London is full of neighbourhoods with gorgeous, on-trend homes. From smart and contemporary locations such as Clerkenwell to well-known beautiful property hotspots such as Mayfair and Knightsbridge, London is a hotbed of the latest trends. While the capital’s famous stucco and redbrick exteriors feature in films and TV shows the world over, it is also important to take a closer look at the newest interior design insights coming out of the city. Here is a summary of what 2018 holds for London’s interior design enthusiasts.
Kitchen spaces
Kitchen islands, standalone appliances and breakfast bars all continue to be popular in the larger London homes, although it is also true that London interior design trends are reversing to some extent. Certain types of kitchen styles and textures once thought of as old-fashioned, such as terrazzo and Formica, are now coming back into vogue. This means that the latest London styles might have you harking back to the 1970s rather than looking into the future. Diner-style counters, plastic-topped tables and more pieces from eras gone by may all reach shops beyond the M25 soon, so keep your eyes peeled if you are a lover of retro and vintage.
Living rooms
Living spaces are a major part of interior design trends in any region, but for a city known for its plush relaxation options such as members’ clubs and its vibrant and bespoke furniture design scene, it is no surprise that London puts a heavy emphasis on making the most of living rooms, sitting rooms and similar spaces. One of the main London trends of this type at the moment lies in the world of sofas. Keep your eye out for sofas that retain their comfort while also offering definition in some of their features, such as sharp edges, sleek arm rests and more. Striped sofas are also popular in London, and bold contrasts such as zebra-style black and white designs are commonly on offer.
Playing with space
With many London apartments being somewhat cramped, the capital is definitely making strides in churning out some of the best tricks to make smaller living spaces look larger. Although the near-obsession with feature walls and other striking colours is certainly something that many people associate with cosmopolitan aesthetic trends coming out of London and similar cities in the past, the absence of colour works best for maximising the appearance of space in modern times. Walk into most London apartments, for example, and you are still far more likely to see white, especially on the ceilings or the higher parts of the walls. It is often the case that a vibrant colour placed in these areas can make a room feel much more cramped than it is in reality.
Windows and shutters
In a crowded and busy place such as London, windows offer one of the only ways that most people can show off a little when it comes to displaying their interior design tastes. For this reason, the design choices that you will observe around the windows of London properties tend to be very well-planned. Curtains are definitely out of fashion in modern London; instead, window shutters are in vogue. California-style shutters that cover just some of the window to allow for controlled natural light access are particularly popular. Many London residents, meanwhile, are also choosing to paint their shutters in pleasant, light colours such as turquoise.
Bathroom luxury
Bathrooms are becoming more of a focal point these days, and some of the latest London homes are now installing “bathroom spas,” or new-style exposed brickwork zones incorporating baths with jacuzzi-like fittings. According to the Evening Standard, over the last 12 months or so, there has been an almost 300% increase in the number of Pinterest searches for the terms “bathroom spa,” meaning that this emerging trend is clearly about to take off.
London is a global hub for everything from culture and finance to shopping to theatre, and interior design is really no exception. Britain’s capital is well-known as a trendsetter, and this means that the interior options chosen by design aficionados in London are likely to become popular in the wider world soon. From the arrival of new types of window coverings to the development of amazing new bathroom spas that provide a place to relax at the end of a long gruelling day, trends are changing in the busy and vibrant world of the London interior design scene.
