2016 Trends

While the following thoughts are by no means set in stone as to what trends in interior design lie ahead, they are based on patterns we see emerging.

Certainly over the years architects and designers have approached design with "wellness" in mind. Much of this is to offer spaces which allow individuals to live and function in a positive environment.  In fact you only have to search wellness to see how relevant it is in many

sectors from food to town planning.

From here we see the family bathroom receiving the greatest makeover. No longer just a space to bathe or shower,  it has become the starter for creating that multi generation space. From wetrooms to steam rooms , showers are still evolving. Technology includes mirrors doubling as flat screen TV s,  electronic sensor taps, thermostatically controlled showers, led shower heads, sound systems recessed into ceiling, and air injected taps to reduce water use.
Ordinary tiles and grout on walls have been making way for ceiling height water proof panels. White raised shower trays being replaced by wetroom floors.

One crucial area too has been in the importance of good branding. By that I don't mean having Downton Abbey initials on some type of unknown porcelain, but the clear branding of suppliers like Villeroy and Boch, Hansgrohe, Laufen... It does seem that people once fooled by cheap quality are now looking for the tried and trusted.

While there will always be a favourite accent colour in furnishings, the bulk of showhomes still play safe with a neutral pallette.  Magnolia has long gone, with white being around some time. What we might see is layering of whites. By this I mean a few shades of white close to each other that work to highlight different surfaces. This is something that many people who use Farrow and Ball paint will be used to doing, but tricky to get right.
As an alternative to white, grey is becoming more popular.


Surprisingly feature wallpaper is still hanging in there. Big bold, brash, and often shiny - 3 rolls is generally all needed. Thankfully there are alternatives in the form of  faux brick, and both engineered, and recycled woods which bring more texture and life to a room.

The industrial  look is perfect for apartments and older properties. Shiny chrome taps have been replaced by antique brass or nickel to compliment a more relaxed kitchen space. It is surprising how many cookery shows have a background of exposed brick in the kitchen areas.

A few years ago it might not have been out of place to install a bright red signature kitchen. Now the look is more refined, greys and creams as popular as white.
Much more attention is given to the work surface.  In fact many granite suppliers will say how much in demand that product is now. Overall the use of natural materials like granite and porcelain have  been on the increase in the last few years, and this doesn't appear to be slowing down.
Porcelain on the floor is perfect for heavy traffic areas.

What I have written about elsewhere in this blog has been bio flame fires. While I see no emerging trend as such, they have been spotted in prestigious London apartments recently. They really do look stunning, so that will be my one off the wall prediction for 2016..

For advice on delivery of any of the products mentioned, contact me 

Tile Trends

It is hard not to be inspired by the selection of tiles at Topps Tiles. Not forgetting the plain white square tiles and limestone effect favoured by developers, there are some exciting designs worth considering for your home.

For a pop of colour the Metro is bang on trend with its brick shape. Purple, red, green  and bright blue will certainly add interest to a feature wall in a contemporary kitchen.

The highly polished finish seems to give the appearance of glass.

The Diamante range is another brick ceramic effect with a popular elongated shape and five exciting colourways which include white, cream, teal, mocha and a deep blue. There are even some textured ceramic bricks which with the right shade of grout will give a stylish industrial feel to wall surfaces , as well as being practical to keep clean. Minton ticks all the interior design boxes too. The range includes plain tiles, contrasts, borders and skirting tiles to create a complete finished look to any room.

The Victorian are a selection of square tiles in red, black and white with co-ordinating borders which look particularly stunning in traditional hallways. Made of porcelain, they are hardwearing and suitable for both interior and exterior use. Geometric shapes were seen in abundance at the Cersaie Trade Show in Bologna this year and Topps Tiles have a great selection of porcelain tiles making them suitable for both walls and floors.. The Hexa range is a great shape and the Cement and Cement Centric among my favourites. For walls The Renaissance Blend is a mosaic mesh with a Moroccan inspired design and made from recycled glass. 

Topps Tiles also have recycled wood effects, concrete, lava and polished wood tiles- and their knowledgable and enthusiastic staff, if Ian, Dave, Tony and Martin at St Helens branch are anything to go by, will advise and help you decide what's best for your project.

For more information and the full range visit Topps Tiles

Cersaie 2014 Bologna and more

Bologna has long been known as a centre of culture.  Historical buildings, well preserved architecture and  great transportation links all add up to this city being a destination for creative fairs and tourism. Little wonder it was voted European Capital of Culture in 2000.

Cersaie is a firm fixture in the ceramics world calendar. Major suppliers showcasing what is new and bold in the world of porcelain, ceramics, glass, designer walls, bathrooms and fittings. There was certainly a lot to see.

Glass glazed ceramic tiles and funky displays of lava basins made appealing and interesting displays. There was certainly a fair amount of lava products on show. Whether the material was used as wall tiles , or cast as basins or worksurfaces, this was certainly an interesting product.

I really liked the  bricks on show. Whether they were porcelain or designer brick, there was something really appealing about them. Not only were there different sizes and shapes- but some really exciting colourways and suggestions for patterns.

I'm quite into the designer brick- and very excited one supplier. Something a little bit different.

We saw at Decorex a few years ago a bit of gold/ brass displayed in bathroom hardware, this year a bit more in Bologna. It's a resurgent market, impressed to see some really good partnerships hardware and sanitaryware.

How can you not love these radiators by Ridea Schema Bird. There is Wolly, Schema Cat and Schema Bird- who incidentally was tweeting through Cersaie 2014 . Who says radiators need be boring.

We tend to think of heating in this country as being wall mounted boring white, or portable grey blowing hot air.

There are alternatives, and some imagination and great designs.

Excited was I by Cordivari, Italian style fantastico, shown here.
Fiore, a Spanish company with electric and water heaters and again great designs.


My journey continued to visit Tubes Radiatori. So here I am in a 16th century palace Ex Ospedale dei Bastardini in via D'Azeglio in Bologna, it's the Bologna Water Design festival. The building itself is beautiful, courtyard, vaulted ceilings- a place to stay and explore. That's where we found ourselves looking for Tubes. We found them, but the journey much more more interesting.

The international partnership between Turkish Ceramics, The Architect's Journal and 6 of the best architecture practices around was a highlight. The Architect's Journal teamed up with Turkish Ceramics, who represent 37 Turkish ceramic manufacturers, to create a design challenge called "Kiosk". The word kiosk is derived from the Turkish "kosk" which translates as small communal space. And of course the brief included an aspect of water as well as the use of Turkish ceramics in the design.

 The clue was probably in the introduction by AJ's acting editor Rory Olcayto, "Kicking the Bottle". Water is beneficial for health and millions is spent on bottled water. Why not tackle the problem of readily accessible free water in a unique and environmentally friendly way. How could a water fountain be exhibited and used in 21st century London and by incorporating Turkish ceramics into the design.

The wow factory definitely kicked in. How different could six architectural practices view something that's mostly sole purpose was to distribute water? How different indeed. The architects in question were Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Adam Architecture, Hopkins Architects, Eric Parry Architects, Studio Weave and Zaha Hadid. Each practice had its own unique take from single fountains that could refill water bottles and offer water to a dog, to elaborate fountains.

For more info re Italian radiator products contact Radiating Interiors

Related post Bologna Water Festival 

Sexy Ceramics

For research purposes, of course, I have HAD to watch the scene in "Ghost" where actress Demi Moore is at a pottery wheel.  Ok, actor Patrick Swyaze is in that scene too.  She is trying to form a vase, he appears - then the whole thing falls apart. Yes, men are that much of a distraction, especially if a hot ghost is in this scene.

The wheel keeps turning, the lump of clay with two pairs of hands and a lot of water turns into something memorable...will leave that to your imagination.

Poetry in motion.  Pottery in Greek is also Ceramic. It's been around for thousands of years through Europe and Asia - really anywhere clay could be found.   And  for thousands of years people have used their imagination to turn this lump of clay into something valuable - well maybe not as valuable as love, but you get my drift.

Of course there are floor tiles, wall tiles, outside tiles, bathroom furniture. There are different ratings, different glazes, different

 organics added, different firing temperatures....that is another blog.


But you want this link