Transform your home taking inspiration from Pinterest's 2019 trend report.
The internet is a great source of inspiration and advice for home projects, and nowhere more so than Pinterest.
More than 250 million people around the world use the website and app to discover new ideas, and from this new trends emerge – if an idea keeps getting more and more searches each month, and that upward trajectory holds steady for six-plus months, a new trend is born.
Whether the ideas we gather stay pinned to a virtual board, or become reality in our homes is another matter, but Pinterest's 2019 trend report reveals the home styles that have caught the attention of the masses.
We take a look at the trends, and get advice on turning a pin into a fully-fledged project.
Spining yarns
Blank walls can be transformed in a number of ways: a painted feature wall, a statement canvas, a sculptural centrepiece, or how about 'dressing' your wall with fabric?
According to Pinterest, searches for 'textile art' are up 1,718pc, as pinners look for ways to bring their interiors to life.
Anita O'Neill has been working with textiles for more than 30 years and has seen its popularity grow.
'Recent years have shown that textiles, as an art, is on the increase,' says Anita, who runs Eau Brink Studio in King's Lynn. 'Individuals want to incorporate textiles into the home as art because it can be very tactile, colourful and 3D. Some art can create movement in a room through optical illusion or by using iridescent fabrics that permit the light to shine through.
'The manipulation of fabric and the use of stitch creates so many ways of bringing a traditional craft to a modern world. And it's not just fabrics and stitch. Wool can be woven into carpets, rugs and hangings for the home. Not just traditional patterns but also modern abstract too.'
No paint, no gain
Got a dated tile floor that you're desperate to cover up but don't have the money? According to the Pinterest 2019 trend report, the answer is to paint it - searches for 'painted floor tiles' are up 1,276pc.
'Painting floor tiles has become a popular trend for DIYers,' says Dominic McInerney, marketing manager at paint company V33. 'The increased availability of products developed specifically for easy renovation in the home means the options for enhancing and personalising old and worn tiles has become an accessible and affordable option for many homeowners and renters.'
But can you get a quality finish, and will it last?
'A good finish is definitely possible with the proper preparation of the tiled floor surface – making sure it is clean and free from any dust and grime – combined with a high quality product,' says Dominic. 'When applied correctly, a painted tile floor will last for years.'
Fired up
Fireplaces have been an important focal point in our homes for centuries, but as heating systems and insulation have negated the practical necessity, the focus has shifted to one of aesthetics – reflected in the fact that searches for 'contemporary fireplaces' on Pinterest are up 1,718pc.
'I'd say 80pc of the fireplaces we fit are as a feature rather than a heating appliance,' says Matthew Cooke, managing director at Incendium Stoves & Fireplaces, which specialises in solid fuel options. 'Gas and electric ranges have a wide choice of contemporary designs, but there are an increasing number of modern stoves, too.
'Cleaner, sleeker lines combined with visible flues which reach up to the ceiling or out through an external wall also give a contemporary edge.'
And it's not just indoors where fireplaces are heating up. A firepit in the garden brings added warmth just when it's needed, and according to Simon Roberts, general manager at Norwich Camping & Leisure in Blofield, outdoor living is on the increase.
'People want that indoor-outdoor living, and modern furniture as well as firepits and other outdoor heating allow them to do that in a comfortable setting that mirrors home interiors,' says Simon.
Get tinspired
Searches on Pinterest are up 763pc for 'tin interiors' – at first it sounds like a strange choice, but tin is surprisingly versatile.
A hint of tin brings a taste of vintage quirkiness to your interiors, whether it's recycling tin cans into lights, handy containers or flower holders, adding a tin bath or slapping a whole wall of galvanised corrugated tin into the bathroom, kitchen or garden room.
Watch out for patterned tin ceiling tiles and Victorian tin tile wallpapers in a variety of shades from metallics to whites and creams.
Update a splash back with tin tiles or embrace the trend with floor-to-ceiling tin tile wallpaper.
Paper beats paint
Wallpaper is back – and it's bolder than ever. Pinterest reports that searches for 'bold print wallpaper' are up 401pc, meaning it's time to prep the walls for colour, pattern and shape whatever size your room.
Following on from the botanical trend last year, prints inspired by nature look big this year, but pretty much anything goes, in terms of print – as long as it has impact.
Grow up the wall
According to Pinterest, searches for 'vertical gardens' are up by 287pc – a sure sign that the number of green-fingered gardeners among us is growing.
Living walls can be grown both indoors and outside, even when space is at a premium. With plants that are colourful, tactile and sometimes aromatic, they can offer the same, bright aesthetic that you might find in a more traditional garden.
'You can buy premade walls with built-in irrigation systems, or you can make your own with pallet wood and landscaping fabric, which you weave in and out of the wood to form pockets,' says Uhi Millington, nursery manager at Urban Jungle Norfolk. With the right conditions, plants grow really well vertically, and rather than being confined to their pot, expand to fill the space.
Pool your resources
In this weather, diving into your own freshwater swimming pond might be the furthest thing from your mind, but Pinterest searches for 'natural swimming pools' are up 262pc – and with good reason.
'Anyone who has ever been swimming in a natural rock pool, lake or river on a hot summer day will not only speak of feelings of exhilaration, but also of a tremendous sense of calm and peace,' says Paul Mercer, director of The Swimming Pond Company based in Bressingham, near Diss. 'Unlike swimming pools, swimming ponds are designed as a central feature to a garden to look visually appealing for 12 months of the year. Even in the middle of winter swimming ponds can still look quite magical.'
Creative cacti
These prickly plants have been enjoying a revival for a while now, and Pinterest's latest trend suggests cacti lovers are looking for new and interesting ways to display them, with searches for 'cactus arrangements' up 235pc. Kim Mouncer is a florist and event decorator at Romeo & Succulent, and has a particular passion for cacti.
'Cacti are one of the most interesting and quirky plants on the planet,' says Kim. 'Originating from the Americas, they are now widespread across the world. Their popularity has exploded in recent years, and they make the perfect addition to any home. From tiny domed species, to towering columns which can reach 19 metres tall, there are hundreds of cacti types to choose from. Simply pop one into a pot, or display a range of species extravagantly in a terrarium, the choices are endless to bring a little nature into your life.'
Switching to 'metric
It's no surprise to find geometric shapes on Pinterest's list of top trends for 2019 – it's been going strong for a while now. But with a new twist, the popular search is for 'geometric paint', which is up 225pc.
'Geometric shapes are everywhere in design this year and it's easy to recreate this key trend in your home,' says Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux.
'One of the great things about this look is that you can combine several of your favourite shades in the same space without it feeling like you've gone wild with lots of colour.'
Marianne's top tip is to use three colours: a neutral background and two bolder shades for the colour blocks.
Rebel yellow
Searches for 'mustard yellow' are up 45pc on Pinterest, and Rebecca MacNaughton was ahead of the design curve on this one, having painted a mustard yellow feature wall in her bedroom three years.
'It's the first wall I see when I enter my bedroom, and its versatility is key; on bright, sunny summer mornings, it is vibrant and joyful, complementing my growing jungle of plants,' says Rebecca. 'On colder nights, with a candle lit, it is warm, cosy and comforting – some days it is a proper Colman's yellow and on others it appears almost honey-like in its hues.'
Rebecca kept the rest of the room a subtle off-white and has added accessories in the mustard yellow theme: a vase, a cushion, a set of bed linen. This is advised, apparently, as colour psychology suggests that too much of the same shade of yellow can be overwhelming. If you're not ready to go all-out with one bold colour, this is definitely the way to go – keep the space neutral and add accents where you can.
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