The Zeitgeist Edit — The Editor on What's Going Up (and Down) in Style This February

Color has such a profound effect on me at this time of year. Where I am in the world, January has been long and dark, and though everyone will tell you I'm an inherently 'beige' person in real life, I can't help but find myself lingering over images of brightly-colored rooms, even outfits in unexpectedly vibrant hues that would totally disturb the rest of my closet. I almost bought a pastel lavender-colored cardigan the other day — February can't come soon enough.

But color isn't where my February ruminations end. I'm in a project state of mind, now truly free from the 'do not disturb' sign that hangs, metaphorically, on the house during the entertaining season. For some, it's a small project on the books, for myself, a bedroom and bathroom revamp is looking most likely for 2025. Even before we head into 'design season' properly, where the world's annual design festivals take place, there's lots that's new and exciting right now, from materials to collection launches, that is feeding the renovation beast.

My last reason to be so glad to wave goodbye to January is that February just has more of a sense of conviviality about it. Where January is all about post-December guilt and monastic abstinence, in February, those walls break down a bit. I won't, as I may have been at a recent Livingetc Design Directed dinner hosted in London, be the only one with a glass of wine in hand for much longer. Come February, I'll finally be able to coax friends back to cocktail bars, a haven of creativity and, hopefully, good design, if you find the right one.

And with that in mind, these are the things that are on the up, and in a slump, for February, 2025.

↑ Going Up — Textured Stone

When I met with Sam Hart, a designer at kitchen brand Roundhouse, recently, we talked about how textured natural stones, specifically marble, were an emerging material trend. I'd assumed that the application of these types of stone (which I saw samples of at the Wigmore Street showroom) would be limited, for now, for more bespoke applications. Very much not an off-the-shelf option.

Thankfully I was wrong, and I recently spotted a new collection of textured marble tiles from Mandarin Stone that I'm excited about. I've got some samples sitting on my coffee table right now, and it's a beautiful material that I know will be used in some luxurious designs. I'm (still) overly fond of Viola marble, but for something a little more harmonious, the Calacatta Amber is a dreamy option.

↑ Going Up — 'Crystal' Tones

I'm not always a massive fan of decorating with jewel tones in the traditional sense. A little too dark, too moody — they're colors that take themselves seriously. But, 'crystal' tones? That's a whole other business.

In Paint & Paper Library's latest collection, 'Jewels', the brand created paint colors in the jewel tone spectrum but matched to real-life crystal tones. They're a bit more lively than your everyday jewel tones — vibrant, and a little more unexpected.

"We are the first to acknowledge there is rarely anything more beautifully designed than things created by nature," Andy Greenall, head of design Paint & Paper Library, explains. "So for these colors, we delved into some of the lesser-known, and therefore most enigmatic, sources of natural color that we could discover."

"What the collection brings is both the colors themselves and the lessons, delivered directly from the ground, on how to use them in a design scheme amongst and alongside a neutral palette. I see these shades being used on large expanses and in bold proportions by confident color aficionados."

These are Jewel Tones 2.0.

↑ Going Up — Savory Cocktails

According to the New York Post, the 'Caprese Martini' served by New York cocktail bar Jac's on Bond was the drink of the summer last year. Made with a basil, olive oil, and tomato-infused vodka, it's just one example of the savory-profiled cocktails that now at least any good cocktail bar has one of on the books.

Some establishments, however, dedicate more menu space to the savory cocktail, including the Nipperkin, in Mayfair's Berkely Square. This tiny, basement cocktail bar belonging to London restaurant Niju, whose design is inspired by Japanese 'listening rooms', has some of the most initially-baffling sounding cocktails, without leaning into the idea as a novelty.

"I personally believe that savory cocktails were always in the picture; however, it is just lately that it feels that bartenders are trying to unlock new flavors and dimensions in their drinks, resorting more often to different ingredients usually sourced locally," Angelos Bafas, Head of Bars at Creative Restaurant Group, tells me. "We see that the increase in the use of foraged and wild ingredients has contributed to the rise of savory cocktails, too. From wild garlic to foraged mushrooms to black mustard leaves and organic seaweed, our menu is a constant evolution of savory flavours delivered in the best and most consumer-friendly way."

Join me for a Heritage Radishes and Koji? Or a Sugarsnap Peas and Jasmine Tea for an non-alcoholic option?

↑ Going Up — Wellness Vacations

Holidays that you need a holiday after to recover from? That doesn't align with my 2025 wellness goals. But it is holiday booking season, and our travel and lifestyle editor Gilda Bruno has been supplying us with endless fodder for planning vacations for this year. Her Travel Trends report highlighted some of the emerging trends in holidaying right now, and 'calmcations' were high on the list.

I recently discovered a relatively new hotel in Turkey, opening for just its second season this year, that offers something a little extraordinary in the realms of wellness travel. The architects of Scorpios Bodrum, a spa hotel already set on an idyllic secluded peninsula, created an architectural wonder in the form of a 'Ritual Temple'. I love the idea of a ritual — meditation with action for those who feel like they can't sit still. Gilda's going to find out all about the design of this spectacular hotel this month, so keep your eyes peeled.

↓ Going Down — Colors That Actually Go Together

In recent times, color palettes have all been about being restful on the eye — think monochromatic schemes and color drenching — but there are new pairings coming to the forefront that are brazen, bold, and jarring. You know that feeling where there's some colored text on a colored background that clashes slightly — it sort of hurts youe eyes, and it's hard to read the words? It's that feeling, but applied into modern patterns, and in a way that gives a strange sense of satisfaction.

A design such as this rug created by Parisian-based rug company COLORTHERAPIS as a limited edition for Made in Design is a good example — and this red and blue combination is a common duo to see in this somewhat discordant trend.

In soft furnishings, it's an expression of maximalism in interior design, paired with thick cabana stripes and frills. This throw pillow from John Lewis & Partners comes in a few colorways, each equally 'incompatible', while I even saw a pouffe in a Dunelm store while shopping for curtains tracks that is such an unharmonious combination of bright blue and green that I couldn't help but admire it.

↓ Going Down — Curvy Sofas

Is this the end of the curved sofa? No, not at all, but I've found myself increasingly drawn to boxier sofa shapes. And it's not all about looks.

Curved sofas are spectacular, but they often have low backs and lack in the armrest department, where a design such as the Jota sofa from Fredericia, a recent release for the Danish furniture brand, is structured and supportive.

I can't help but love the aesthetics of this sofa too, though. The cushions look fine and minimalist, rather than the oversized, slouchy look of plumper living room sofas, but it is surprisingly comfortable — my colleague, Carole, who went to the launch of the design, can attest to that.

↓ Going Down — Misophonia

It's not often that a non-interiors book arrives on my desk, but a copy of Dr Jane Gregory's Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions was floating around the office, and caught my attention. Yes, I might be self-diagnosing, but this decreased tolerance to certain noises sounds exactly like what plagues my working hours.

Call it overstimulation, call it 'misophonia' — but I've been more than ready to quiet the cacophony. My first port of call was a pair of Loop Earplugs, which I bought from Amazon, influenced by designer Alexa Proba's recommendation to us in an interview last year. At first, it felt weird to put something in my ears which weren't blasting music, but actually isn't that the point? To sit with quiet sometimes? To not always be consuming some sort of media?

When I want to focus and listen to something, I've recently turned to the Sonos Ace headphones for their world-blocking quality. I'm a Sonos fanboy at home, for the brand's sound quality and design in equal measure, so it follows that its headphones have impressed me, too. They do clever things like spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, but back to my dislike for distracting sounds, putting them on and having the Active Noise Cancellation kick in — you can hear it turn on — is the most satisfying feeling.

If you're looking for something a little cheaper, but equally design-y, I can also recommend Bose's QuietComfort headphones — I've borrowed a pair from a friend for a gym workout a few times, and they're an easy wear.

The start of the year has been challenging, around the globe, but where there's strife, there comes art and design as resistance. The creative arts is often an escapism from the strife of politics, even climate, but it's of course, always connected to what's happening in the world around us.

With Design Weeks around the world kicking off (we've already had Paris, but Stockholm starts February 3rd), we'll soon be seeing what's in store for homes for the year to come in even greater detail.