BUILD WITH CONFIDENCE FIND OUT MORE
The In-Season Colours to Style Your Home, Your Way with Gail Connor
The new season is the perfect time to style your home with the latest trends in home décor and colour. Autumn is a popular time to welcome back warm tones in a neutral colour palette.
For Dennis Family Homes’ Senior Interior Designer, Gail Connor, the new season breaks with brighter trends of recent years, returning to a natural look. “This new collection of neutrals leans away from the millennial pink and yellow undertones of previous years and towards toned-down brown shades,” says Gail.
As seen in the Santina 332 in Donnybrook, these natural shades can be used in a variety of ways throughout the home to evoke relaxation.
Use a neutral palette on walls, tiles, soft furnishings and even as a décor colour on unique pieces to suit your homestyle. Create layers to your interior colour palette by mixing and combining neutral tones and shades. The Santina 332 has been designed in the Retreat theme, which pairs creamy brown shades with eucalyptus green. Light brown is used as a base colour on couches and rugs. In addition to these neutral tones, Gail predicts families will embrace more colour within their homes in the coming months. “Part of that is the run-on effects of COVID; we spent so much time in lockdown and in isolation that decorating since has been all about embracing life and having fun,” Gail says.
A popular colour already this year is the Pantone Colour of the Year, Peach Fuzz. “It’s starting to come through in some homewares,” Gail said. This new season shade can be seen throughout homes styled in the Organica Luxe theme and as a complementary shade in the Onyx 242 in Clyde North.
“As a variation on the peach, I expect muted terracottas to be a big hit – especially in tiles,” Gail added. “Stone-look tiles continue to be popular in marble and travertine that emphasise a natural appearance.” Styled in the Retreat theme, the Santina 332 uses soft beige terrazzo tiles in the guest bathroom. These tiles provide a soft neutral tone and emphasise the theme’s décor colour.
Tiles that appear handmade continue to be popular. As opposed to tiles with a smooth surface, these tiles include an undulating edge. Handmade tiles are largely used as features in the bathroom due to their slightly higher costs. “The trend that we are seeing is that not everything has to be perfect,” Gail said. “The handmade trend links back to natural textures as well.” Larger format tiles are taking over bathrooms.
They’re well-suited to open-planned spaces and naturally require fewer surrounding grout lines, making them visually appealing and easy to clean. “The biggest movement I’ve seen in tiled trends lately is patterned or encaustic tiles – printed tiles that are popular in classic and coastal interiors,” Gail said. Patterned tiles can be used throughout the bathroom but are most often used underfoot as seen in the ensuite of the Cobden 263 on display in Mount Duneed and in the laundry of the Sandford 344 on display in Gisborne.
Gently coloured encaustic tiles pair perfectly with the Shoreline theme, based heavily on the popular Hampton’s homestyle. The theme balances nautical elements with rustic character. Style your home in the Shoreline theme with a base of white and soft neutral tones. This conservative style is easy on the eyes and emphasises the cosy, relaxed vibe of the seaside. As favourites of the Shoreline theme, rattan furniture, wallpaper, and curved home décor are back on trend this season.
Easily incorporate these trends at home with arched mirrors, circular rugs, and curved patterns on wallpaper. Wallpaper is a versatile styling option that combines art, texture, and in season colours. “As technology and manufacturing have advanced, costs for wallpaper have come down,” Gail said. “You can get wallpaper that looks quite nice without spending an arm and a leg.” Style your home with a wall treatment that adds depth to any room as seen in the Cobden 263 where grey and white patterned wallpaper lines the nursery.
Find unique pieces in a variety of textures and materials, including linen – a popular choice for fashion and textiles. Linen fabrics originate from the flax plant, making a breathable and fast-drying textile. Add linen to your home through wallpaper, décor pieces like cushions and curtains. “When decorating in the Shoreline style, sofas are often lined with a linen-like fabric,” Gail said. Bring natural themes into your home by decorating with plants – the “always in” décor item.
“Plants are a great way to add colour to a house as they go with everything,” Gail explained. “Natural greenery matches any decor.” Decorating with plants is a great long term, cost effective solution to incorporating nature indoors as you can purchase a small piece that will grow. Plants boost air quality even in small spaces, so they’re great for bedrooms and studies. Taking care of plants requires little education and can be used as a learning experience for children as they can get involved in caring and maintaining the plant.
Using natural décor pieces to furnish your home is part of an ongoing trend, highlighted by Gail who notes a link “back to an emphasis on preserving the environment by purchasing products that reflect nature, including more tactile textures in the products that we bring into our home.”
Build Your New Home with Confidence
With over five decades of experience and backed by the diversified assets of Dennis Family Group Entities, we’re ready to help you build with confidence.
Rest assured that our heritage, homes, and commitment to quality is here to stay with Dennis Family Homes.
For more information on building with Dennis Family Homes, visit us online or call us on 1800 336 647.