THE BIGGEST HOME DECOR TRENDS OF 2018 SO FAR, ACCORDING TO PINTEREST

With 2.3 billion home decor saves per year, Pinterest certainly has its finger on the pulse when it comes to what’s hot right now in interiors. For those who may be in a mid-year inspiration rut, the popular photo-sharing platform has just released its highly-anticipated Home Report, outlining the biggest interior design trends of 2018 so far.

Here’s a little ‘Pinsight’ into what homeowners love this year and how you can bring these trends into your own home.

Goodbye clutter, hello Lagom

For the past year, ‘Hygge’ has been at the forefront of decor inspiration, with homeowners worldwide choosing to adopt the feelings of cosiness and contentment so synonymous with this style.

However, as of late, it seems that homeowners are looking for more than snippets of momentary bliss – they want a way of living that encapsulates a simple and more balanced lifestyle, and they’ve found it in the form of ‘Lagom’.

This Scandinavian style encourages people to remove clutter and focus on a more curated style instead. While eliminating material possessions might seem like a grand gesture, saved pins for ‘Lagom’ are up 905 per cent on Pinterest in the past year.

Creating a perfectly balanced interior is easier than you think:

• Choose to invest in fewer high-quality pieces rather than cluttering spaces with mismatched furnishings.
• Adopt soft and subdued colour schemes to promote calmness.
• Place furniture in a cohesive manner that allows for easy movement.

The results? A simplistic and stylish space that encourages feelings of relaxation and mindfulness.

Become a mixologist in your own home

While style, colour and composition are important decor factors, a home without texture can come across as uninviting and sterile.

The beauty of introducing textures is that are so many to choose from. However, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed, especially when Pinterest have revealed the must-have choices to use in the home. According to the report, searches for ‘wool in the home’ were up by 168 per cent, leather 212 per cent and fringed-furniture 275 per cent.

Introducing and mixing textures has the ability to add depth and make living spaces feel incredibly cosy. Here are a few ways to do so:

• Play around with different textured cushions to breathe life into a plain couch. Think velvet against shag, for example.
• Mix masculine with feminine. For example, add a decorative glass vase to a deep mahogany dresser.
• Don’t go overboard. Small injections of varying textures are just enough to create an interesting space, while too much contrast can make your room feel confused.

Dare to be bold with colour

If your living spaces are lacking a little pizzazz, a fresh coat of paint has the power to inject life.

However, it seems that neutrals are taking a back seat this year, while vivacious reds and deep blues steal the wheel ready to make a lasting impression.

According to Pinterest, homeowners are searching for stand-out shades such as red (up 217 per cent), dark blue (up 139 per cent) and hunter green (up 209 per cent) – all to be used within the home.

Due to the dominating nature of such hues, it’s important to use these colours sparingly to avoid spaces becoming too ‘loud’ and shifting distraction from your decor pieces. Here’s how:

• Add an accent. Whether through a statement-coloured couch or accent wall, this is a great way to include a small dose of a brighter colour and inject a little personality.
• Use a neutral hue to tie everything together. Soft off-white walls act as the perfect backdrop for homeowners to add pops of colour, while toning everything down.
• Use other colours in the same palette. If you choose to use red, introduce other varying red hues around the room to help highlight your desired colour scheme.

In with the old, out with the new

It seems that homeowners are looking to channel sustainable living, as pins for upcycled furniture are up 131 per cent this year. This is the perfect way to breathe a new lease of life into tired and outdated pieces, as well as have a little fun in the process! Thanks to YouTube, there are plenty of easy-to-follow tutorials helping homeowners with their DIY projects. It can even be as simple as accentuating a weathered side table. Here’s how:

• Lightly sand your piece of wooden furniture.
• Apply a chosen base colour and when dry, sand the areas that would normally distress.
• Once done, wipe down with a cloth and admire your handiwork!

With home inspiration at the click of a button, it’s never been easier to transform your home into your own personalised paradise.