Emerging Trends in Interior Design for the Next 12-18 Months

In an ever-evolving design landscape, staying ahead of trends is key to delivering kitchens that feel contemporary and timeless and desirable to buyers. We sat down with Egger’s UK and Ireland Product and Design Manager, Aimee Fletcher, to gain her expert insights into the latest interior design directions. From nature-inspired palettes to the ongoing importance of sustainability, Aimee sheds light on what’s driving kitchen design innovation today.

Aimee, what emerging trends do you see gaining the most traction in the next 12-18 months?

We are seeing the rise of warmer red tones and deep burgundy and chocolatey tones, much like we see in fashion right now. Trend leaders have been showcasing these at prominent furniture fairs. We also see layering of soft tones in various textures and effects becoming a hot trend. Natural taupes and creams in silky smooth finishes, mixed with natural stone and soft subtle metallics, and elegant woodgrains give a very modern yet liveable and natural feel.

Which specific products in your portfolio are currently trending, and why do you think they resonate with the market right now?

Our biggest new decors are our Casella Oak. They are the perfect woodgrain to introduce into any scheme and so versatile. The veneer quality of the synchronised texture with the print design is barely distinguishable from real wood material. The colour tones within the decors easily allow them to be mixed and matched with warm solid colours, soft pastels, and stone finishes. Greens are still a trend going from strength to strength, Reed Green has really taken off over the past two years and now we are seeing a demand for our Stone Green in PM with a grey undertone becoming increasingly popular. Garnet Red and Rusty Red are also hitting that earthy red trend and starting to really take off mixed with woodgrains or even matt black.

What role does sustainability and eco-friendly materials play in the upcoming trends you’ve mentioned?

Sustainability has a huge impact on trends with the rise of green tones after Covid and people wanting to introduce the outdoors in. Moving on from that, we are seeing natural textures, linear and subtle woodgrains, and earthy reds and browns moving in. The mindset of these colours feels more natural and subconsciously tapping into these types of decors makes us feel more sustainable. We at EGGER have been focused on our products and further developing on the PerfectSense lacquered board products. With chipboard core on our standard products which makes them fully recyclable and circular within our own production, we wanted to extend this into our lacquered collection and create a silky-smooth finish and aesthetically stunning product but with sustainability in mind.

What ranges continue to be part of your collection that are infrequently specified? Are there certain design elements, materials, or finishes that consistently sell, regardless of the latest trends?

We are constantly reviewing the collection and so offer a wide variety of products across a number of sectors, so we feel we have a balanced collection for everyone. We have moved to a 2-year rolling collection meaning we can easily adapt to trends and products that are right for our customers. Staple decors are woodgrains and neutral uni-colours that are of a timeless style and will always remain. Oaks are always a huge seller for the UK, but the style of oak changes over time. We have seen the traditional orange-toned oaks move on to deep rustic oaks with heavy knots and cracks with a lot of character and then now to a more modern sleek style with a minimal amount of character making them very chic and stylish.

How do you approach the development of new colour palettes and product ranges?

As the UK Design Product Manager, it is my role to work with global colleagues to exchange what we are seeing across all markets. I visit key furniture fairs, look at colours emerging through trend forecasters, follow trend leaders in our market to see what’s next, and pay close attention to consumer trends. Social and economic factors can have a huge impact on customers and what they are looking to buy or willing to part with their money on.

How do cultural preferences impact the popularity of specific products or finishes? Are there particular colours, patterns, or materials that tend to be more favoured in certain countries or regions? Why do you think this is?

Of course, tastes vary from country to country and we all have our own styles. A lot of this is defined by our lifestyles in different countries and the warmer temperatures. For example, terracotta tones have been on trend for some time, but what works in the UK is a softer tone like Rusty Red simply as we don’t have the weather and the style of home that suits a more Mediterranean feel. The UK is split between traditional and modern and is now being influenced by Scandi style of lighter woodgrains and light airy style, Germanic that is quite modular in layout with more grey tones, and that of the Italian market which is walnut or eucalyptus furniture that feels expensive and more opulent. We try collectively to develop common colours and designs that work for all markets and then certain markets identify certain decors that only work in their market. It’s a fine balance.

As our interview has highlighted, the future of interior design reflects a growing desire for authenticity, sustainability, and timeless elegance. At Wolfstone Leigh, we combine expert insights from our suppliers with our unique consultative approach, working closely with property developers to bring these forward-looking trends to life in every project.

Unlock the potential of your next project with Wolfstone Leigh’s expert design guidance. Explore our latest collections and speak with our consultative design team today to create spaces that inspire and endure.