5 soft furnishings and fabrics trends for 2018

To kick-start our spotlight this month on fabrics and soft furnishings, here are some of the hottest trends we are seeing at the moment…

1) Imperfection blends well
It seems as if the ’70s are back this summer when it comes to colour in interior design. Bright, loud accents can really help an interior space to pop. Rubelli’s Kieffer collection, designed by Paola Navone, threads together a striking mix of strong colours that are complete with the imperfection of lightweight fabrics.

Image credit: Rubelli

2) Tactile textures
According to MADE.com’s team of top designers, 2018 is going to be the year of leather and velvet. Patterned velvet is said to be this year’s fabric of choice for many to create statement soft furnishings. Leather on the other hand is billed to be hot in the guestrooms. Upholstered headboards, armchairs and Chesterfield sofas help to create a rustic yet rich look and feel.

Image credit: Gleneagles

3) Keeping up with tradition
With many designers working within heritage buildings to create a modern hotel that gives an appropriate nod to the buildings past, getting the balance right can be a challenge. Therefore, taking a traditional stance in the soft furnishings can be the solution. Arley House has collaborated with the V&A to launch four designs from the museum’s archive, translated into new colourways and textures onto soft rich velvet or classic cotton linen.
Pagoda is from a wallpaper design by Frederick Vigers, an avant-garde designer who won awards for his wallpaper designs. A romantic view of the orient was a feature of both wallpaper and textile designs of the period.
Heraldic Birds features mythical birds and has been reinterpreted into a furnishing fabric by Arley House. The pattern was originally created in the 1880s as a wallpaper by Lewis F. Day, shortly after he had helped found the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society and become the Artistic Director of Turnbull & Stockdale, a Lancashire textile-printing firm.
Rolling Leaves is inspired by the original Athenian pattern that was designed by Lewis F. Day in the 1880s and was intended for use as a wallpaper. The motif of this range of scrolling leaves shows the characteristic Arts and Crafts preference for stylised floral forms.

Image credit: Arley House

4) Collaborating with fashion trends
Collaborations between architecture and fashion are strong in 2018 and can often lead to the creation of something totally new.This year, it seems as if interior designers will take inspiration from men’s fashion. Dedar recently launched a collection that took its creative vision from men’s shirts and ties. The long, bold stripes can replicated in curtains, upholstered chairs and have even been spotted in the canopy at newly opened The Academy, London.

Image credit: The Academy, London

5) At one with nature
As seen in Arley House’s V&A collection and the wall coverings in The Academy, London, tropical scenes of animals and nature have appeared more and more in soft furnishings and textiles this year. More specifically, birds have become a major reference in both wall coverings and textiles.