Giles Kime makes a bold prediction as he perceives a new wind blowing through the World of Interiors. It’s easy (and tempting) to dismiss trend predictions, but you only need to look at Country Life to see that interior design is a restless business. The dramatic changes that took place in the early 20th century demonstrated a profession with creative ADHD, as prevailing styles swung from Arts-and-Crafts to Art Deco to an extraordinary Rococo revival in the space of two decades. I’ve never seen anything intrinsically wrong with the idea of interior design being trend-driven. The only danger is when they lack substance  or when they’re taken to fashion victim extremes.

Here are some design predictions for 2017, the first of which is the return of elegant upholstery. Although an L-shaped sofa might be the ideal place for a Saturday-night , they miss the point that  well-designed sofas are intended to…