With a new year come new things. January 1st is always an opportunity to review, reboot, overhaul, leave behind what was bad and embrace what is good. Perhaps 2019 is when you’ll change jobs, move house to reduce your commute or focus more on the family. New estates, like Westbrook in Melbourne’s West, are popping up near to the big cities with housing and land to suit different lifestyles and priorities.
Whether moving on or livening up your existing home, it’s important to ask, why do we care about interior design? Interior design is more than just aesthetics—it’s about creating a space that enhances comfort, functionality, and well-being. The interior design ideas trending in 2019 encourage you to make the most of your space. From injecting natural elements to experimenting with bright colors, here are some ways to spruce up the home and embrace a fresh start.
Biophilia
Biophilia is defined as the urge of people to affiliate themselves with elements in nature. Biophilic design is said to improve both psychological and physiological health, contributing to people’s well-being. It is increasingly popular in architecture and interior design.
Biophilic design is not just about bringing plants into the house, although maximising greenery is the most obvious way to improve the indoor environment. Utilising nature-inspired textures, such as timber, leather and stone, further enhances the connection to nature. Another example is installing large glass windows for unobstructed views of nature and allowing natural light into the building. Homeowners can also utilise artificial light sources that complement daylight.
Adding the presence of water in a living space contributes to calmness and tranquillity. Research has found that environments with water features reduced stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure. Some examples include constructed waterfalls and streams, aquariums and fountains.
Multifunctional furnishings
As more people transition to urban city living, designers are catching on to their clients’ need for smart, multi-purpose furnishings.
In 2019, more homeowners will utilise furniture that can adapt to different requirements, and fit into rooms of all shapes and sizes. A wall bed can easily help homeowners transform bedrooms into a study or entertainment area. When the bed is lifted, it reveals either a desk or a sofa. Wall beds are designed so that mattresses fit perfectly over the couch when it’s down.
Other types of multifunctional furniture include surfaces that convert into dining tables, chairs that fold out into couches and beds that rotate to reveal a full bookcase.
Rich jewel tones
Room colours are trending to hues that mimic their gemstone counterparts, conveying instant sophistication and injecting an element of drama into the house.
Jewel-toned hues work best when they have the ability to play off other bold colours. Rich jewel tones such as indigo, dark teal, and hunter or emerald green are moving from the kitchen to other rooms in the house. Layering these colours with paints, fabrics, accessories and rugs amidst a backdrop of white architectural elements is an excellent way to design the home, making sure that the room’s appearance doesn’t fall flat. Homeowners who want to experiment can start by adding highly pigmented bauble-hued accessories. The bolder designers can cover one entire room in a deeply saturated gem-inspired shade. Choosing two or three shades creates a strong sense of contrast.
Emphasising the jewel hues creates a space that looks luxe and bold. Biophilia is natural and earthy and multi-functioning furniture is practical and novel. Although these trends are distinctive, the fun is working with them to find your own style.
