Some hot interior design trends in 2012

The first hot trend is the return of the classic chevrons (V- shaped) patterns. The flame stitch (a type of chevron) and Ikats are also very much on trend in interior design 2012. In the Middle Ages chevron patterns were popular. Before the 16th Century flame stitch patterns were used for upholstery and drapes. It has come in and out of fashion ever since.

Interior design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Chevrons were in vogue in the late 1800s. Due to the industrial revolution machine made versions became widely available and very popular for upholstery on sofas, chairs and fire screens. Ikats fabrics are created by tie-dyeing the yarns before it is woven. The word Ikat is derived from the Indonesian word for bind or to tie. The design is found in many cultures and is considered one of the oldest forms of fabric decoration.

Ikat hand woven tribal cushion image from www.tabletonic.com.au

Sorry I am at it again I can’t resist getting to the history of a subject. I remember coming across the flame stitch pattern during my student days. I was doing an assignment on Tudor furniture and I was not very fond of the pattern or the bulky furniture for that matter. But I have learnt to appreciate great craftsmanship over the years and I am loving the new incarnation of the patterns.

Example of Flame stitch pattern on chairs image via www.cockelley.blogspot.com.au

The second hot trend in interior design is for rough finishes; peeling paint, rusting metal and hewn timber. There is a craze for mixing old pieces with new items and the rough with the smooth. I have caught the show Picker Sisters a few times and have enjoyed watching the journey they take across the US. They find old pieces of scrap and turn it into amazing custom designed items. They follow the trend of mixing rough with smooth; for example rusting metal legs with smooth marble tops to create coffee tables.

Sample Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Elegant items are also being mixed with unrefined items and sophisticated pieces with simple items. Things like blackboards as art work with Louis chairs. I have included a few concept boards to give you an idea of what I mean.

Example of botanical trend board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

There is also a trend for botanical designs and dimensional designed art work. We live in a time of constant change it is not always easy to keep up without becoming overwhelmed. I try to overcome this by watching for the more lasting trends. I came across a post by Kate Honebrink from Start To Down Size blog. In the post she talked about the top interior design and décor designs for 2012 which I found confirmed what I have been noting in 2012 interior design trends. So she inspired this blog post.

Example of dimensional artwork board created by Mane on SampleBoard.com