Last year, geometric and resort styles had the local interior design industry buzzing, with many starting to veer away from the tremendously popular Scandinavian and industrial chic vibes. So, what’s the word on the hottest interior design trends this year? We weigh in with the experts on home and decor trends to look out for in 2017.
1. Counters and Tabletops
This one’s for the cafe enthusiasts. If you’ve ever fancied being a charming barista brewing aromatic coffee and dabbling in exquisite coffee art, this concept is for you. Homeowners are starting to pay more attention to their kitchens, and counters can extend from your kitchen to your living room, doubling as dining tables or bar countertops – especially useful when you have friends or family over for dinner gatherings.
Jun-Aug Promo by Square Room Interior
2. Going Big on Details
Like they always say, “less is more”. True to that, simplicity is the key, but you can liven things up by embellishing the space with details. Anne Chua from CAD Associates ID predicts a trend of simple themes that place focus on materials. In her opinion, things will be getting bolder this year. “There may be more focus on enhancing texture for the space, for example a big hanging lamp surrounded by a semi-gloss epoxy wall, glossy or high reflective ceiling but rough finishing on walls or walls and more,” she predicts.
Anchorvale by CAD Associates ID
3. Texture, Texture, Texture
Textured surfaces bring our your personality, and they’re the first thing you see when you step into your home. The plus point? Once you have a texture your really love, you’ll have a breeze choosing your furnishings, because your walls and floors are going to steal the show.
Condo-Greenwood by Hugo Design
4. Japanese Minimalist
Minimalist designs have always been popular, but how about taking it to another level this year? Take a page or two out of the Japanese interior design books – clean and practical concepts in compact spaces. The team from DB Studio saw a growing number of people requesting specifically for Japanese minimalist themes in 2016, especially at the end of the year. “We just finished a project with Japanese Minimalist theme and the owners bought all their furnishings (furniture included) from Muji,” Ifa Indra elaborates.
HDB 4-Room – 673B Waterway Banks by Absolook Interior Design
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5. Smart Home Features
Our lives revolve around smart devices, and it’s inevitable that soon, our homes will too. According to Ifa, more and more people are opting for smart homes – i.e a home fully-equipped with anything electronic, from fingerprint-identification front door locks to automatic voice control for the whole home. “People want convenience over anything else, so a mobile controller that can help them switch on the air-con to cool the room down is a big plus for them”, she says. Word of caution: smart homes are not cost-convenient for now as technologies are still new on the market – but friendly prices are set to be on the rise.
6. No-Tech Rooms
Simply because sometimes, you just need a break from everything. While smart homes are indeed popular, there are also people who prefer a place away from technology. Remember the good old days when smart devices and the Internet didn’t exist, people had friends and family over, and actually had fun by simply talking and playing games? These days, some people even go on “social media/technology cleanses”. There’s been an emerging trend of separating work and rest by building study rooms, but homeowners can explore taking this up a notch by having a no-tech room in their homes. And now you’ll have face-to-face interactions with no temptations of external distractions.
