As the seasons change, we can still capture the uplifting spirit of warmer days within our homes. Uplifting floral fabrics and tropical prints – two of today’s leading interior design trends – continue to bring joy and vitality to every space, inviting the outdoors in. To maintain that effortless sense of breezy elegance, consider adding decorative cushions or linen slipcovers – simple yet stylish updates that instantly refresh a room.

 

Elevate Your Windows with Floral Curtains

 

A garden filled with roses, hydrangeas and other classic blooms truly lifts the spirits, so what better than to enjoy such an abundant display throughout the year? Floral curtains are a timeless interior design trend, bringing an uplifting feel to period and contemporary living spaces alike. This dining room is the perfect case in point: curtains in our decadent Belleville linen frame the window, beautifully capturing the exuberance of an English summer. To bring a more exotic flavour to the home, have a look at Bamboo Garden in cotton velvet: the palm tree pattern hints at tropical lands and its blush pink colour palette is sure to bring a joyful feel to any window.

 

 

Make a Statement with an Upholstered Headboard

A firm favourite of many an interior designer, an upholstered headboard offers the chance to add a burst of cheerful, summer-fresh colour or pattern to a bedroom. It shows off fabric to best effect as it provides a large expanse to reveal the beauty of your chosen design, making the bed the focal point of the space – rather like a piece of wall art. If your personal style errs on the classic side, opt for the dreamy Tresco trailing floral, a lovely linen-mix print based on an archival design. Scatter even more blooms by adding cushions that subtly pick up on the colour palette or the pattern of the print but don’t be too rigid – the more relaxed the better. Another strong contender for an upholstered headboard is a stain-resistant velvet, which is currently all the rage and rightly so: it offers the chance to bring a sense of luxury into the heart of the bedroom whilst being eminently practical. Our current favourite is Crystal, an uplifting print inspired by the work of British landscape artist John Nash.

  

The Easy Update: Refresh your Cushions

It’s a much-used mantra in interior design, but cushions really can transform and refresh a room – especially in summer. Lighten the look of your home with our linen cushions, crafted from breathable natural fabric that feels effortless and relaxed. Mix patterns in varying proportions to bring easy charm to sofas, beds or window seats.

For a touch of luxury, add one or two of our printed velvet cushions – their rich colour and subtle sheen catch the light beautifully, creating a warm, inviting feel as the days grow longer. Explore our collection to find linen and velvet cushions that bring freshness, texture and timeless style to summer interiors.

Reimagine Your Sofa with a Slipcover

Slipcovers had rather fallen out of favour in the past few years but they are back as one of the key interior design trends and no wonder: they allow you to ring the changes of the seasons; they are easy to clean compared to fixed cover sofas and they are simple and relatively affordable to replace. These slipcovers in Luna, our plain vintage-style fabric with a casual washed feel, perfectly capture the effortless feel of summer, while cushions in slightly “muddy” hues help to gently steer the scheme into autumn. The fabric comes in 25 shades, all of which are inspired by the natural world. For machine washable options, have a look at Verde, which comes in 46 colours and is woven from 80 per cent recycled cotton, forming part of our growing collection of eco-friendly designs woven from sustainable materials.

   

Transform Walls with Tropical Wallpaper

Nothing suggests long summer days quite like a tropical wallpaper. An instant mood booster, an exotic design has the power to transport you too distant lands of lush vegetation and swaying palm trees. Our Kahanu wallpaper, with its stunning mix of palm leaves and beguiling blooms, is a punchy choice for tiny powder rooms or larger living spaces alike: pick out the hues from its vibrant colour palette to devise a bold interior design scheme. Two more lively tropical wallpaper designs to consider include Wild Rainbow, a flamboyant design featuring lions and exotic birds; and Miji, an airy, sophisticated pattern that creates a gloriously fresh feel.

  

Find Serenity with Shades of Blue

Capturing cloudless skies, expansive oceans or the beauty of a starlit night, blue is one of those interior design trends that has never really left our sights. Use it to create soothing, ethereal schemes with gentle shades of aqua and turquoise or dramatic, energising ones with punches of cobalt. The beauty is that this versatile hue can easily be dressed for the cooler months: imagine the scheme above with some cushions in, say, saffron, terracotta and slate grey hues and you instantly have a richer, more cosy interior design scheme. The sofa is covered in Sienna, our bouclé fabric that brings a fabulously textural quality to upholstery. It comes in 26 colours including a number of blues, from delicate Fjord to Steel Blue to jewel-like Sapphire. Also have a look at the numerous blues in our Elba collection of tumbled linens, including this coolly elegant Ice Blue. For discreet pattern, consider a herringbone weave: our Leckford fabric in Kingfisher is perfect for lending subtle movement to an upholstered piece.

   

Be Bold with Pattern

When it comes to the top interior design trends, bold patterns really are having their moment. Lively prints inspired by the natural world or reworkings of Oriental patterns bring an exotic flavour to our living spaces, infusing them with a sense of joy. The less brave among us can dip their toe into the look with accent cushions or a small upholstered piece such as a footstool or side chair; the more adventurous, however, can choose to use bold patterned fabric on a statement headboard or a sofa. This curvy piece beautifully showcases our Moonlight Serenade printed velvet, which captures the elegance of an ornamental garden. Other options to consider include our arresting Kami printed velvet and Kahanu, an exuberant print on pure linen inspired by an antique chintz.

  

Bring the Outdoors In with Joyful Florals

One of the best ways to hold on to the long, light days of summer is to bring the outdoors right into the home with floral prints in an uplifting colour palette. Current interior design trends see blowsy florals mixed with natural materials such as a chunky jute rug or pieces in untreated wood or stone, keeping the look informal and subtly contemporary. The curtains pictured here are made up in Albertine, a gloriously pretty print on pure linen. For luxurious soft furnishings, consider a printed velvet, Linwood’s velvets are recognised throughout the interiors world for its considered designs in rich, hues.   

Create Interiors That Lift the Spirits All Year Round

We hope these ideas will inspire you to create schemes that spark a sense of joy – interiors that buoy the spirits whatever the weather. And don’t forget the power of plants and flowers: they will help bring an uplifting feel to your living spaces, adding an all-important reminder of the natural world…