A look into the interior design crystal ball

Francis Hooper (top) of World and Holly Clarke of Homewares and accessories store Curtis & Clarke. Pictures / Carolyn Robertson

It's the middle of winter and all you want to do is go to bed with a hot-water bottle and a cup of cocoa. Come summer you'll be so sick of staring at the bedroom walls that a bit of a revamp could well be in order. We ask four people in the know to peer into their crystal balls and tell us what they see.

Kate Sylvester
Fashion designer

Trends: We're renovating our house and the key thing I'm obsessed with is creating a personal space rather than a designer space. I think there's been a big swing away from minimalist austerity to a more eclectic, spontaneous feel. Mix up eras and styles and inject some humour, warmth and clutter into your house.

Fabrics: We're looking for interesting texture and pattern. I keep picking up raw, textured linens and 1960s chenille upholstery fabrics.

Colours: As with my clothing ranges, I like to create a base of neutrals and natural beach tones such as soft straw, pumice, marram grass, then throw in vivid highlights of bougainvillea pinks or fresh eggshell blue.

What are you longing for in the house for summer?

I want a great pile of canvas squabs in all the colours of 1950s Palm Springs - mint, red, aqua, lemon, coral - all piped in ivory. One minute they'll be the height of poolside reclining luxury and the next they can be building blocks for hidey-houses or soft landings for somersaulting boys.

What you'll be glad to throw away: That lethal combination of table surfaces that mark and uptight coasters or placemats. Either throw away the table and get one that functions, or throw away the coasters and accept the fact that scratches and heat circles tell stories and add character.

Francis Hooper
Fashion designer

Trends: The summer trend I predict and wish for is the return to clutter, the wonder of mixing everything up and incorporating passion back into the home. Mix retro pieces of furniture with the latest kitchen fit-out together with op-shop finds. Why not mix grandma's quilts with new towels, old cutlery with three or four different table settings a la John's Diner on Swanson St circa 1980 on top of the latest hottest, flashest Scandinavian table and chairs.

Colour: Again, mix it up and don't be afraid to experiment a little. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Get the new Dulux colour wheel and let your eyes do the walking.

Fabrics: If you can go there, get the biggest, deepest, longest leather couch and then fill the room with all the textures and colours you love around it.

Must-have: Diptyque candles. They're amazing in winter but even better in summer. I was introduced to them 15 years ago thought, "A candle? Whatever." Then I lit it and both [wife and design partner] Denise and I have used them ever since. Even our daughter, Pebbles, has them in her room. We love them so much we sell them.

What won't you be glad to see the back of? Minimalism. It's so boring, elitist and dull - three lamps over the kitchen table with three vases and three apples in a row make me vomit. And the breakfast bar. Go forth and fill your house with interesting things that reflect your life and passions and get more art, more chairs, more trinkets and more of everything makes people much more interesting.

Holly Clarke
Homewares and accessories store Curtis & Clarke

Fabrics: Contrasting textures of pure cottons and pure linens are a great start to summer. Soft, smooth and luxurious fabrics mixed with more tactile and structured ones are a great combination. Bolder floral and striped prints add some life to all the neutral and putty coloured rooms that we've all grown accustomed to.

Colours: Sun-faded colours are far more interesting than pastels. They give a sense of lightness and have the appeal of well-worn jeans. Darker shades of blue will see a return. Think nana's old blue-and-white china but in a contemporary mix. Metallic finishes add luxury to simplistic shapes and they also work with the natural tones that are already a backbone to the colour palettes of most New Zealand homes.

Mood: The bach is a place we all love to escape to and has inspired us to create a range that is very relaxed and full of nostalgic memories. It's a place and space that's sun-drenched and sleepy but with all the creature comforts of an urban home. Then there's what we're calling contemporary vintage. It has an edgier approach and looks great in an old villa as well as a really modern home. Something old, something new. An old design in a new material or colour.

Must-haves: Anything acrylic is hot right now and our baroque-edged acrylic serving trays and sea urchin tealights walk out the door.

Richard Stott
Parnell home and lifestyle store Akali and wholesaler Capulet

Colours: They're about sunshine and having fun, namely hot pink, aqua, orange and lime. And bold stripes.

Fabrics: Bright coloured canvas, bright, sheer silks, sheer linens and muslins.

Themes: We're about to launch a range called Mosquito, which has a coastal and bach theme. It has a Moroccan kasbah meets Bali meets the Pacific feel. It's about outdoor living and there's a real sense of fun. Ideal for baches or people who want to have a bit of fun in their back garden, with coloured umbrellas finished in fake flowers and bright chairs and benches that have have been painted pink, turquoise and green and sanded back to give a stressed look.

What are you longing for? A mother of pearl chandelier. We're going to have two- and three-tier ones. They're so beautiful. And brightly coloured jars like the old jam-jars mum used to use. They've got little wires on and you hang them on trees with tealights inside. Also, anything comfortable to lounge about on outside - mattresses, deck chairs, floor cushions.

What won't you be sorry to see the back of? Last summer's tired old deckchair and anything beige.