Bold and flexible: Home designs that enhance wellbeing

We have seen a rise in the use of flexible layouts and design elements to enhance convenience and wellbeing this year, whether it is at home or in offices. There is a bolder, experimental outlook as people today don’t want to remain fixed with one large piece of furniture and want to own something that can be moved around to match with changes in surroundings, seasons and design preferences.

Add-ons and accessories

Velvet seating and curtains are in vogue today. There is also a trend of using long, elegant pieces of fabric as room dividers that mimic curtains. These are semi-sheers and lightweight that almost look like netting. People are also increasingly opting for layering rugs. Pastel shades, Bold lighting, modular and multi-functional furniture, use of metallic accessories and creative air plant holders are also common sightings this year.

Wall colors and Pantone

For wall colors and textures, the trend is around bold moody tones, multi-colored walls, luxe materials and textured walls. The Pantone 2017 Color of the Year - Greenery – is being embraced by people in the UAE because it makes for an attractive summer colour that gets enhanced with natural light, considering that we get abundant sunshine throughout the year. It is a bright and youthful color, but when set against other common shades of home furniture, it can act a great neutral too. This color is unique in the way that it adds a dash of rejuvenation whilst at the same time exudes a sense of calm and serenity – a perfect combination for urban dwellers in Dubai and other cities in the UAE.

Textures: cutting the monotony

The world we live in is marked by sleek lines and flat designs – from our television sets to smartphones, there is a growing trend of smoother and shinier glass surfaces. Though there is a market for smooth finishes and clear lines in interior design, there is also a rising trend of visible and palpable textured finish. This year, textures like linen, ash wood, rough wooden and marble finish in wall paint or wallpapers are favorites amongst people who want to display their furniture pieces in a dramatic setting. Here, we see that the colors may be on the neutral side, but it is the texture that makes the style statement.

Texture is also an important factor in furniture pieces like sofas and cushions, since the color selection can only provide a visitor with the first impression. In the end, it is the “touch and feel” of the sofa that will have a lasting impression and people are savvy of this when selecting the fabric. Velvets and shiny leather are some examples of “expressive” sofa fabrics.

But we also need to consider the functional use of sofa fabrics, especially when talking about certain lifestyle trends today. Several cultures – and the UAE houses many – are comfortable with the idea of owning pets, and for feline and canine-friendly families, microfiber upholstery still remains a favorite pick as it resists claw marks.

Floral bloom

Flowers never go out of fashion and their versatile nature makes every home a canvas for experiments. Particularly in focus this year are silk flowers that are indistinguishable from authentic ones but give home owners a touch of flexibility when using accessories. With our lifestyles becoming fast-paced, it is easier to maintain decorative flowers made of materials like polyester which are easy to clean than refresh a new set of fresh flowers every few days. Moreover, using these floral pieces in clear glass vases adds to the flexibility, as the holder takes up the color of the floral combination and can be placed anywhere to complement the surrounding – be it a centerpiece in the living room, a bookshelf or a windowsill.