Update your boudoir with fun, flirty patterns

Spring is upon us and with new-season trends taking cues from fresh, feminine florals and cool coastal charm, now is a great time to discover a new bedding style.

COLOUR AND COMFORT:

Kay McKelt, of Bedlam, said the big trends for spring-summer 2010 included bright colours and bold patterns, with green, fuchsia and purple dominating.

"Accessories are again popular, with cushions and throws in amazing detail and fabulous to the touch," she said. "For a conservative look, there's also a huge range of whites and ivories to choose from."

Tracie Ellis, designer and owner of Aura, agreed that bold patterns and solid block colours were big for new-season bedding.

"Jacquards and prints in hot dots, geometrics, tie-dye accents, decorative patterns and layered tones of purple make a dramatic statement, using unapologetically bold colours," she said.

"(There is) a strong emphasis on rich purples, accent yellows, luscious reds and subtle greys worked back with metallics - gold and silver - creams and contrasting bold shades against neutral furnishings, walls and floors."

Sue Bailey, owner of Cocoon Bedroom Couture, said other hot hues for spring included soft shades of aqua and gold, coral pink, white, deep blue and black.

DOWN THE GARDEN PATH:

Flora and fauna, particularly dragonflies, were popular motifs for soft furnishings, according to Ms Bailey.

Sheridan general manager Paul Gould agreed nature was one of the season's strongest influences when it came to new designs.

"Hand-painted florals are still paramount. From tiny field flowers to the full-blown extravagance of exotic peonies, flowers still reign supreme," he said. "We see camellias, roses, peonies, dahlias, trailing floral vines and even native Australian species."

Sue Kropp, from Domayne, said the floral trend was everywhere when she visited overseas design fairs this year. "Soft, pretty and very girlie, this look is not for everyone," she said. "But just as you would when you choose an outfit, you can vary the degree of floral you want."

BY THE SEA:

Inspired by another popular fashion trend, Ms Kropp said the nautical look was back in a big way.

"This palette is always a great look for summer even if it's just lots of white bed linen teamed with striped cushions or chambray sheets," she said.

"If you have existing white linen you can easily create this feel with red or navy cotton throws and some nautical-looking cushions."

Mixing nautical-themed manchester with the season's hottest look, florals, could give your bedroom a summery, island-inspired feel. Ms Kropp said florals worked well with stripes for a more unisex look.

"There is also some great natural linen about . . . natural linen can be a little pricey but will be a classic look that lasts forever," she said. "Team it with whites and navy for a very smart nautical look."

Anna Lofts, managing director of Linen & Moore, agreed much of the inspiration for this season's bedding collections came from the coast.

"The Hamptons look is a hot trend," Ms Lofts said. "Bed linen is plain white with a contrasting colour such as pale blue or red. Cushions and throws feature stripes in washed-out beach palettes of neutrals, sea greens and blues in 100 per cent natural linen and cotton."

AROUND THE WORLD:

Also popular was a look Ms Kropp called "global fusion".

"Global fusion is made up of influences from many different countries, but this time we see them start to all work together," she said.

"Tribal designs combine with Asian influences . . . and the strong colours are being combined with natural tones and patterns."

Ms Kropp said this style had the greatest impact when teamed with timber and leather beds.

It also offered a more masculine look than the other two dominant trends for the season.

"If you love India, Morocco and Balinese influences this look is for you. Normally it is a very earthy look but this summer we see it teamed with lots of colour," she said.

Ms Ellis said there was an emphasis on handcrafted finishes that told a story.

"Inspired by journeys to faraway places, we are getting back to our creative souls and embracing the value of craft skills and handcrafted finishes," she said.

"We are seeing . . . the consumer appreciating craft, products with authenticity, originality and truth - meaningful design that gives your interior more soul."

Deepa Silveira and Karen Trouchet, of homewares company Kardamom, focused on authentic ethnic motifs, materials and methods with their new-season bedding range, including traditional Indian block-printing and embroidery.

"The block-printing . . . is done in the tradition from Rajasthan, India, of printing cloth with finely carved wooden blocks," Ms Silveira said.

"Floral motifs are mostly used and, in some regions, through the Persian influence, the motifs are more sophisticated.

"This method, though laborious, is actually simple but calls for precision.

"The cloth is laid out flat on a table and then a freshly dye-dipped block is hand pressed on to the fabric to form a continuous, interlocking pattern."

NICE AND NEUTRAL:

Ms Lofts said Linen & Moore's spring-summer colour spectrum was broad, but there was an emphasis on the subtle.

"In general, the colour palette for bed linen is subdued and understated in traditional white, cream and grey and as a result bed linen takes on a classier and more valuable look," she said.

She said a key trend was embroidery, particularly on cushions, and particularly with botanical references.

"On trend for bed linen are contemporary floral embroidery designs that reconnect with the rich cultural heritage of the past," she said.

Ms Ellis said neutral shades featured in an earthy, delicate palette of charcoal, cream, bark, cloud and sky hues.

"They are lovely weathered tones in tonal layers. Cream is the new white - so much softer and easier to live with," she said.