Marbling is having a moment. Though one might argue that the ancient technique has never fallen out of fashion (suminagashi, translated literally as “floating ink” dates as far back as 12th-century Japan), more recently, a clutch of contemporary designers have been embracing the craft as both a creative process and decorative embellishment.

Leading the charge is Ms Natascha Maksimovic, AKA Nat Maks, who makes bespoke wallpaper and art in vast water baths at her studio in Margate. “It’s such an organic, hands-on process and it’s a surprise every time I lift the paper from the water,” she says. “Nothing feels repetitive, and the pieces hold a lot of emotion.”

Fans of Nat Maks’ papers include the interior designer Ms Claire Gaskin and luxury yacht fitters Winch Design. So enchanting is her work that London-based carpet company Knots Rugs has collaborated on a collection. “There’s a fluidity and unpredictability to marbling, which is why I think it’s currently so popular both here and in the US,” says the Knots Rugs founder Ms Bonnie Sutton. “It’s bold and joyful but not overpowering, and it can bring elements in a scheme together.”

Other tastemakers on board with the movement include the Swedish-born interior designer Ms Beata Heuman, whose printed Marbleized wallpaper and velvets reference the paper used to line books and furniture in 17th-century Europe. Beyond walls and floors, dress your table in marbled linens from Summerhill & Bishop and invest in tableware, lighting and mirrors from fashion designer-turned ceramicist Mr Henry Holland, whose covetable, Nerikomi pieces are crafted from layers of coloured clay.

Not just for blocking out daylight and the occasional inquisitive neighbour, curtains are increasingly being used as dynamic, architectural devices. From sectioning off kitchens, office nooks and wardrobes – particularly in pieds-à-terre where door swing space is limited – to covering draughty front doors, French bistro style, curtains are a versatile tool that can change the look, feel and function of a space in just one swish.

A pioneer of the practice is the Dutch designer Ms Petra Blaisse, a former collaborator of the globally renowned architect Mr Rem Koolhaas and OMA, whose team at multidisciplinary studio Inside Outside use structural curtains in commercial and residential spaces. Combining opaque, reflective and transparent materials, the moveable swathes alter both atmosphere and layout in an instant. Similarly, artist Mr Danh Võ has used delicate “Trapped In Heaven” curtains, designed in collaboration with Danish textile company Kvadrat, to cleverly section his Berlin apartment.

Another fan is London-based designer Mr Hubert Zandberg, who integrates structured drapes into his decorative projects. “What I love about curtains is that they bridge the gap between architecture and interior design,” he says. “They create a sense of arrival, suspense and discovery while adding colour and pattern in a less overpowering way that wallpaper might. There’s also the softening of acoustics, and with lower ceilings, an increased sense of height. And the beauty is if you decide to move, you can always take them with you.”

Banish the brass and cast out the copper – it seems futuristic finishes are cool again. “While warmer-toned metals have fallen foul of cheap, mass-market ubiquity, chrome, stainless steel and silver are literally shining above the rest,” says Mr Ben Spriggs, editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration. “The attraction in these finishes lies in their ability to be both classic and refreshingly future-focused, depending on context. They recall the iconic workings of Eileen Grey, Le Corbusier and Marcel Breuer as well as Philippe Starck’s 1980s anarchy, and now they’re being used by cutting-edge creatives.”

Case in point is Crosby Studios, the multidisciplinary practice founded by the Russian-born visionary Mr Harry Nuriev. Its forward-thinking projects include a wealth of stainless steel, bespoke furniture pieces, reflective wall panelling and angular kitchen islands, which Nuriev often installs in clever contrast to more rustic interiors to bring an ultra-modern edge to his avant-garde designs.

Similarly, the Danish studio Calé Copenhagen mixes curvaceous steel dining tables and kitchen islands with traditional timber cabinetry to great effect, while British furniture designer Mr James Stickley’s tubular chairs and light fittings are both sculptural and functional. Going all out with metallics, iconic Italian furniture manufacturer Living Divani offers its humongous modular Extra soft sofa in jaw-dropping silver leather. Even Bettina Ceramica, a company traditionally focused on hand-painted ceramics, now produces a selection of stainless-steel tableware made in the lakes of Northern Italy. Polishing cloths at the ready.

Whether you’re on board with trend predictions or not, it’s undeniable that peach is having a moment in the sun. Like its rainbow of predecessors, Pantone’s colour of the year, “Peach Fuzz”, has proved divisive among the masses. However, according to the New Jersey-based colour experts, it’s a nurturing, inviting and cocooning shade that enriches heart, mind and body. Cementing soft fruit’s 2024 design credentials, rival trend forecaster WGSN announced “Apricot Crush” as their hot tip for the forthcoming year.

As far as these colours are concerned, the interior designer, architectural historian and all-round master of all things paint Mr Edward Bulmer is a fan. “Peachy, terracotta shades have enduring appeal and they suit spaces of great scale as well as cosy sitting rooms,” he says. “Rich and enveloping, they transport us to warmer climes and are redolent of deeper tones that have faded over the years, like half remembered stucco colours from summer holidays in Italy.”

So far so romantic, but these tones are not just for traditional schemes. Ms Carmel Greer of Washington-based studio District Design deftly uses “Peach Blossom” by Benjamin Moore as a backdrop for an eclectic mix of vintage and design-led pieces, while the powder room in Gachot’s Soho triplex features a sleek mix of high-gloss lacquer and Rosa Portugalo leathered stone, inspired by the client’s European travels.

If there’s one type of timber that designers are coveting, it’s burr. Known in the US as burl, the swirling patterns, which can be found in any type of wood, are (ironically) formed when a tree is deformed. “It’s the perfectly imperfect nature of burr that makes it so appealing,” says Mr Edo Mapelli Mozzi, CEO of the multidisciplinary property practice Banda. “The grain is much wilder and texturally, it feels fresh and abstract. A burr piece of furniture can absolutely form a focal point in a room and will often be the starting point for a nature-inspired aesthetic.”

Irish interior designer Mr Bryan O’Sullivan, whose studio is responsible for elegant spaces including the restaurant and The Painter’s Room at Claridge’s, the Berkeley Bar & Terrace and the Red Room at The Connaught as well a host of high-end residential projects, agrees. “The depth of burr wood is what makes it so special,” he says. “It recalls Art Deco glamour and I’ve used it generously in many projects, as well as for our Stamp stool, which is part of our own furniture collection.”

Other champions of the sophisticated wood include the antique dealer turned architectural, furniture and interior designer Ms Rose Uniacke and the interior designer Ms Hollie Bowden, who is always on the hunt for a burr piece. “One of my favourite finds was a 1940s Biedermeier chest, which has aged so beautifully,” Bowden says. “The great thing about burr wood is that it’s timeless but still makes a statement, and it’s a really interesting way to introduce timber to a scheme.”

For complete collections of burr, see Soho Home’s offering as well the US interiors behemoth RH, whose vast Cotswolds outpost, Aynhoe Park, is home to a plethora of oversized designs.

Leads, wires, cables – who needs ’em? There’s a new generation of lamps in the house and they’re completely cord free. From the Bellhop by Barber Osgerby for Flos, originally conceived for the Design Museum when it moved to its current west London location in 2016, to a number of reworked classics and directional new designs by iconic brands including &Tradition, Gubi, Hay, Normann Copenhagen and more, technological advancements and increased battery life mean that, in 2024, there really is a portable option for every style or scenario.

“What’s great about portables is that we’ve discovered a new era of lighting,” says renowned British designer Mr Tom Dixon, whose Melt, Stone and Bell lamps are all available as rechargeable LED designs. “Alternative, post-pandemic ways of living mean we want to be able to move to different spaces easily, and to take a light with us. There’s also an element of ‘back to the future’ if you consider that 150 years ago, people were carrying light around in the form of candles – this is like a modern version. Whereas previously we were tethered with a cable, we can now get hours of luminosity from a design-led, portable light and there’s something quite brilliant about that.”

Traditional, modern and everywhere in between, stripes are like an underline for any interiors scheme. Particularly when combined with organic or less regimented shapes, a crisp, orderly stripe can bring things right up to date. “The beauty of stripes is that they can be used on walls, floors, furniture and even the ceiling,” says Mr Romanos Brihi, cofounder and partner at the London-based design practice Studio Vero. “We use them vertically, horizontally – there really are no rules.”

A social media sensation, the Studio Chair by creative practice Buchanan Studio went viral when it launched in 2021 and such was the demand for the bold design that they have now reissued the squidgy seat in new colourways. “The chair’s 1970s form lets the stripes dominate,” says the cofounder Mr Angus Buchanan. “We created the perfect stripe – not too skinny and not too wide and spent months with our printers getting the colours exactly as we wanted them.”

For a more low-key take on the enduring trend, see the smart Brown Paper Stripe wallpaper by interior designer Mr Adam Bray. Also recognising the demand is the Colours of Arley founder Ms Louisa Tratalos, who set up her own company catering for the super stripe lover. Offering completely bespoke fabric, wallpaper, cushions and lampshades, customers can choose their own colour combination, stripe width and fabric type, all of which are made from recycled materials.