Trend forecaster Dave Nemeth partnered with Hansgrohe to identify the top 5 décor trends for 2017, helping to ensure that the brand stays at the forefront of innovation and design. So here’s what you can expect to be hip and happening next year:

Future Gothic

A new take on gothic, colours of dark tones, shades of grey and flat black are paired with copper and brass, and combined with high grained timber. “Whilst lighting is very important to make these colour schemes work, appliance manufacturers are bringing out their products in black metal finishes,“ says Dave Nemeth.

Earthchild

Earthy, ethnic tones are being celebrated, using concrete wood and metal, with smoky-hued coloured glass is featured in decorative elements. Bathrooms feature timber counter tops and shelving with matt metallic taps and fixtures. “We have a unique design style evolving in South Africa, which is now sought after and even replicated worldwide,” says Dave, “This style of design relies heavily on texture as well as the layering of elements and is expressed through colour.”

Debonair

Masculine simplicity, without any excess ornamentation and reliant on carefully placed detailing which is precise, but not ostentatious. Refined timber surfaces are key and replace the rough reclaimed timber surfaces popularised over the past few years.  “An important feature of this design direction is a truth to materials which continues from previous directions we have seen in recent years in the industrial trend,” explains Dave, “This execution is now more refined than its industrial counterpart, making it less rough and giving it a polished aesthetic.”

Easy Living

Light tones, including white on white, are accented with natural timber. In some cases other materials are incorporated into this theme such as concrete and the ever popular copper and brass metallic. “As with everything, there is often a complete reaction to a design direction and a complete opposite to ‘Future Gothic’ is found in the theme Easy Living,” says Dave.

Edenesque

Bringing the outside inside, plants form the basis for this theme, where interior spaces are reimagined with large atriums for plants as well as ‘living walls’. Kitchen design is another area where the space is being reimagined to incorporate the growth and cultivation of fresh herbs. “The heart of this trend is a careful collaboration of building and nature,” explains Dave, “where even in very small abodes the courtyard becomes an integral part of the living space rather than a separate area.”

“In terms of future-gazing, I think it safe to say from our extensive research that there is no industry that will not see some form of innovation that will create an amount of disruption,” says Dave.  According to Dave the IoT – Internet of things – will play a big part in this as everyday objects will start to be able to communicate with us, the focus in business will have to revolve around personalised service and the age of ‘physital’ (physital = digital + physical) will combine digital and physical to create seamless cohesion.