Tag: seasons

8 homewares trends for autumn/winter 2016

Post author By Guest Poster
Post date April 1, 2016
No Comments on 8 homewares trends for autumn/winter 2016

By Chris Tourgelis

As we move away from summer, it’s not just the weather that changes but our interiors too. Gone are the bright and warm homewares and in their place are bold metallics, dark shades and rich textures. Below OPUS’s Chris Tourgelis shares his eight top trends for the impending seasons.

1. MetallicsStill very strong and now getting a little darker in tone (moving away from bright copper). Dark gunmetal metallics and black metallic seem to be happening right now and copper is getting dirtier and darker in tone.

2. Rich organics

The whole marble aesthetic is not going away for now. Customers love raw marble mixed with very raw and rough timber homeware accessories. Some of our best-selling new items combine these two elements perfectly (like paddle cutting boards made of marble and timber).

3. Glass is not just glass

When you’re talking about homewares you simply can’t ignore glassware and vases. This season the look is more organic and less polished, almost a little industrial. This goes back in with the rich organics trend mentioned above. In some cases glassware is also being combined with those dirty metallics in applications like ornate jars.

4. Colours

Dusty pink, navy, emerald green and metallics are very strong right now. These tones are evident right across the homewares industry, from accent pieces to furniture and right throughout soft furnishings.

5. Rich textiles

Lots of velvet, organic looking (imperfect) rich woollen rugs and cushions and lots of Moroccan-inspired pieces dominated this year’s trade shows.

6. Natural furniture

Marble tables combined with rough timber is a very popular look. Rattan furniture is still very ‘in’ and the trend here is thick cut bamboo (lightly stained) with lots of lovely geometric forms.

7. Kids stuff

Educational toys that are also environmentally friendly steal the show. Parents are now looking for durable and less disposable toys that are also ‘green’ and are a bit more upmarket.

8. Green kitchen

Gadgets are still big but there is a big shift towards healthy eating and more natural ways of living. One of the big hits of last year was the vegetable ‘spiraliser’ which makes vegetable pasta. Customers are also really into healthy ways to store food and beautiful ways to hold household waste (Joseph and Joseph are leading the way in this category). We now sell waste bins that are just under $500. There was simply no call for this sort of thing three or five years ago!

All the products pictured are available at OPUS.

— Chris Tourgelis is the managing director and gift guru at OPUS, Australia’s longest running gift and homeware store in Sydney’s Paddington.

Tags autumn, homewares, metallics, opus, seasons, Summer, textiles, trends, winter

Furniture Homewares House Tours

See how Jen styled her home with Freedom’s spring/summer range

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date August 21, 2015
1 Comment on See how Jen styled her home with Freedom’s spring/summer range

Sponsored by Freedom

Is anyone else getting excited about spring being around the corner? After months stuck inside with the heating on, keeping a newborn (and his parents!) warm, I can’t wait to be able to throw open the doors and windows and smell the fresh air! Like many Australians, I love switching up my decor for the warmer months to make everything a bit brighter and more relaxed. This winter, we’ve been rocking a grey and gold colour scheme but I’m ready for something a little more colourful and fun for the next few months so I was excited to have a play with some of Freedom’s latest homewares at my place (I think this might just be the first time I’ve given readers a look inside this home too!).

There is no shortage of sunshine yellows in the latest range which instantly say summer! Such a happy hue! And even though it’s getting warmer, I still like to keep texture in my interiors. The absolute easiest and most cost-effective way to do this is through a mix ‘n match collection of cushions. You can see from my picks (all of those pictured are from Freedom, from $34.95 to $49.95) that there’s plenty of different materials and the knitted and quilted looks are my favourites.

The simple decorative turquoise and yellow metal ornaments on the table (just $9.95 and $4.95, BARGAIN!) are a great way to tie in the colours from the cushions and throw and very on trend. Likewise, this fab rug introduces little pops of colour without being over the top. There are a lot of same-same rugs on the market and this one’s a real standout and a generous size (160x230cm).

Your home shouldn’t be a show home, but it should rather make you smile and feel comfortable and relaxed. When my home’s feeling just right, I love opening the door at the end of a busy day!

I found it really liberating to introduce so much colour into my home. Maybe being a new mum has got me more used to brights and made me a little more fun?! What do you think of this look? Sebastian loves it 😉

Shop what’s new at Freedom online.

New products arriving in store every day.

Tags freedom, homewares, interiors addict, jen bishop, seasons, spring, Summer, turquoise, yellow

Interiors Addict

4 tips for changing your decor with the seasons

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date January 23, 2013
2 Comments on 4 tips for changing your decor with the seasons

Photo art like this would suit a summer interior

Sherrie Coleman helps people with choosing special pieces of art for their homes on a daily basis. She has noticed more and more Aussies running with the European trend for changing your decor with the seasons.

“Four seasons? I’m not sure about that. These days there are probably about eight – and none of them run in order anymore!” she says.

“In the cooler months, we tend to live a little slower, cook hearty meals and spend more time at home. People are inspired to bring their focus indoors, bringing warm colours into the home, rich in golds, pinks and deep oranges. In the warmer months, people put more energy into life. We want our key environment, our home, to reflect the way we choose to live – which changes with the seasons. Warm, comforting colours for the winter and cool, energetic, bright images for summer.”

A warmer piece of art for the cosy winter months

Sherrie, who runs Saltmotion Gallery in Sydney’s Manly, advises keeping it easy. “Adapting your home should be simple by just focusing on the key rooms: the living area, bedroom and even the kitchen if you’re the overachiever type. With just a few changes, you can make a huge difference to your home environment and how it makes you feel.”

Her four tips for a seasonal home

1. Install a dimmer switch on your lights (can be as little as $20 and installed yourself) and use in conjunction with candles in winter.

Tags art, beach photographs, decorating, interiors, manly, saltmotion, seasons, sherrie coleman, surf