Interior designers have already been working for a while on what the “in” colours are likely to be in 2018.
Looking at these trends can give clues as to what furniture people will buy, what décor we invest in, what floor finish may be more popular and the overall mood for that design year.
Pantone, the world-renowned authority on colour, has hinted at eight colour trends for next year.
Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Colour Institute executive director, predicted the infatuation with iridescence would continue, since “the human eye can absolutely not avoid” anything pearlised or translucent. She also said another standout trend will include bright and bold colours replacing pastel shades, “reflecting our increasingly intense lifestyles and thought processes”.
Just how much this will influence hardwood flooring choice is hard to predict, but there is no reason to think there will be any big, quick changes from the recent trend towards cooler hues in 2016 and 2017.
Interior designers and homeowners find these tones easier to work with when decorating, giving more opportunities to paint colour and install furniture.
Coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams predicts 2018 will embody the spirit of contemporary life with their three colour palettes.
“Interior colour trends for 2018 step away from the stark light and dark contrasts and embrace colour fluidity,” it said.
“This palette is all about ditching harsh lines for sandy browns, muted greys, and hazy greens that harmonise perfectly. Don’t stress too much about sticking to a strict colour scheme, but instead let one organic shade blend into the next.
Demand for grey hardwood floors has been expanding, both for lighter and darker tones. Wood flooring supplier Taylor Maxwell said colour trends were still focused on the pales and greys that reflect aspects of the furniture and fabric fashions.
“With too many options cluttering the decision-making process many suppliers have simplified their offering,” it said.
“At TM Floors our unfinished floors in a range of widths satisfy clients who wish to create their own colours and design. Our MODO concept offers the opportunity to expand the thinking with limitless colours and finishes applied by our craftsmen in London.”
The company reported that demand remained healthy across the product range. Leading hardwood flooring manufacturer Junckers has launched a wood parquet product in 100% solid oak called HexParket.
The tiles are hexagonal and assembled by three single-pieces, with each tile having a groove on all sides, enabling an accompanying loose tongue to be mounted in the installation phase.
HexParket, measuring 20.5mm in thickness and with a size of 370x370x370mm, is delivered untreated from the factory and installed by gluing the tiles to the subfloor.
Nature’s Influence
“Whether we realise it or not, the shapes and patterns in nature have a great impact on architecture and interior design,” said Junckers.
“Consciously or unconsciously, we let ourselves be inspired and the hexagon – a pattern based on equilateral triangles – is just one of several basic geometric patterns emerged by forces of nature and basic mathematics. Just take a look at a beehive, snow crystals or the shape of certain flowers.”
Another of the big hardwood flooring producers – Kährs – has seen two of its collections shortlisted for awards this autumn. In the consumer sector, Kährs’ new Lux Collection has been announced as a finalist in the 2017 House Beautiful Awards.
Meanwhile, in the commercial sector, Kährs’ Chevron Collection joins the finalists in the Tomorrow’s Contract Floors Awards 2018.
The Lux Collection has been designed to create the look and feel of newly sawn wood, with all designs featuring an ultra matt lacquer finish that absorbs light and eliminates reflection. It is ideal for light-filled interiors and properties with structural glazing. The collection includes seven wood floors in a spectrum of ethereal pearl and taupe tones, through to warm honey and chestnut shades.
Kährs’ Chevron Collection, which was launched last year, has previously been awarded ‘Best Flooring’ in the FX International Interior Design Awards 2016.
Two Kährs wood floor designs, from Kährs’ Da Capo Collection, have been supplied for the £11m redevelopment of the Jameson Distillery Bow Street – Jameson’s Dublinbased brand home and visitor experience. Kährs’ Oak Domo and Oak Unico each reflected the building’s heritage and rustic interior, with the ranges having a lively, rustic grain, as well as being brushed, smoked, handscraped and bevelled to give a vintage finish.
Havwoods has completed a large supply contract to one of the largest residential developments in London – Lilie Square – using its HW2138 Contes PurePlank and HW2104 Azur PurePlank special order.
Specifications called for wood floors to the living areas, with an option to upgrade to wood in the bedrooms too. Interior architects Johnson Naylor had a budget of £40 per square metre for a clean grade FSC-certified plank, and wanted to offer two colour palettes – one light and one dark
