The takeaway: Live boldly and for the moment and surround yourself with people and objects that aspire to grace, beauty and originality.
Out of the woodwork
Clever joinery and beautiful marquetry define this season’s collection of tables and chairs. There are brand-new pieces like Porada’s Bouchon Marmo, as well as lost-and-found items such as Vitra’s Chaise Bois Chair and Poltrona Frau’s Kyoto Table.
The former was originally designed by Gianfranco Frattini in the early 1970s following a trip to Japan. It was there that he first encountered the philosophy of minimalism, of living in a way where little is added and nothing lost.
This translates beautifully into the Kyoto series — tables in which the construction concept gives form to the object itself.
The takeaway: Irresistible textures are the perfect antidote to our increasingly contactless society.
Sculptural matter
This trend refers to designs inspired by the ungovernable forces of nature. Irregular volumes meet, to create unique focal points, while sculpted sofa silhouettes recall the Japanese stones placed to protect and embellish riverbanks.
Taken together, the curious mix of curvilinear lines create a dialogue with the architecture and surrounding space — a landscape for living that is deeply connected to the world around it.
Look for roughly hewn stone tables, natural blown glass orbs and soft furnishings that appear to have been sculpted by the elements.
The takeaway: there are hundreds of ways to get back to nature. And while nothing trumps the real thing, inviting in beautiful greenery or sculpted biophilic design is a great first step.
A thing for jewels
Another way to let your interiors sing is with a selection of precious jewel tones. While jewels have been traditionally used as stand-alone feature hues, this year stylists have gone a step further, mixing and matching colours from across the spectrum for dramatic effect.
The takeaway: There is great intrinsic value in the traditional. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh new way of looking at it.
Opposites attract
It’s often said that opposites attract and in design it’s true. Perfect pairings this season include luxurious wood-and-marble combos as well as more industrial experiments with concrete and ceramic.
While each design is unique, as a trend it seeks to create exciting tensions between the warmth of natural materials and their man-made counterparts.
The takeaway: It is only through exposure to difference that we become brighter and more well-rounded.
Don’t be afraid to try new things and step outside of your echo chamber.
Anna Howell is interiors editor at Chaplins Furniture, chaplins.co.uk, 020 8421 1779. Appointments can be made online to visit the 25,000 sq ft Chaplins lifestyle showroom, with more than 180 furniture and lighting brands under one roof. Chaplins also offers an interior design service.
