Choosing a Style to Suit your Personality

Q

1. Are you a colourful personality?
2. Do you love bright bold colours that are highly saturated but still deep and alluring?
3. Are you very fond of the prettier things like lush fabrics and floral patterns?
4. Do you relate to spring most out of all the seasons?

A: BOTANICA

If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions then the BOTANICA trend may just be the right fit for you. “Rich, ripe colours drawn from nature” is how Home Beautiful describe this trend, being particularly appropriate for those who love to layer colour on colour with florals included in all their glory. If you want to indulge in the Botanica trend in a more careful manner, look to include over-scaled, floral, digital print cushions alongside a palette of deep, jewel inspired colours like Sapphire, Ruby or Aquamarine. Accent with Coral or Gold for contrast to keep up the prettiness required to faithfully create this style. Over-scaled florals can also be used in an over-scaled way, such as full wall coverings. Their macro size creates a moody, sensual and glamorous backdrop.

Q

1. Does the Botanica trend make you recoil in response?
2. Do you far prefer a simplified palette with neutral tones and natural materials?
3. Is your personal style uncomplicated and imperfect by design?
4. Do the colours of winter strike a chord with you?

A: JAPANDI

If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions then you’re likely aligned to the newest iteration of the Skandi style, JAPANDI. Japandi is a blend of the Japanese practice of wabi-sabi, the celebration of the beauty of imperfections, blended with the clean yet natural lines of the Skandi style we’ve become accustomed to over the last few years. The result being a less perfect, more natural and yet still wood and monochrome palette featuring “either pale or dark with blue-based” timbers with smoky grey colours, blues and sage greens. Pure whites and blacks still play a part in providing contrast to the mid-toned greys and timbers, the mixing of Japanese inspired and Danish inspired forms focusing on the most natural, least perfect versions available. The overall style feels friendly, comfortable and non-fussy but curated and controlled, though not contrived. Accessories for the Japandi style might be made of matte white ceramics, solid timber or simple black forms.

Q

1. Do you have an affinity for Indian, Asian or African traditional patterning and design?
2. Are you fond of woven materials with lots of comfortable texture?
3. Does a neutral palette appeal to you as a base?
4. Are you fond of pops of colour, leather and an overall feeling akin to life in Australia?

A: MODERN WANDERER

MODERN WANDERER best describes your style. Featuring familiar Australian inspired textures and colours this style is also influenced by objects and materials found on travels abroad. Think Temple doors, Malawi Chairs, traditional Indian and Asian patterns fused with tan leathers, mid-toned timbers against a neutral palette. Rainforest greens, ocean blues and the desaturated colours of a sunset are all found woven into the natural, textured Modern Wanderer style. Textures found within this style are roughly woven, soft chunky wools or rough knotted textiles in a matt and earthy palette.

1. Do you love all things tailored and glamorous?
2. Are you a fan of bold statements of colour and pattern?
3. Are you glossy rather than matte?
4. Do the glory days of deco get your heart racing?

A: EMPIRE LINES

EMPIRE LINES is the look for you. Emerald greens, black white and gold all feel right at home in this style. The patterns and materials of art deco are revisited here with detail paid to beading, buttons and tailoring of furnishings, with embellishments and pattern being the final flourish. Symmetry and strong graphic lines create a sense of style and luxury within a high drama and high contrast palette. If “Dynasty” is your type of drama then Empire Lines is right up your alley.

1. Do you love all things traditional?
2. Do you prefer a fresh neutral palette?
3. Do you appreciate detailing and embellishment?
4. Do you prefer comfort over precision?

A: HAMPTONS

The HAMPTONS style is the one for you. Inspired and influenced heavily by the stately and grand beach houses of East Hampton in Upstate New York, this style is about a fresh and traditional approach to beachside living. Colours are bleached, from duck egg blues to spearmint greens, traditional tapware, subway tiles and marble all coming into play amongst a monochromatic, grey, white and neutral style. This is a refined and sophisticated style not to be confused with the shambolic and weathered French Provincial.

1. Do you love all things modern?
2. Does the latest technology and technological driven techniques excite you?
3. Do you like softer colours, intricate textures and sensuous curves?
4. Are you more aligned to metallic and plastics than timbers and naturals?

A: FUTUROLOGY

Baby you’re all about FUTUROLOGY. Think of futurology as a contemporary style that’s futuristically inspired, much like the ideas of the future were perfect for the 1960s. This version of the future is moulded from plastic, has interesting, curved forms but also relishes the fact that materials and textures can be made from techniques that have previously not been available, allowing for more intricacy and detail, whilst also providing a way to create truly bespoke approaches to design challenges. 3D printing, computer generated patterning and future inspired furniture forms all feature alongside soft and desaturated colours pared with metallics of all and any colour. Far from being a full colour display, the futurology style allows plenty of room to visually breathe setting this colour, pattern and texture array against a neutral, light and monochromatic white backdrop.

1. Are you a bit raw and gritty?
2. Do you love the reclaimed and the recycled?
3. Are you more inner city than country or coast?
4. Does the look of brickwork and steel get your heart racing?

A: INDUSTRIAL

INDUSTRIAL style is the style for you. Warehouses are few and far between but the Industrial style started by reclaiming previously industrial tasked warehouse spaces to make vast and modern residences. Steel, timber, brick and concrete all play well in an industrial style. Think metal pendants, fluted glass and aged timber floors pared with red or brown brick and minimalistic grey or black joinery forms. This style is visually heavy but has a lightness of space and scale that the high ceilings and big dimensions of the warehouse spaces can provide.