Interior design in 2019 will centre around wellbeing and comfort, says Michelle Ogundehin. Her trend report includes the tactile surfaces and humble materials of "soft Scandi", plus a splash of tangy mustard.

Design is rarely conceived in a vacuum, and statements of style are always a response to what's happening in the world at large. So any serious trend prediction has to be based on a rigorous examination of the current cultural context.
At present, all things are in flux. I feel we have reached a crucial tipping point ? to put it bluntly, a choice between taking responsibility for where we've found ourselves, or oblivion.
As I fervently believe in the power of our surroundings to affect our wellbeing, the positioning of the home as a space to restore and replenish becomes ever more vital. Rather than an externally facing show space, the home should now be thought of as an acutely personal place for reflection, retreat and a degree of introspection. It must enable the search for authenticity and personal truth that starts with each of us asking: what change can I make as an individual that will have a positive effect on my life, family and work" And, by extension, society as a whole" Change must come, because in my opinion there's a direct line between our always-on, resolutely screen-based world and the rising rates worldwide of cancer, ill-health and social isolation. To recall Gandhi's famous aphorism, it's time we as individuals became the cha...