Style Foundations

Before adding luxe cushions, throws, artwork and even furniture, a home’s essential structure lays the groundwork for an eternally stylish space

- Anna McCooe

1 FLOORING

THE NEW CLASSICS IN FLOORING WILL HOLD A HOME IN GOOD STEAD AS NEW COLOURS AND MOODS ARE INTRODUCED

Wood works: Think timelessness with flooring and you probably think about hardwood floorboards, but new-generation engineered boards are just as ageless. “A light oak with some texture is a wonderful foundation for a variety of palettes and styles,” explains interior designer Jade Bury of Harper Lane Design, who recommends Woodcut boards in Pale Oak and White Smoked. “A neutral base palette is the key,” agrees interior designer Kathy McKinnon, who is equally impressed by solid engineered boards, citing their eco credentials. “It’s easy to check their chain of origin and recycle content and, even though the boards are pre-finished, they can be sanded many times to increase the lifespan.”

Enter the stone age: The Red Velvet trend calls for a dark, muted stone tiled floor with lots of textural interest. In contemporary homes this kind of flooring is the ultimate chameleon – the complex, natural colour accommodating a wide range of future colour schemes. It’s particularly practical in hardworking spaces such as kitchens and open-plan indoor-outdoor entertaining zones (use rugs to anchor your living spaces). In bathrooms and outside, natural stone will need to be resealed annually to safeguard its lifespan. Alternatively, if upkeep isn’t your thing, seek out natural-look vitrified porcelain.

Set in concrete: The ultimate base for our Solace trend, concrete works equally well in any space where simplicity and calm are the key. In terms of sustainability, it earns big points as an embodied energy hero (meaning it stores heat like a battery). “It lasts the distance with a timeless aesthetic and durability that is tough and resilient,” explains Kathy.