The five hottest interior trends for your house right now.

Back in the good ol’ early nineties, my parent’s home had a bathroom with a vomit-green coloured bath and poo-brown coloured carpet. Yes. Carpet in the bathroom. Clearly whoever thought of that interior feature didn’t factor in two kids playing, “I can make a bigger wave than you can,” in the bath.

Thankfully, the carpet in the bathroom has been swapped for concrete flooring and the colour scheme has shifted to neutrals that will last through the ages.

As someone who recently renovated their home, I spent most of last year obsessed with interior style magazines – particularly, Choice Flooring’s Inspiring Choices magazine. Soaking up the latest trends from big ticket items like furniture and flooring to the little knick-knacks that make a house, a home.

Even though I’ve run out of decoration space in my home, I’m still obsessed with everything interior and the latest trends make me want to renovate all over again. For the second year, I’ve ordered another (free) copy of the annual Choices Flooring magazine from their website. It’s packed full of the latest interior styling trends, written by interior writers and stylists like The Block All Star winner, Amity Dry.

Here are my five absolute favourite interior trends for 2016.

1. Less is more.

Previously, interior trends have leaned towards packing in as much as you can…and then pack in some more. Look here, no here, no here. Now… it’s far more relaxed. Keeping colours neutral and simple but playing with texture.

For example, a lounge room with a natural bamboo flooring for simplicity and a raw wool rug in a cream colour to provide some texture. Pair that with beige and off-white furniture, adding some soft pastel blues in throw pillows or blankets if you are dying for some colour.

2. Two words… statement pendants.

They’re like art. A statement pendant (or two) defines a room, whether you want to go for a more industrial look of black timber flooring with brass pendants or a beachier vibe of white matte floor tiles with those oversized crab net pendants.

Handy tip: separate the pendant light switch to the main lights in the room… that way your pendants can also be practical to give mood lighting if and when you want it.

3. Mixing up materials.

Hana Jo, Features and Digital Editor of homes+ believes that mixing materials and textures is the best way to lend your kitchen a sense of style, without sacrificing on functionality. Think hardwearing stone bench tops with easy-to-clean timber floors, stainless steel appliances and a rustic tile splashback.

4. The 2016 colour.

Who knows colour better than Pantone, right? They’ve come up multiple colour schemes to match the 2016 Colours of the Year, Rose Quartz and Serenity. Here are a few of my picks that are going to be red-hot this year:

First, my personal favourite, a combination of pale green with light blues, lilacs and the palest pinks you can think of. Pair with a base of whites, off-whites and greys.

Secondly, get a real vintage feel with bold blue, red wine and neutral greys.

Finally, give a nod to the retro era with richer purple tones and mixing them with olives and browns.

Colour in your home can be scary, I know. I’m more of a neutral-palette person myself. The way to make it work is to choose a neutral colour in the flooring or walls, such as a plush silver-grey carpet, or dark brown oak-look laminate, and use a colour to accent the room’s accessories – think candles, vases or rugs.

5. Nature-inspired bathrooms.

In the words of Sarah Pickette, features editor of Australian House & Garden, “Today’s bathroom is more than a mere functional space. It’s a room you can retreat to, a place of quiet sanctuary in an increasingly noisy world.”

With this concept in mind, bathrooms started taking on a nature-inspired feel in 2015, and the trend is growing. Forget the corner to corner marble stone. Instead concrete style flooring is the way to go. But if you don’t have the budget (or your current home structure can’t support a heavy polished concrete base), go for large concrete-patterned tiles. Even for a small space, the larger the tiles, the bigger the bathroom will look. And match the grouting to the tile colour.

Pair this with light coloured timber top vanities and a statement mirror to reflect feature-tiles on one, or if you are feeling brave, all walls. Pop a few indoor plants in metallic and concrete inspired pots and you’ve got yourself a retreat.

How will you style your home this year?

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