WHETHER IT’S COLOUR drenching a room with a warm, rich colour, adding vintage appeal or embracing curves it’s all about adding comfort and personality to your home writes Ruth O’Connor.

Moody Botanicals

Flori bedding set at M&S.

Florals for spring may or may not be ‘groundbreaking’ but what about florals for this time of year? Embrace the dark side with a more dramatic take on botanical motifs with rich dark tones including deep greens and plum colours. For a very dramatic look be inspired by Dublin’s Floritz restaurant where the dramatic interiors by Project Orange feature botanical motifs and plenty of greenery teamed with dark wood, velvet, brass, rattan, crystal and plenty of mirrors to reflect the  history of the building’s original owner Thomas Lighton who made his fortune with the East India Company.

There are some incredible wallpapers and murals out there that can allow you to fully embrace the trend from companies such as Graham & Brown, Abigail Borg and Rebel Walls (try it in a smaller space such as the downstairs loo if you’re too nervous to go bold in the living room) or go floral on a smaller scale with accessories such as cushions and lampshades (try Rockett St George, Next or Brown & Ginger). Why not reupholster an existing chair or footstool with some incredible fabric and keep your eye out in your local charity shop too – we’ve spotted fantastic floral lampshades, fire screens and needlepoint pieces over the years.

Coralline Midnight wallpaper by Abigail Borg.

Volume and Curves 

The Ø lounge chair by Helena Christensen for BoConcept. WETOUCH IMAGEWORK WETOUCH IMAGEWORK

Sumptuous, soft and curvy sofas and chairs seem to be taking over at the moment and are the perfect place to sink in for a read or to carve out a space in an under utilised corner. Helena Christensen’s new Ø lounge chair for BoConcept is a case in point. This oversized, cocoon-like chair combines the cosiness of a couch with the intimacy of a chair making it an ‘island retreat’ for your home. Beyond seating you’ll see curves everywhere at the moment from headboards to side tables, coffee tables to mirror frames.

Brass room divider screen by Kare at Woo.Design.

Cocooning paint colours

Brittle Bark from the Colourtrend Wonders of the Woodland collection.

We’ve been seeing that the trend in colour is away from cool white and grey tones with rich colours in natural hues a great way to add a sense of cosiness and warmth to your home. Just last week Colourtrend unveiled a new capsule collection of eight new paint colours inspired by the beauty of Ireland’s native woodlands. Available in any finish for indoor use they are also available as exterior masonry paint and include two favourites Rua Dusk – a dusky pink/ earthy brown which is warm and grounding and Brittle Bark – a deep brown with green undertones perfect for colour drenching. 

Meanwhile at an exclusive launch last week hosted by journalist and founder Jo Linehan, Fleetwood introduced two new collections of paint colours including a collection by interior designer Arlene McIntryre as well as one by Róisín Lafferty – it’s a vibrant, globally inspired palette with some really great paint names including Moves Like Jagger and Mr Huxley. Pictured here is Zallal but our money’s also on Dedar and Dehana. The range is available in multi-surface matt, multi-surface satinwood and a scrubbable matt which features air purifying technology designed to remove VOCs and formaldehyde from the air in your home. 

Elsewhere Lick’s Brown 02, Red 01 and Green 05 could provide you with the cocooning atmosphere you crave.

Zallal - a colour from the Róisín Lafferty x Prestige by Fleetwood range of paints. Barbara Corsico. Barbara Corsico.

Vintage Vibes

Sunburst coffee table at Oriana b.

There are two key aspects to the nostalgic trend this season – both with rather different origins and aesthetics. Firstly, we’re seeing a nod to all things mid-Century with a revival in interest for furniture, accessories and lighting from, or in the style of, the Sixties and Seventies. There’s a definite vintage feel to lighting and accessories at the moment, to the materials being used as well as the shapes. We’re seeing a lot of brown, pink and olive green alongside orange, blue and yellow tones, retro materials including boucle, velvet, faux fur, linen and wool as well as chrome which is seeing a resurgence across both furniture and home accessories.

Another side to this nostalgic coin is the modern heritage trend – one which reimagines traditional design through a modern lens. Think heirloom-inspired furniture with streamlined silhouettes as well as heritage patterns such as plaid and check to create a classic look that feels fresh and contemporary. When it comes to expertly made modern heritage furniture, Finline Furniture in Emo, Co. Laois is an excellent place to start. Each piece is handmade on site using fabrics from a vast array of colour and pattern choices as and their frames have a 20 year guarantee.

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