Amanda Neill of Designworx who forecasts colour-trends, says that thanks to technology, there is a definite move towards adding soft finishes such as printing to hard surfaces in order to achieve an original look. According to Amanda, many high pressure laminates (HPLs) and low pressure laminates (LPLs) are now available textured or printed, as are other interior hard surfaces from splash-backs to wall tiles. An example of this technology can be seen in Tile Warehouse’s EMMA range of tiles from Portugal. Black and white geometrics and the use of gentle pastels in green and purple are the essence of EMMA (see product spec sheet).

Another big trend in interiors which will be here for sometime says Amanda, are textures and rich colours like emerald, harking back to the 1950s.

Retro is also most definitely still "now" with a trend towards, what Amanda calls, “up-cycling”; the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful. Tile Warehouse’s range, the BESIDE series, is an excellent example of up-cycling using technology. The back of a tile, once thought of as the ugly duckling, is glazed in vibrant colours and the reverse side of the tile becomes a product of original beauty.