saturated colour. Not accents !

Agree! Be bold with colour and go dark - much more impactful

Couldn't agree more Amber Jeavons. I cringe every time some hapless reader asks for suggestions on colours only to be faced with a feeding frenzy of eager advisors suggesting shades of grey - all delivered with such enthusiasm it's obvious they think they've come up with a really helpful original idea!!

I prefer individuality over trends, but that doesn't mean we have to avoid trends completely, if indeed that is possible.

It's exactly like any other fashion, we can try not to follow it but most, if not all of us are influenced by it one way or another.

Hello @Dundrum 16,

Well, yes people are naturally hardwired to "Want to be popular" With society such as it is, and social trappings of affluenza. People naturally "Herd" themselves into flocks. Bracketing themselves with those they feel akin to and so on. Banal "products" of "Success" like ostentatious displays of wealth. Often to their detriment, where chraracter and kindness may lack. The outsider, with original thought is often shunned, until that is, tides turn.

Tastes are often made outside of original thought and we are influenced by everything we see, read, hear. The knack is to remember who we are and decide accordingly. Grey can be a wonderful colour I dare say, if pared well, creating splendour rather than cold, austere minimalism. AJ

I am aware of trends and E D is right in that on some level we are all influenced by them, one way or another. However, no-one is just a trend and everyone has original thoughts. Every single one of my rooms is completely oblique to the next because I decorated them at different times in my life. They are all varied colours, textures, shades, tastes (or not) and all say something very different...........about me and what I was channelling at that time. There is no right or wrong way to go but there is 'like' and 'not like' so luckily we live here, where we can change our minds on a whim and diva or country mouse our homes whenever we want. I love it!

Yes I agree with above comments, I get rather fed up with what 'in'..... no sooner than you've invested in a change, it becomes dated. I keep up (sorry) with small cheaper changes. I don't go or the full blow complete room change.

Where is the "none of the above" box? I'm sick to death of pastels and neutrals too. So glad to see I am not alone here! GIVE US SOME COLOUR FFS! And I don't mean "accents" or "statement pieces". Have all designers, editors and trend setters suddenly developed a colour phobia?

Doesn't on trend, mean quite the opposite?

I can honestly say all of those options make me cringe, even just their descriptions. I can only only agree with Amber Jeavons and Dundrums.

Slavishly following fashion doesn't make you cutting edge, it makes you a sheeple. You can be influenced by the latest fad, but to be governed by it, I find very sad.

Hello @Ribena Drinker,

Thank you! AJ

Comfort with design

I wasn't enthused by grey. But fell in love with some curtains which had some deep grey in them. So I tried a dark grey feature wall. I have to say it looks fab with a gold mirror on it. And antique walnut furniture looks really good against it.

Guys...this is supposed to be light-hearted. I am not sure what colours you choose to decorate with are contradictory with being a decent human. However, I do an extremely stressful job and for me my home is a safe space to return to. It's not about displays if wealth (not that I have any), but feeling like a home that matters. Trends are just that, inescapable but hey, retail and designer staff need to earn a living too. I quite watching trends as it happens. You don't have to buy into them.

Orange can bring a perfect touch colour and brights up a room.

Speaking of trends, the 'influencers' who managed to convince people to paint their living rooms, lounges and indeed kitchens darkest of dark greys are now (quite rightly ) sheepishly suggesting that it's over for this trend and warmer lighter colours are coming in...... I honestly believe that we might as well put on woolly coats and go and stand in a field. Baaah....

For most of us, we are affected by the trends. No matter how individual you might feel. Most of us have to go to a shop and buy something to stick in our house.
Of course there is bespoke. i guess I could create my own wall colour with determination and a little more hard work (my friend was actually banned from her local paint store for wasting their time with requests for splashes of more tint into her paints until she got it right lol) . Or I'll get a hand woven and dyed beard hair rug to match a nightmare I once had.
In the case of curtains, but I've spent alot of time looking for exactly the right fabric and I won't like anything much. So I choose the best one out of the selection available.
I suspect many are like me and think, my floor is hard and cold. I need something soft on it. What will look and feel nice, wear well and how can I get it. How much money do I have for this purchase. How soon do I want it (me: now). Then make the decision from there. And because I'm usually restricted by what I can buy from someone by money and time available I am thus somewhat affected by the trends I see in store. That some one has created a year or more ago.

Each house and room needs to be appraised and the colours that bring the room alive are more important than trends. I avoid trendy chairs etc that keep visitors shifting from cheek to cheek. Good design should be comfortable.

Being aware of trends and going through inspirational images and sets is very helpful for non- professionals. This helps them get a clearer idea of their likes and dislikes. Then steps in the interior designer/ decorator and navigates them until they create the dream space together.
I would not ban any trend or personal preference, BUT as a professional I can not agree less with a statement that I read above “there’s no right or wrong”. Yes, there is! An eclectic mix of styles requires good knowledge of them all and a trained eye to mix them tastefully. That’s the difference between a DIY renovation and a designer- made transformation. I need 30 sec after I enter a space to recognize it a designer was involved or not.

Cant get it wrong with colour highlights. orange works all the time