contemporary interior design trends 2016
the salone del mobile in milan is the largestfurniture trade fair of its kind in the world. the exhibition showcases the latest in interiordesign and is considered a leading venue for emerging trends. we visit the show every two years to chartwhich trends are taking hold and at the latest exhibition we identifiedeight emerging trends that will lead the way in bathroom and kitchen design. thinner edges are becoming more prevalentand show a continuing refinement of the trend we first saw in 2014. although mostly prevalent in tapware, newcasting techniques and materials have allowed
vitreous china products to adopt the thinedge trend too. the use of bold texture is perhaps the strongesttrend. and we've seen it applied to a range of materialsand surfaces. strong textures in natural and synthetic timbersand laminates; engineered stones and machined marble tiles further accentuate and add characterto the material. once upon a time where those surfaces we'reglossy or glassy, we're now seeing grains in timbers that are quite tactile. and in stones we can see a non-over processingof the stone material. minimalism is being applied in unique ways.
for example sinks and basins are being integratedinto countertops. appliances such as scales, gas burners andinduction stoves are being embedded into the stone counter tops, eliminating the usual complexity associated with these types of products. the materials and diversity of colours reflecta connection to nature and to the environment these materials come from. grains and stone veins are featured with minimalprocessing of the raw material. a lack of electronics and any form of complicationreinforce the organic trend. stones are not over processed.
timber surfaces include the kind of thingsthat were once upon a time left on the cutting floor. it's all about giving that product greatercharacter and those surfaces and materials greater character. open or modular storage in both the kitchenand the bathroom allow customisation of these spaces depending on the needs of the user. open storage means colour and personal stylecan be displayed and updated at will using objects and accessories. the bathroom space has now become more ofa personal environment.
its very much those delineations between bathroom,kitchen and lounge room and bedroom and blurring stainless steel tapware is becoming increasinglypopular and widely advertised as lead free. stainless steel is harder to machine thanbrass and this is driving the design and finish. flat or geometric tapware designs were prevalentthroughout the exhibition. the increase in the use of stainless steelis a big driver for the thin edge in tapware. that material and that manufacturing process lends itself to these types of shapes and forms. the three main colour palettes we saw wereneutrals, pale pastels like pink and green, and deep rich blues, burgundys, browns andgreens.
vitreous china was presented in neutrals,beige and matte white. black tapware is being replaced by dark metallicsuch as gun metal gray and carbons and tungsten. the detail trend spotted two years ago isbecoming more refined. quality materials with increasing levels ofsophistication have evolved with a greater emphasis on subtly and integration. it's really with a view of integrating andrefining those spaces, eliminating the number of intrusions and disturbances in those surfaces. [ bathroom]
[kitchen] [laundry]