If the (sporadic) blue skies and first blooms of the new season have put you in the mood for sprucing-up your home, you’re in luck!  There are some fantastically fresh home decor trends hitting the shops just now, and we’ve searched out the top 5 for 2016 to help you get your home in style for spring, without breaking the bank.

Matte finishes

Source: John Lewis

If 2015 was all about high shine copper, then this spring it’s all about chic matte finishes as the coating of choice.  A feature wall in chalk paint, a collection of off-white matte glazed vases or bed linens in shades of charcoal are all easy ways to pick up on this trend.  This look works best in minimalist or industrial inspired rooms, and should be used sparingly to keep things from feeling too cold.

Tropical accents

Source: Habitat

Home fashion often takes inspiration from high fashion, and the tropical trend is a good example of this.   Bold, leaf print fabrics and wall coverings mixed with accessories featuring animal shapes or prints can transform an otherwise plain room.  If you’re in the mood to refresh your kitchen – the shops are full of colourful crockery and zingy cookware that fits right in with this trend.

Updated Monochrome

Source: Next

Black and white is a classic trend that never really goes away, but in 2016 it’s all about how you mix your monochrome with other colours.  The colour experts, Pantone, have highlighted pale pink and dusky blue as key hues for 2016.  For an affordable way to bring your home bang on trend, how about  recycling your existing monochrome accessories by displaying them against a dusky blue feature wall?

Folk infusion

Source: Debenhams

The handmade/vintage trend that has dominated the last few years has transformed into a more folk inspired look for 2016, full of hand finished fabrics and natural materials (think aged wood and soft leather).  The key to this trend is that the finish should look relaxed and organic – not too ‘put together’ which means it’s an easy one for even the newest budding interior designer to get right!

Technicolour stripes

Source: Habitat

Updating rugs or runners are a great way to breathe new life into a room without much hassle, and the shops are full of colourful stripy rugs in all shapes and sizes that let you do just that.   In plain rooms you can dare to be bold with stripes in all different colours, but if your room already contains colour or pattern you might want to stick to one or two tones that compliment your existing scheme and let the pattern make the impact.