Also at Maison, Little Greene caught our eye with its fourth collection of wallpapers created in collaboration with the National Trust. Taking archival designs from National Trust properties and reimagining them in beautiful new colourways, Little Greene brings heritage design up-to-date for the modern home. One particularly striking wallpaper was Aderyn, a chinoiserie pattern discovered in the 18th-century Welsh property, Erddig.  Another design lifts a delicate floral print from 19th century property, Standen House, one of Britain’s finest examples of an Arts and Crafts house. The original design appeared in a monochromatic blue and white palette which has since been recoloured by Little Greene in six new colourways to reinvigorate this dainty print for modern homes.

Equally alluring is the revival of the French fabric house, Quenin, which was purchased by Lelièvre in 1973. Taking ownership of Quenin’s vast archive, Lelièvre launched the stunning Belle Epoque collection, highlighting the synergy between the brands, both of which were founded during this flamboyant and affluent period of French history. The collection makes use of archival prints, infusing classic designs with modern touches to evoke “the gaiety, light-heartedness, veneration of nature and richness characteristic of the Belle Epoque period.” One of our favourites is Belle Saison, a traditional toile that has been modernised in lime green and terracotta colourways – a diversion from the traditional tones associated with this classic print, creating something entirely new yet timeless. 

Moving beyond the particular collections and designs that caught our eye, green appeared to be a pervasive theme at this year’s Paris Design Week, showing no signs of giving up its position as a trending colour anytime soon. A perennial favourite shade, we’ve seen green in almost all its iterations, from warming sage green to decedent emerald and rich ivy. However, a new hue emerged in Paris this year – camo. Whilst not a dramatic departure from recent trending hues of green, camo is more reminiscent of tropics and jungles, rather than herbaceous English country gardens. This lends itself to a more refreshing and modern aesthetic which was illustrated perfectly by Arte with the launch of its Lanai wallpaper collection. A celebration of natural textures, each design is either embroidered or inlaid with rattan and raffia to bring a sense of tactility and subtle interest. Whilst minimalist interiors are certainly here to stay, it’s evident that the glossy and futuristic finishes of recent years are being sidelined for warmer, earthier neutrals and more characterful styles.  

Finally, there were stripes (and lots of them). A humble but perennial design favourite, stripes took centre stage at this year’s Paris Design Week, so much so that Katrina Burroughs, interiors editor at The Times and The Sunday Times, has since dubbed 2024 “the year of the stripe” in a recent article in The Sunday Times. The enduring appeal of stripes is thanks to their versatility which gives them the ability to gently elevate a neutral palette, whilst also having the capacity to make a bold statement. There were, of course, classic iterations from Ralph Lauren Home, who launched their Super Yacht Stripe and Courtside Stripe in a rich and vivid green for an unfussy and classic update. Towards the other end of the spectrum was Zinc, who wove together geometric 70s shapes, stripes and jungle green to create the showstopping Plan B wallpaper in Colibri.

Kit Kemp’s collaboration with GP&J Baker made a refreshing contribution to the striped offerings, as did the patterns introduced by US brand, Schumacher. Both designs fused the simplicity provided by the structure of a stripe with joyful pattern and colour to create a playful take on tradition. Schumacher flexed the boundaries of a stripe by combining an oval and dagger print, repeated vertically in a rich crimson red, allowing a solid blush pink stripe to peep through. Conversely, Kit Kemp’s collaboration works more traditionally within the lines but with a delicate ‘wriggle’ pattern over solid colour to generate the stripe. This added intrigue and offered a playful yet sophisticated take on a classic, while retaining a spirited edge.

We’re already seeing these trends filter though, as they do every year, a little closer to home on the highstreets and in the pages of magazines. Keeping our finger on the Parisian pulse each year means that we can infuse our client's work with a little je ne sais quoi that helps them to stay relevant and on-trend, while crucially remaining true to their brand identity.  

Not every trend is a fit for every client, nor should it be, but keeping abreast with what’s current and catching journalists’ imagination helps inspire our trend mood boards for seasonal client shoots and inform the copy we write on behalf of our clients which is key to keeping them competitive in the eyes of journalists and in securing crucial column inches.  

If you’re keen to talk all things trends and how we can help utilise these to elevate and position your brand, then get in touch with us at londonPR@coolblue.co.uk