Colour blocking 'a big home improvement trend'

Colour blocking 'a big home improvement trend'
by Hayley Burton

Colour blocking is currently one of the big home improvement trends as people seek bold designs, according to a leading expert.

This involves setting clashing tones against a neutral background such as white wall tiles, Carole King, author of the Dear Designer blog, said.

As it is "relatively easy to change", this allow for alterations according to fashion or the owner's tastes, she explained.

Interest is also rising for upcycling, Ms King added, which sees repaired or renovated furniture used for purposes other than those originally intended.

This helps DIY enthusiasts and other home designers avoid buying new items.

"It is then totally unique and you are saving the planet at the same time," she asserted.

Plushness, another trend, favours "luxury fabrics, rich colours and touches of metallics", she stated.

Ms King further described the reason for interior design's popularity as a "no-brainer", as it is easier to stay in a house than move out in the current financial climate.

This follows research from the Safestore Moving and Improving Index, which found that 78 per cent of respondents believe that it is a better idea to renovate or improve a property than to move home at the moment.