It’s time to tear down the tinsel and start planning your interiors styling for Summer. We asked expert homewares stylists Betty Wong and Louise Wilson to share their top interiors trends for Summer 2013/2014. Learn what the key colours to use in your home this season are, simple ways to work the latest trends into your interiors styling and what to avoid when updating your home interiors for Summer. Now you’ll know exactly what to invest in when you’re buying up big at the Boxing Day sales!
RESCU: What are the key interiors trends Summer 2013/14?
Betty Wong:
Cool & Coastal-. This trend takes a renewed look at our relationship with the natural world and our fascination with organic looking spaces filled with natural materials and textures, weathered surfaces, and natural light. This predominately white trend has accents of warm sandy beiges, sea-shore inspired blues, and cool grey stone qualities.
Bright & Breezy– Bright summer colours in a range of geometrical patterns will instantly brighten and freshen our home décor. No Longer limited to smaller items, bright geometrics will be used to create modern depth with larger furniture such as a statement armchair or coffee table.
Soft & Sweet– The more romantic of the trends, this sentiment is captured by the resurgence of spring-time colours that are inspired by natures foliage and textures. Blossom pinks are mixed with sky blues and buttercup yellows to create a family of floral inspired pastels.
Calm & Collected- This trend creates a new spin on the minimalistic trend of white on white. A far contrast from the days of sterilized spaces in cold hues, the new white movement embraces sophisticated shades of white married together with an abundance of texture. Throw into the mix soft greys, natural textures and stripes and you will create an environment that is peaceful and inviting.
RESCU: Are there any particular colours we should be looking to for an interiors update?
Louise Wilson: Creating an eclectic mix of loud bright colours promises to be big this season. Emerald greens, fuchsia pinks, citrus yellows, turquoise blues, Indigo blues and orange all mixed in an array of geometrical shapes and patterns. For those not as adventuress with colour, choose one or two to accent and brighten your neutral décor.
RESCU: What are some simple (and cost effective) ways we can work these trends and colours into our home?
Betty Wong: Use a neutral colour pallet when purchasing larger furniture pieces, and larger ticket items for your home décor. A neutral upholstered behead, a recycled timber dining table, a natural textured lounge setting can all be updated with the use of small homeware accents in the latest colours and pattern trends to simply freshen each room at your home. With the use of colourful throw cushions, bright wall art, a scattering of vases, bath towels, patterned quilt covers, and a soft throw you can economically update your home’s interior décor seasonally.
RESCU: Which of these trends are best for city-dwellers with apartments and a lack of coastal views?
Louise Wilson: Bright & Breezy will freshen any urban apartment creating an inviting, fresh atmosphere this summer.
RESCU: Are there any ways we can work with interiors to create a cooler home and save on air conditioning?
Betty Wong: The use of 100% cotton products such as Cotton mattress protectors, Cotton Quilts, Cotton Sheets, Cotton Quilt Covers will help keep your sleeping space cooler during the Summer months due to the natural fibre of cotton, and its cooling properties.
RESCU: Is there anything interiors-wise that can help sell a home? Is working with trends advised, or should sellers aim for a classic look?
Louise Wilson: Depending on personal style, people tend to warm to different trends, so unfortunately no single trend is a sure-fire way to sell your home. The best advice we can give you is to make those viewing your home feel at home themselves. For example, adding the simple, feminine beauty of natural pieces to your home you can instantly make the space appear more open and inviting. The beauty of nature in the home is that it works best when kept simple – avoid décor such as over style floral displays on mass and instead look to more simple items that draw inspiration from rustic and natural settings. You would be surprised how effective this method is for creating an environment that is pleasant, welcoming and cozy.
Another common trick of the home-seller is to use the power of specific scents, such as freshly baked cookies, coffee or cinnamon, to ‘warm up’ potential buyers by making them feel immediately at home in their home. This is often referred to as the “smell to sell” method. According to laws of aromatherapy, smells that appeal to the senses can effectively shift our mood. Using scent to create an inviting and uplifting space in the home can do wonders for evoking in your viewers a sense of true comfort.
Similar to scent, lighting can have a powerful effect on human psychology and viewers entering your home will be impacted in an emotional sense by the level and tone of light. It’s the key element in setting the mood and atmosphere of a room and many underestimate the power of light to make or break an interior scheme all together. It should be warm, cosy and cheerful. Cold or blue hues will effectively create a space that is severe or stark, while bulbs with a warm of soft glow can instantaneously add ambiance and texture.
RESCU: What’s the biggest no-no when it comes to updating interiors for the summer months?
Betty Wong: As you put away your collection of winter boots and jackets now the summer months are here, it’s also time to store your winter home comforts. Store your heavy weight quilt cover, your mink throw, your woollen cushions and winter bath robes. It’s time to use your light weight cotton quilt and update your bed linen in this seasons latest colours, patterns and textures. Freshen your living areas with an eclectic mix of pop coloured cushions matching is a “no no” this season, so mix and match your fabrics, patterns and colours. Wall art this summer should be eclectically grouped in a random mixture of canvas, letters and framed art on white walls. Freshen your kitchen décor with a patterned pop tea towel, a display of coloured vases and keep your coloured serving ware on display. Add a pop of summer to your bathroom with the use of bright bath towels and bath accessories. The biggest no-no this summer is sweltering in your warm, dark, winter interior, and not embracing this summer’s colour and décor trends.
RESCU: How can we carry our summer interiors to our outdoor entertaining areas for barbeques and drinks with friends?
Louise Wilson: Repeat your interior colours, patterns and trends with the use of napery, hurricane lanterns, tea light candles and statues in your outdoor areas. The natural flow from interior to exterior will set the atmosphere and ambiance for your guests.
Betty Wong and Louise Wilson are homewares stylists for myhouse.com.au