As winter drags away the glint of natural light from interiors, home owners are starting to extract the gusto from trends being unveiled during these opening months of the decor year. Autumn represents the beginning of the fashion calendar. It is during this period that fabricators and designers cram the market with electrifying stylistic innovations which will sustain the décor world for the forthcoming seasons. Cutting edge aesthetics begin to crack open the fresh, contemporary style that homes will be wearing well into 2013. This winter, all stylistic elements are buzzing around three core concepts. Conscience, antiquity and contrast form the central hub around which the entire interior is hinged. With this trio of elements, decorators have the girth to be highly individualistic but without them, no design has relevance.

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Conscientiousness in design made its entrance early this year but its relevance has ballooned to such an extent that no home can afford to be without it. Sustainable design has its practical functions, reducing utility bills and carbon footprint, but its stylistic upshot is most thrilling. Natural materials such as bamboo, stone and silk, paint the home in organic textures. The earthen quality that results is cosy, elegant and understated. To extend green lifestyles, wallpaper, panels and window treatments are designed using innovative materials that produce natural aesthetics without pilfering materials from nature. Neutral hues are used on illusory sheers that cover walls with earthy tones that seem to emit light.

Natural elements such as sunlight and wind are invited to play a starring role in decor through the use of wispy linen and silk drapes that dance on the breeze without obstructing sunlight. The consequences are not only stylistic but also practical—amplified light reduces energy use for enhanced eco-friendliness and painless budgeting. Organic textures usually gleaned from nature are recreated synthetically in the form of faux stone and wood wallpapers, laminates and tiles.

Antiquity’s role in winter trends needs to be handled with eclecticism so that prim formality is erased in favour of a far more down to earth look. The potential snootiness of marble, retro prints and teak is obliterated when combined with concrete, tartan wool and text-based wall treatments. Casual blackboard scribbling, alphabetting and graffiti are used on wall panels to create a warehouse atmosphere. Austere elements are contrasted against rudimentary styles that give the home a wry sense of humour that cannot be ignored.

Tim Aldiss writes for Fabrics and Papers, the contemporary wallpaper and designer upholstery fabrics specialists.

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