You Decide: Are these 8 Interior Design Trends IN or OUT?

Ever since this year started, we’ve been talking about trends after trends after trends. In this article, we’re continuing the trend of talking about interior design trends. This time however, we’re letting you be the judge. The trends we’re exploring today are the ones we’re used to seeing a lot of in Singapore. But have they run their course or will we be seeing even more of them this year? You decide, so vote away!  

1. Herringbone tiles

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A bathroom backsplash done up in herringbone design.

Design: Fuse Concept We fell in love with this look a couple of years back, and soon, we were seeing them everywhere: on flooring, on kitchen backsplashes and on bathroom walls. It’s a great way to add a bit of interest and a focal point to a space, particularly if you're using a more subtle, basic tile. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="56124"]

Kitchen tiles set in a herringbone pattern in this backsplash.

Design: DistinctIdentity But is this herringbone trend giving way to a more timeless pattern like the straight lay? The straight lay is just simply tiles laid in straight lines so the overall pattern looks like a grid. It's nothing fancy, but it creates a big visual and graphic impact with its geometric lines. [yop_poll id="5"]  

2. All-white interiors

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An all-white kitchen.

Design: Style Living Interior Minimalism was, and probably still is, a big thing in interior design. We love the lack of clutter, while we flirted with the lack of colour by embracing interiors that were all white. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="18322"]

An HDB flat done up in a mostly white palette.

Design: DistinctIdentity The former was easy enough to embrace, but the latter required a bit of getting used to. ‘Are we really going all white? Can we add a pop of colour here? Do we need to change everything we ever owned to white?’ Online articles that tell us to break the white monotony with a bit of wood here and some greenery there were not helping things. So maybe we were too colour conscious to go for all-white spaces. Maybe it was too much of a commitment. Or maybe we just didn’t like it so much. [yop_poll id="2"]  

3. The industrial style

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Exposed pipes and beams are a staple of the industrial style.

Design: Story of Us There was a time when brick walls, galvanised steel chairs, exposed pipes were all the rage. A cluster of light bulbs was the go-to lighting feature. Rustic woodgrains were plastered at every surface imaginable. If they weren’t, then it was cement screed. We liked the industrial style so much that we were willing to bastardise the classic Scandinavian design to create another popular look: Scandi-industrial. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="38118"]

Rustic wood surfaces, cement screed flooring, exposed electrical pipes in this industrial themed bedroom.

Design: Icon Interior Design But just as gradually as they came, they were slowly being replaced by a different style – the loft design. This chic, urban look is similarly grungy and edgy, but feels just a little more grown up. The loft design embraces the exposed, but reins it in so you’re mixing the scruffy with the polished. But is the reign of the full-on industrial style officially over? [yop_poll id="6"]  

4. Unfinished brick walls

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The living room feature wall was a popular place to do up the unfinished brick wall look.

Design: Fuse Concept When it comes to industrial themed homes, an unfinished brick wall is usually never too far away. But we thought it deserved an entire paragraph on its own, considering how we’re seeing it popping up even in non-industrial style spaces. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="61311"]

A clean and contemporary home gets a rustic edge with an unfinished brick wall.

Design: Design Chapterz Incorporating a brick wall with an unfinished look is often intentional (rather than due to a budget constraint). The point of it is mainly to add a bit more character and edginess to an otherwise conventional brick wall. Truth be told, we aren’t a huge fan of this look. You either go full brick wall or do up a peeling brick wall look with the bricks behind the wall plaster. An unfinished brick wall style just looks well, unfinished. Still, we are still seeing it happening in homes in Singapore so this trend might just be here to stay. [yop_poll id="8"]  

5. Typography

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A popular typography design.

Design: The Scientist If we could get a dollar for every home that we see featuring a typography print that starts with ‘IN THIS HOUSE…’, we would be very rich and probably be able to afford a home in Districts 9 and 10. Typography is an easy way to add individual personality to a space. You could be quirky with a funny quote or motivational with an inspirational quote. The possibilities are endless. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="55442"]

A similar typography design done up in another home.

Design: Design Chapterz But it seems we’re seeing fewer words nowadays. The trend is moving towards more abstract visual statements like photography and art, or simply nothing at all. [yop_poll id="10"]  

6. Patchwork tiles

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A kitchen gets a cheerful pop of colour from a mishmash of brightly patterned tiles.

Design: Free Space Intent Mixing and matching brightly patterned tiles was a huge trend in Singapore back in 2015 and 2016. We’re seeing less of it now, but it’s still a well-liked look particularly in the kitchen. Whether Moorish, Peranakan or Spanish, the bright tiles are often displayed in a patchwork of patterns and colours. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="27953"]

Gorgeous Spanish tiles adorning the walls in this dining zone.

Design: Linear Space Concepts But it appears that this trend is getting an update. Instead of choosing several tiles in various colours and designs, just a single patterned tile is chosen. It's a look that is more modern and timeless. [yop_poll id="11"]  

7. Transitioning hexagon tiles

This trend was mainly done on flooring to ease the transition from one zone of the home to another. We saw it vaguely back in 2014 before it became incredibly popular in homes in Singapore. Thanks to the use of hexagon tiles—which is way more interesting than normal square or rectangle tiles—it lends a playful and casual look that also creates an instant focal point. The tiles take away the abruptness of moving from porcelain tiles to hardwood (or hardwood-like) flooring, and it's also a great way to anchor a space. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="36506"]

Hexagon tiles create a focal point for this dining area.

Design: DistinctIdentity With interiors moving away from the effervescent to the subtle and subdued, it would mean relegating these fun hexagon tiles to the back of the design cupboard. But we still like it, and we’re hoping it stays a while longer. [yop_poll id="12"]  

8. Hanging pots and pans

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Wares go on display at this kitchen.

Design: A.W.A Design Office When it comes to storing pots and pans in the kitchen, you either fall in the keep-it-out-of-sight category or the hang-it-out-for-all-to-see category. In the former camp, you invest in large built-in cabinets to store the wares. In the latter, you install hooks, rods and racks and have your pots and pans suspended out in the open. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="22725"]

Hooks and racks make room for suspending pots and pans.

Design: The Association Hanging pots and pans were (and are) popular because they make use of vertical space, which is a perfect solution if you have a small kitchen and don't want to be bogged down by extra cabinets. They are also a convenient way to reach out for your wares while you’re cooking. Sure, it tends to create a more cluttered look, but it adds a comforting vibe and a familiarity that you don’t get in pristine kitchens where all the clutter is hidden behind doors. [yop_poll id="15"]  

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