(Above: Farrow & Ball, Design Alchemy: Kevin Miyazaki, Walls: Setting Plaster No.231, Cabinets: Bamboozle No.304)

Spring has officially sprung, and if you’re looking to spruce up your living space this season, here’s what’s trending right now.

Earthier tones

This year has been a rise in the popularity of rich, natural browns, a trend that was recently seen at London Design Week 2024. These can help to bring warmth to a space and can be used in different shades throughout the home, such as through the choice of flooring, wall colour and soft furnishings.

Rebecca von Achten from Just So Interiors in Harrogate describes:

“Earthy colours like chocolate, clay and nutmeg add warmth and cosiness and this year are forecast to supersede paler neutrals.”

She also explained how colour drenching – painting walls, ceilings and woodwork all in the one colour – remains in vogue, and has replaced feature walls as a way to make a statement and impact in a room.

(Zoffany Paint, Raw Umber)

Rebecca Thomas, junior interior designer at Richard Grafton Interiors in Harrogate, details how the colour can be implemented in homes:

“Browns can be introduced gently using natural wood floors or tables, chocolatey-hued mohair throws, rich tortoiseshell accessories, as well as local artisan latte-toned ceramics while dark mahogany and walnut will bring warmth and richness to interiors, making the space feel cosy and elegant.”

(Richard Grafton Interiors)

Bright and bold colours

In total contrast, as well as there being a step away from neutrals – especially greys ­– in recent years, there has been a move towards colour.

(Richard Grafton Interiors)

Bright hues can add the wow-factor and the use of colour can be implemented through various schemes; whether its through statement key furniture pieces or simply with cushions that can be rotated as the seasons change.

Rebecca Thomas explained how the use through of colour in an interior space can lift your mood when needed, promote joyfulness and creativity but also sooth and calm. She went on to describe the colours that are standing out for Richard Grafton Interiors at the moment:

“Pinks, greens, reds and yellows are very much taking centre stage for the more daring of us. Being colour confident is not a trend that’s going ‘out’ anytime soon.

Go all out with maximalism

As well as this year being all about unconventional colour combinations, patterns and maximalist décor are also becoming big in the world of interiors. Rebecca von Achten explains:

“This spring we’re seeing a chintz revival with ‘Nancy Meyers’ style interiors, floral patterns, contrasting textiles and vintage pieces dominating the interior world. It’s all about surrounding yourself with things that spark joy and displaying them to look carefully curated.

(Farrow & Ball, Design Alchemy: Kevin Miyazaki, Walls: Setting Plaster No.231, Cabinets: Bamboozle No.304)

“Don’t worry if extravagant wallpaper, lavish wall art or floral sofas isn’t in the budget though; start small by adding checkerboard, gingham or striped patterns, ruffled cushions, scalloped edge accessories and a variety of vintage finds that evoke the feeling of nostalgia.”

Shapes

(Richard Grafton Interiors)

There has also been a move away from angular square and rectangular furniture that can often look harsh in spaces, with homeowners looking more towards organic, softer contours for their pieces, even down to the finer details such as vases and display pieces. Rebecca Thomas elaborates:

“The more rounded silhouettes bring natural flow, complementing harsh architectural straight lines of the typical home. From puddle shaped relaxed dining tables, curved sofas to wavey cabinetry and bobbin handles, organic shapes continue to trend this spring.”

Don’t forget… peach is back

(Farrow & Ball, Walls: Setting Plaster No.231)

Pantone has declared its 2024 colour ‘peach fuzz’, a hue that’s aimed to evoke a sense of kindness and ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ to a space, and it also marks the 25th anniversary of the Pantone Colour of the Year.

And finally, your outside space…

(Susie Watson Design)

As the weather starts to warm up, there’s more and more opportunity to socialise outside, giving the perfect opportunity to dress the garden table for the occasion. Tracy Stark, head of retail at Susie Watson Designs in Harrogate says:

“At this time of year, I tend to favour the softer pastel colours at home and in the garden and am always thinking of pretty table arrangements such as our Fritillary pottery collection that’s perfect for spring entertaining.”

Read more:

• 5 alternative Easter activities in and around Harrogate
• Yorkshire Dales Monopoly edition revealed
• The jobs to do in your garden right now
• The hidden stories behind Harrogate’s newest chocolate shop
• 7 Easter activities to keep the kids entertained

A new upmarket national retailer is set to open a store on Harrogate’s West Park.

Mandarin Stone, which sells natural stone, porcelain and decorative tiles for homes and businesses, will open in the former Lynx Menswear unit.

Helen Cox-Rawnsley, a director of Montpellier Property Consultants, announced today it had let the site.

The site of the new store.

Mandarin Stone already has showrooms in 15 locations, mainly in southern England and Wales.

The family-run business, which is based in Monmouth, announced last week that its pre-tax profit for the year ended 31 December 2022 had increased to £7.5 million, compared with £6.9 million the year before.

Alma Small, managing director of Mandarin Stone who founded the business more than 30 years ago, said the company continued to grow “despite the challenges and uncertainty within the building sector”.

The company’s website says it has “the most innovative and exciting wall and floor surfaces to the UK market, placing Mandarin Stone at the forefront of interior design”.

Read more:

• ‘Collective will’ at council to rescue £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Plan to convert former Harrogate hostel into flats set for approval

When Ella Davis began posting pictures on Instagram of her work to jazz up a new build house in Killinghall last year, she had no idea where it would all lead.

Fast forward 18 months and @ellashausofcolour has twenty thousand followers and Ella has won a Yorkshire blogging award.

I just wanted to take pics of my journey and it grew from there. The idea was to document my journey.  M job role at the time was in social media and I wanted combine that work with my journey with house.

“I opened up an Instagram account and started posted pictures — it has followed how my taste has developed and how the house grew with it.”

Ella describes her interior design style as “eclectic maximalism” — that means everything is bold, bright and colourful and there’s lots of it.

New builds are famous for being boxy and bland — Ella was simply “not down for it”.

“It was bland. I thought I would be more into dark and moody interiors and I soon realised I wasn’t — my sofa is bright orange. I have 3 gallery walls in my house.

“I have a big thing about buying decorative accessories from local businesses so everything is unique.”

One of Ella’s Instagram posts

Alongside her colourful design journey was another journey of discovery — that of becoming a serious blogger. She said it’s been a surprise that her following has grown so quickly:

“I literally just thought I was documenting it for myself.

“Last November I had one thousand followers and now, in less than a year, I have gained another nineteen thousand. There are now many different businesses (30 of them) that want to work with me.  If you hit the criteria (that means a certain engagement rate and your posts fit their style) the interior design businesses find you and want to work with you.”

Ella doesn’t charge for her collaborations –she sees it as a hobby, not a job, and it can be stressful.

“There have been times when being an interior influencer is intense — you have to be constantly updating and it can be quite pressurising. I have worked with two different paint projects and next week I am working with another paint company.

“I love it but if you are sent 10 litres of paint there’s a lot involved!”

Last week Ella was rewarded for her hard work when she won the Most Creative Feed category in the People’s Choice Awards which celebrates bloggers, influencers and YouTubers in Yorkshire . How did she feel about the recognition?

“It was very surreal — just to be nominated. It was the Most Creative Feed category and people nominate you for your photo skills and how creative your home is and my name popped up which was bizarre. I sat there at the award ceremony last Friday and it was the last category to be called and suddenly my name was called!

“I do it because I love it, I love my house — it is something that reflects me and my personality. So when other people like and I win an award it’s surreal. I don’t do it for clout – I do it because I like it”.

Read More:

• Covid doorstep photographers to open Harrogate town centre studio
• Gavin and Stacey star coming to Ripon on Saturday afternoon

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Move to residential work for Harrogate interiors firm

A Harrogate business specialising in commercial interior design has expanded its work into the residential property sector.

The House Collective, based in Windsor House on Cornwall Road, has already completed a hat-trick of residential projects and is about to begin work on a 17-room home in Roundhay, Leeds.

It was set up by Rob Umpleby, who founded commercial interior design agency RU Creative. When a client struggled to find an interior designer, the RU Creative team stepped up to the challenge.

As well as providing detailed drawings instead of simple mood boards, the team offers a 3D visualisation service, creating photorealistic images and using virtual reality to give an exact picture of how the project will look when complete.

Mr Umpleby said:

“We are really excited to have launched The House Collective, and whilst it is a brand-new business, we bring with us a long and successful history within the world of commercial interior design.

“Over the years we have worked on some amazing refurbishment schemes, and our skills in creating workspaces with a residential feel has given us the confidence to break into the residential property world.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Knaresborough barbers celebrates 20 years in business
• Business breakfast: Experienced lawyer joins Harrogate firm’s life team

Arrow Electronics adds £10k to children’s hospice fundraising

A children’s charity will benefit from £10,000 of fundraising thanks to a team of colleagues in Harrogate.

Employees at Arrow Electronics, along with their vendors and suppliers, cycled more than 150 miles from Harrogate to Whitby and back in support of Martin House Children’s Hospice.

The 28 cyclists completed the route including a 4,000ft climb at the start of a second year of fundraising for the hospice. Since May 2021, they have raised more than £23,100.

Nick Bannister, vice president sales for Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business in the UK and Ireland, said:

“I’m really proud of our team who have gone out of their way to support this great charity over the last 12 months.

“It was great to see so many of our vendors and suppliers get involved in the Arrow Great Yorkshire Cycle, and I’m looking forward to seeing how much we can raise this year.”

Martin House cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions across West, North and East Yorkshire, as well as supporting their families. Its care includes planned respite stays, emergency and symptom control stays, end-of-life care and bereavement support.

Abigail Proctor, partnerships manager at Martin House, said:

“We’re so grateful for the support of Arrow over the last 12 months. The support they are giving us will make such a big difference to the hundreds of families we care for every year.”

The Arrow team will take on another challenge in September, tackling the Yorkshire Three Peaks.