A very Happy New Year to you. I hope you had a peaceful and happy Christmas. As is tradition, the blog is looking forward to some of the interior design directions that have been catching my eye for 2024. On the list are some sweet feel-good colourways, new designers, bespoke muralists and antiques. And just when we need it most, high street stores have arrived like the cavalry with some terrific design to layer up our homes.
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With inspiring art as well as luxurious woollen textile designs and dark wood antiques, Pembrokeshire offers interior design a unique weave of Welsh style. The longish journey to this coastal region of West Wales makes the arrival (and lack of crowds) all the sweeter. You can be assured of incredible colour and light, from textural landscapes with medieval field patterns to pretty wildflower hedgerows and colourfully painted buildings. And that’s not to mention some of the best sandy beaches in the UK …
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Stripe lovers may be pleased to hear that they are on top form and in good shape this year. Stripes are one of those deceptively simple patterns that can create a myriad of arresting moods and styles. Their geometry allows for playful interior design, from circus tent ceilings to the subtle (but powerful) pattern play of styling a horizontal next to a perpendicular stripe. Whether you are looking for a classical Regency stripe or for something more contemporary, here are a few exciting fabric and wallpaper designs that have been catching my eye.
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I always look forward to visiting London Design Week in Chelsea. And this year didn’t disappoint. From smart interiors ateliers whose showroom displays extended to pavements heaving with spring planters (of the woven and antique variety) to The Design Centre with its fabulous displays of new interior design. There was much to see, stories to unearth and people to meet. Here, as promised, is just a small snapshot of new interior pattern and colour that caught my eye this week.
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Amongst all the nature-inspired greens for interiors this spring is an unfurling palette of mood-boosting colour. From global colour forecaster Pantone’s colour of the year Viva Magenta 18-1750, to refreshing citrus shades, floral pinks and sea-hued turquoise, you might find yourself inspired to do some decorating this year. But how to use this uplifting palette and where? I talk to top interior designers Penny Morrison and Kate Guinness for a feature in Saga magazine and take inspiration from new UK paint, flooring, fabric and wallpaper collections.
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Since I was last at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018, the world has of course become a very different place. To say that plants and flowers have become a huge trend for interior decoration is perhaps an understatement. From small scale print designs to grand scale florals, the health benefits of plants and flowers and how we garden for the planet is now key.
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Blue and white interior style is having what some might say is a long overdue renaissance. It is the smart tailored preppy design aesthetic that’s long been associated with the East Coast of America. A significant factor in this revival is the recent appointment of US interior designer Mark D Sikes by the First Lady, Jill Biden to redecorate her East Wing office at The White House. But inspiration comes too from the UK and from Singapore.
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Occasionally, the elements for my bespoke interior Styling Box service sound more like the ingredients for a cook’s recipe or episode of ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ than for a decorating scheme! A client’s brief to find a contemporary country scheme for an open plan living/dining room in Wiltshire recently found me doing a bit of time travelling in my research. On the design journey I found exquisite new wallpapers and fabrics whose design DNA comes from the berries of Swedish forests, to the spicy hues of English 13th Century cob houses and Renaissance Italy.
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Charis White Interiors 