Earth

Anyone over the age of 55 will groan audibly as they recall the macramé wall hangings, rustic pottery and brown velvet sofas of the 70s. But this time round, brown will be less ‘hippy dippy’ and more, well, mindful.

The tender, loving aesthetic of ‘The Brown Age’ is aligned with the global movement against climate change and the worldwide embrace of sustainability. Whether you’re refilling your water bottle in the office pantry or composting your veggie peel in your garden, chances are you are already walking the talk, albeit in baby steps.

Condominium Project | De Style Interior Pte Ltd

Keep It Natural

Aligned with the global movement towards sustainability, natural fibres are tipped to make a comeback – cane, rattan, ethically harvested wood, and newcomers such as seagrass and sea glass, which is shards of regular glass tumbled in the tides and worn smooth. As for plastics, any planet-loving homeowner with a conscience will only buy bio-plastics or recycled ones, if any.

Textiles are tipped to go tactile. Think hessian, corduroy and anything with a texture. If it feels good, touch it!

HDB 4 Room Blk 305A Punggol Road | Renozone Interior Design House

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