The advances of technological innovations coupled with creativity create modern interior design trends that are rarely permanent. A trend that was new and inspirational a couple of years ago may not necessarily be on trend now, so it is more important than ever to create a space that is both comfortable and functional with a touch of originality.

Classic interior trends have longevity because they embrace the basic form and function needed in a home, whereas some modern interior design trends tend to fade away as they reflect a current mood in society.

Certain interior design trends can stand the test of time, but also provide an inspirational cue for the rest of the house. Here, interior design specialists, Baytree Interiors talk us through some of the design trends set to be big in 2016.

Interior Design Trends

Colour choices

Chances are that whatever colour you choose to paint your walls will be there for a long time, so choosing the right colour scheme is an important step in creating the perfect space. With thousands of colours to choose from, it can be daunting for anyone to choose a colour scheme, but our advice is to choose simple colours for the majority of the room and add a touch of bright colour to accentuate key areas, which can be changed more frequently to fit your mood, trends and seasons.

Pastel colours allow you to move away from the clinical look of whites and magnolias while not overpowering a room. However, adding a bright colour to a feature wall creates a focal point that draws attention to a specific area of the room.

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Furniture

Classic country furniture is still on trend this year and provides the perfect platform to create an eye-catching design. 2016 will see a wide range of bright and colourful furniture ranges to give a contrasting look to your home.

Mixing colours is also going to be a big trend this year as people look to create focal points throughout the home. With a huge range of colourful furniture paints available, upscaling is set to carry on being popular as people look to repurpose instead of buying new.

Noir furniture is also making a comeback in the bedroom; these French-inspired designs are perfect for adding a touch of luxury to any bedroom.

Mixing furniture styles has become popular over the past couple of years and is set to continue into 2016. Antique and modern furniture can slot seamlessly into the same room, but for something a bit different try mixing mid-century furniture designs with industrial fixtures and fittings with the help of a company such as this one offering custom trim services and woodwork, such as shelves, to help you create a minimalist theme.

Also read: What are retaining walls?

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Lighting

Strategically placed lighting is a simple yet effective way to change the ambience in a room with minimal effort. Pendant lights and chandeliers are a great choice when it comes to lighting, as are filament bulbs which provide a warm glow with a vintage look. With a range of different styles available from industrial to vintage and modern variants, pendant lights can suit any theme.

With the advances of LED lighting becoming more creative and cheaper for the mass market we will start to see LED lighting throughout the home. Mood lighting is set to become a popular choice as people move away from static standard lights and move to more complex designs.

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Smart everything

Smart TVs have become the norm over the past few years, but technology is advancing at such a rate that just about everything will be smart in some way. There are already smart systems available to control your heating, open your garage door and turn your lights on and off, and as these systems become more affordable we will see them integrated into the home.

2016 is shaping up to be an innovative and creative time for interior design as designers look to utilise technological advances to create new and imaginative products whilst still retaining some classic design traits.

Julian Potter from Baytree Interiors said, “It’s great to see that even in these technological times classic designs are still the bedrock of modern home interior designs. These classic touches provide a great platform to express yourself throughout your home without compromising on form or function.

“Bright and vibrant colours are rightly coming back into fashion, slowly banishing the days of magnolia walls into the past. This shows that people are once again looking for something a bit different and want to put their stamp of individualism on their home.”

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