Refresh and revive interior spaces this spring with these bold and beautiful new styles of wallpaper and tile
Bold is beautiful, and these spring design trends offer a few bright ideas to bring drama and a splash of color into your home. These new styles of wallpaper and tile are the perfect way to refresh and reinvigorate your interiors. Go big—and go home!
“Wallpaper has a magical quality, much more than paint. Through wallpaper you can transform a room in such an impactful way. Using wallpaper also helps add a dose of personality into a space, whatever your interior style,” says Jamie Watkins, co-founder of Divine Savages.
The London-based company, established in 2017 by Watkins and his husband Tom Kennedy, recently released its ‘The Fierce & The Fabulous’ wallpapers, which feature original illustrations of “fierce cats and fabulous peacocks” from the archives of London’s Natural History Museum.
Rather than opt for a feature wall, Watkins suggests we “embrace wallpaper in a big space by papering all the walls. We always encourage people to be braver in their interior design. A bold wallpaper helps to create a lavish sense of drama.”
Equally bold are Avalana Simpson’s designs for both wallpaper and murals.
“As modern maximalism comes to the fore, people are learning to cherry-pick clashing patterns and colors to reflect their personality,” she observes. “Bespoke designer murals are unrivaled when it comes to adding something spectacular to your space.” Simpson’s hand-painted wallpaper designs include leopard print, tiger repeats, and zebra stripes, while her mural designs take in fantasy jungle scenes and black swans swimming on a gold background. “Cinematic mural designs offer depth of field and transport you somewhere different,” says Simpson.
Off-the-peg murals are available from British company Ohpopsi, which has a collection of floral designs that, according to creative director Zoe Eaton, “take their lead from the freedom of the outdoors.” The company has also just launched its graffiti-esque Love Scribble design, for those “who prefer their romance in a more raw, urban edge, inspired by street art.”
Penthouse #605 is in Coconut Grove’s newest luxury waterfront development, The Fairchild.
The open-plan contemporary residence offers walls of windows onto 3,886 square feet of interior space, with 1,360 square feet outdoors, including a lanai terrace leading up to the building’s only private rooftop—complete with a view of Biscayne Bay.
Inside, the traditional Florida palette—cocoa and cream, over mid-tone wood paneling and floors—relaxes the home’s rectilinear geometries. There are five bedrooms, five bathrooms and one partial bathroom.
The chef’s kitchen (serving a breakfast space with a skyline view) features Poliform cabinetry, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and a wet bar. The primary suite has a huge walk-in closet and a spa bath with a Duravit soaking tub and a vast shower.
The property comes with three parking spaces and a storage unit. The Fairchild’s resort-style amenities include a spa with hammam, outdoor movie theater, a rooftop pool with private cabanas, barbecue stations with ocean views, a fitness center, a floating dock, and private boat slips.
An eye-catching, pale-blue villa is the centerpiece of this unique, feng shui-inspired residential complex in Harju County, Northern Estonia.
Custom-built in 2018, the elegant two-story main house blends colonial and Nordic architectural styles with a contemporary sensibility.
The great hall flows to a reception room with a floor-to-ceiling, white-tiled masonry heater and nature-inspired, ivory-hued wallpaper in an organic, vine-and-blossom pattern. The formal dining room features the same wallpaper pattern—but in a lovely shade of muted blue.
Farther along are the gourmet kitchen, living room, sauna, gym, and a guest suite. Upstairs is a lounge, office, two bedrooms (papered in geometric and organic forms), and a shared bathroom.
The lavish, landscaped gardens extend to more than 12 acres with a garden cottage, summer house with an outdoor kitchen and Finnish sauna, fruit-bearing orchard, and a greenhouse. The wider grounds extend to nearly 48 acres surrounded by open countryside. The Estonian capital, Tallinn, is just under an hour’s drive.
Croatia’s Opatija Riviera is the setting for this sleek, contemporary villa.
The light-filled living spaces span four levels, with 4,628 square feet of interior space and a further 1,722 square feet of covered and open-air terraces to take in the views of Kvarner Bay and the island of Cres.
The natural wood exterior and textured interior walls and stone floors are punctuated with monochromatic wallpaper and bespoke furniture. The heart of the home is an open-concept kitchen and dining area that connects to an alfresco dining area and an infinity pool facing the Adriatic.
Another highlight is the dedicated entertainment and leisure complex with a sauna, hot tub, fitness space, relaxation room, kitchen, and wine cellar. The lower level offers a two-bay garage and four-car parking court.
Move over Metro, bye bye Bistro, the rectangular tile has a new name: Fluted. According to research undertaken by independent tile specialist Porcelain Superstore, data from Google Trends showed that searches for the term “fluted” when looking for tiles has reached its highest ever position.
Which is handy as the company has just launched its own Fluted range, a collection that puts a new spin on the ever-classic subway-style tile.
“If any collection epitomizes modern glamour, it’s this one,” says Abbas Youssefi, director of Porcelain Superstore, of the tiles that are inspired by the Art Deco style and available in five colors. “The striking fluted finish plays with light to create a statement.”
Offering an equally impressive statement look are these enamel tiles (pictured) by American firm Artistic Tile. The gloss tiles, available in six colors including moss green, ocean blue, and charcoal gray, feature a beautiful mottled surface that looks as if it has been hand-finished by a watercolorist.
Villa Fil is a gem in the White City. Close to the Kasbah of Old Tangier, the property offers striking views of the Bay of Tangier, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Spanish coastline beyond.
The interior decor combines contemporary design with traditional Moroccan elements, including zellige mosaic tiles, ornate ceilings, rich fabrics, hand-carved wood doors, artisan furniture, and decorative tapestries.
Vast floor-to-ceiling windows frame the vistas of sea and sky. Eight luxurious bedroom suites, many with private sea-view terraces, accommodate guests in style.
An alluring, multi-hued, mosaic-tiled pool terrace overlooking the sea adds a splash of color and provides the finishing touch to this picture-perfect home.
Villa de Clario Filangieri di Candida is an enchanting 18th-century country estate overlooking the eastern slopes of Mount Vesuvius in the village of Livardi, about 20 miles northeast of Naples.
Built on the site of an ancient Roman domus, the villa and several agricultural buildings—carriage houses and stables, an icehouse, orchard storeroom, wine cellar, and great hall of the harvest—are arranged around a central courtyard.
The main house offers 25,834 square feet of living space with 20 bedrooms and 10 full bathrooms. The piano nobile (“noble floor”) is appointed with black and white, majolica-style geometric floor tiles. Adding to the grandeur are ancient antiques and objets d’art, and colorful wallpapers and tapestries with plant motifs.
Outside, several sun terraces, oriented towards Vesuvius, overlook centuries-old Italian gardens graced with box hedges; oaks, palms, and cypress trees; citrus and hazelnut groves; and meandering stone paths leading to an Arcadian temple. The ancient archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum are within 30-40 minutes’ drive.
Discover more of the latest interior and architecture trends from industry experts in the current magazine issue.
[Banner image courtesy of Artistic Tiles]
