If you’re planning on giving your space an update in 2018, take note of this expert advice from Lisa White, Head of Lifestyle & Interiors, Beauty and The Vision at trend forecasting company WGSN.
Just-right Design
“Hygge” was the key buzzword last winter, which is all about slow living and housewarming — making your home a cosy, comfortable place to live. Housewarming will continue, but the buzzword for 2018 will be “lagom”, which is about making and consuming things in “just the right amount”. The era of rampant production and fast consumption will soon be over. People are beginning to buy into buying less, but better quality. This is about thoughtful purchases that are well made and will stay in your life for good.
Light Moods
In 2018 there will be increased interest in light and lighting. What is key is that the design focus is less on the form of the light and more on the quality of the light. Light fuels our emotions, as we see through light therapy and even chroma yoga, and in stores better lighting has been proven to increase customer satisfaction and sales.
In homes, we will see light that corresponds more to our moods, softer at morning and night and brighter during the day. Moving towards 2020 will see lights that mimic the flicker of candle flames and those that project shadows of moving leaves or branches on the wall to bring a feeling of nature into the home, like Leslie Noteboom’s Komorebi project.
The Ambient Home
The intelligent home is coming! This does not mean a cold, high-tech home but instead one that is connected with the people who live there. Alexa has already adopted every family member and kids love to get her to do their bidding and play the music they want. Multi-sensory elements, including scent, sound and touch will become more important to counter the impersonal effect of screens, and connected design will embrace a warmer, more joyful look through form, function and feeling.
Bowls
Nothing beats the bowl: we have seen health in a bowl with açai bowls full of fruit and nuts and we have seen sushi in a bowl with poké. In our increasingly relaxed culture, we like the idea of putting a meal in a bowl and relaxing in front of a TV or outdoors on a picnic. Bowls are easy to use, and they are beautiful — we can use them to show off all the great fruit and veg we have picked up at the market. Coming over from Los Angeles, we will see “zen bowls” adding a spiritual element to our homes. These are filled with a curated mix of sand, succulents, cacti and crystals and are both decorative and a way to focus on mindfulness and positive energy in the home.
Sustainable Plastics
Plastic will become a precious material, used for high-end, beautiful designs. New, natural plastics made from milk or starch will come to the forefront. Ocean plastic in particular, taken from discarded fishing nets or plastic waste gyres like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, will be reused in innovative ways, like the adidas Parley shoes and swimsuits or Brodie Niell’s highly aesthetic “Ocean Terrazzo” furniture. When we use plastic, we will know it is part of the circular economy, and here to stay.
