European interior design marries old-world architecture with modern amenities, drawing inspiration from Tuscan villas, French countryside chateaux and English manors.
Mixing metals is an increasingly fashionable trend in european style, from decorative accents like vases or clocks, to larger furniture or lighting fixtures.
Warm Colours
Warm hues on the color wheel evoke feelings of fire and energy, such as yellow, red and orange tones. On the other hand, cool tones evoke images of water, sky and peace with shades such as greens, blues and light shades of purple (lilac and lavender).
Warm color schemes are best suited to social spaces like living rooms and dining areas, where their stimulating properties make an impressionful first impression. Conversely, cooler color schemes tend to work better for quieter environments like home offices and bedrooms.
To create an inviting room, start with neutral tones on your walls. Add warmth with natural-colored leather sofas or chairs with striped fabrics. A patterned area rug can complete this look.
Mixed Metals
Combining metals is an ever-evolving trend. To best incorporate this look into your own aesthetic, limit yourself to two or three types of metallics in each room at most – anything more can look too chaotic for the eye!
Chrome, silver and steel metal tones provide a modern aesthetic in any space while warmer metals such as brass bronze and gold can add warmth and sophistication to a room.
Recycled Plastic
Plastic is an artist’s dream material: its versatility allows it to “assume virtually any size, shape or color imaginable” according to Roland Barthes. However, those same qualities which make plastic appealing also contribute to its environmental and financial risks: when abandoned it lingers for decades in landfills and the environment.
Designers have found innovative uses for recycled plastic waste: UK company Really creates closed-loop textile home wear using end-of-life wool and cotton waste from Kvadrat selvedge waste; Clerkenwell Design Week speaker Albina Dervishi founded Happenstance studio to make wall panels from this recycled plastic.
Polyethylene number 5, typically used to make milk bottles and some detergent/shampoo containers, can be downcycled into plastic crates and playground equipment; however, most is simply landfilled or open dumped (often illegally). A small percentage is burned for energy recovery through tertiary recycling – this reduces waste in landfills/dump sites while cutting carbon emissions, but does not significantly cut plastic production or fossil fuel usage.
Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood has become one of the hottest trends in European interior design. Not only is this material eco-friendly as it saves living trees from being cut down while conserving old growth forests, but its rich history adds character and personality to any space it inhabits.
Reclaimed wood can be used in numerous ways, from wall paneling to ceiling beams. Its rustic surface adds warmth to rooms that might otherwise feel cold. Furthermore, modern designs often incorporate this material, providing an earthy contrast against metal and concrete.
When choosing reclaimed wood for your project, be sure to select a supplier who inspects their materials closely for signs of rot or other flaws. Experts should also evaluate if the wood meets your intended use; for instance, ceiling-grade reclaimed wood must typically be milled at thickness to accommodate suspended ceilings.