A colourful mixture of patterns on the textiles adds a hint of brightness to the living area.

Mixing permitted: graphical and floral patterns compete with other decorative materials, as seen at Missoni in Milan.

A penchant for patterns!

Décor at its best: ornamental designs greet you from the walls while structures on homely surfaces bring a touch of magic to rooms.

Strong graphics make their presence felt on the walls, fantasy-filled patterns provide visual appeal and decorative ideas inspired by nature adorn the living area. Even upholstery and floors are becoming brighter: living and décor have resumed their love affair. One popular trend is that of ‘wall tattoos’, which give homes a temporary motto. Retro flowing wallpaper designs. Coolness and elegant purism are left aside: the trend towards the decorative shows individuality and lets others share highly personal sources of inspiration.

Patterns and colours trigger feelings

Some patterns trigger memories; others represent future experiences. From Baroque to Pop-Art, from the love of gardens to the inspiration of the major cities: décor ideas for the wall excite our fantasies, awaken feelings and illustrate lifestyles. The patterns also redefine the feel good rooms: a wall tattoo over the bed can send out a sign; the photographic-quality wallpaper can purport a topic. There is no taboo on optically bringing the birch forest or a city motif into a room.

Structure and finishes: the 3-D trend enters the living room

The trend towards haptic experiences is now found in wall design: more and more newly designed tiles have relief-like or structured finishes, which attractively catch the light. Furthermore, many new wallpaper designs have a three-dimensional finish with protruding plastic ornamental designs. These effects give a room an exciting, sustainable character.

Ornamental design in modern bathrooms – including from Axor

The trend of creating a stronger connection between living, sleeping and bathroom areas also brings decorative ideas into the bathroom: for example, damp-resistant wallpaper, colourful patterns on white ceramics and ornamental designs on shower dividers. Previously, consumers liked these glass walls to be pure and invisible. The Axor Urquiola partitions, which acts as both a room divider and a radiator, is decorative and far from minimalist. Its metal surfaces are adorned with a cloud pattern. The paravent is part of the Axor Urquiola collection and highlights the playful style of the designer Patricia Urquiola.

Read more: Wallpaper: trends, designs and ideas for the home. Charlotte Abrahams. Callwey.

Charlotte Abrahams presents the history of wallpaper and 150 high-quality patterns. Callwey.

Images
  • These new cupboards have ornamental coverings. As seen at Casamania, Milan.
  • The retro-style wall tattoo is stuck on like a banner. As seen at www.wandtattoos.de
  • A strong contrast: the wall behind the flat-screen TV is richly patterned while the rest of the room has a purist, modern style.
  • The Dechirer tile range from Mutina has a fine surface structure: like an embroidered cover.
  • The new shower divider from Hüppe dares to add ornate design to the glass panel.
  • The tiles (Marazzi) have a fine, black and white pattern; the WC and bidet (Hatria) are florally decorated (photo: ©Marazzi Group S.p.a.).
  • Floral patterns are timeless – as Marazzi demonstrates with these black and white wall tiles (photo: ©Marazzi Group S.p.a.).
  • These wall tiles from Marazzi have an extremely delicate floral pattern in pastel shades (photo: ©Marazzi Group S.p.a.).
  • The Axor Urquiola paravent with a cloud pattern is both a radiator and a room divider.