Gloss is back

After years of discreet matte finishes on our walls, doors and furniture, gloss is making a major comeback. A few splashes of gloss in your home – think shiny splash back in your kitchen, lacquered TV cabinet in your living room or gleaming laminate floor in your hall – is the very latest in interior design.

“One of the biggest advantages of gloss is that it adds extra richness to your home,” says Lesley Watt, Design Director of Obelisk Interiors. “An item of glossy furniture is a real statement piece in a room.” As part of its trend-setting philosophy, Obelisk Interiors was one of the first businesses to introduce glossy furniture on the Costa del Sol. “I feel this new trend is a real asset to homes in Spain,” adds Lesley.

Glossy furniture, whether it is a sideboard, wardrobe or chest of drawers, can bring a room to life. Patent leather is also increasingly popular and has caused furore in the US where no discerning home is without its patent leather sofa. Some critics of glossy furniture claim that it can be ‘cold’, but as Lesley points out, “furniture can be easily warmed up with the odd accessory, such as a sheepskin rug.” Glossy furniture can also be easily mixed with other furniture and provides an attractive contrast.

Gloss is versatile and need not necessarily be limited to furniture; walls and floors can also take a share of gloss. Good base colours for gloss-painted walls are chocolate, ivory, sage or mauve, which, when covered with a transparent shiny glaze, bring sparkle to even the dullest living room. Shiny wallpaper is another alternative – covering a feature wall with wallpaper in a shiny metallic finish (bronze or gold) adds the wow factor to a home. If you are keen on glossy floors, lacquered wooden floors are the best option. High-gloss woodwork on doors and windows provides extra richness.

If you fancy a touch of gloss in your kitchen, then a lacquered splash back or high-gloss tiles may be the answer. Combined with glass or metal, gloss in your kitchen adds the ultimate in modern design.

Just a word of caution about gloss: use it sparingly. “You have to be careful not to overdo it,” says Lesley. “Gloss offers the best effects when it’s used as a feature piece of furniture or as one element of the kitchen,” she advises. “That way you create extra richness without spoiling the overall look. But I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest a touch of gloss to breathe some life into a tired home.”

For more information, visit obeliskinteriors.eu