Geometrics are as close to ‘neutral’ as pattern can get – they’re the grey and beige and off-white of the patterned world, the most industrious and versatile choice for interior design. You can basically slot them in anywhere with confidence that they’ll complement flat colours or surfaces (wood, concrete, carpet, paint…). As a result, we get a huge amount of requests for custom coloured geometrics here in the Sparkk design studio. Lately I’ve been loving working with little twists on these classic shapes and repeats – sketchy geometrics, unexpected angles, and textured facets.

Garden apartment by Marcelo Rosenbaum / Sparkk ‘Safi’ in Loch/Lagoon (1071-03)

Whilst working on a custom coloured design, I often find my mind wandering to the space that the design might end up. Kid’s room? Bathroom? Hotel? Upholstered chair? Curtains? The charm of sketchy geometrics is that they maintain that versatility, but with an added playfulness, or softness, depending on your space. The asymmetrical cut-out shelves in the kid’s room above lend a lovely naivety to the interior, without boxing in the aesthetic as strictly for kids.

Sparkk ‘Denov Stripe’ (1096) in custom colours Bud, Absinthe, Dijon, and Sunset / Helmi pine stool from Koskela

Similarly, the faceted stripes and stools above could be equally at home in a kid’s room or ‘grown up’ lounge room (or retail space, or hotel…). Much like the blue kid’s room we’ve seen, they can evolve with the user – perhaps beginning in a six year old’s room, but staying with them into adolescence, and travelling with them into their first home as an adult.

‘Under The Boardwalk’ rug by Cloth/Designer Rugs / Sparkk ‘Costa’ in Rockpool/Shadow (1073-03)

Indeed, the rug above is a perfect example of a sketchy aesthetic creating a decidedly sophisticated space. Here, it perfectly mirrors the uneven grain and subtle curves of the wooden furniture and artwork, as well as the trees outside. This is a particularly great link for Australian interiors, an understated relationship with the exterior landscape creating interiors which are distinct, and elevated beyond short-lived trends.

‘Shared Space’ by Studio Bertjan Pot

Patchwork seems (joyously!) to be having a resurgence lately – another example of stark geometric shapes being softened and skewed, here with just the inherent folds and texture of textiles. As an added bonus, soft furnishings like this can be an easy way to inject a lot of colour into a space, without fear of overdoing it!

Sparkk ‘Dakar’ in Cinnamon (1070-13) / Scandinavian flat via This Little Street

Another quite traditional means of patterning receiving some interesting treatment lately is parquetry, particularly in bolder commercial spaces. For our Perth readers, swing by the Nolita Trattoria in Claremont to see the wonderful rhythm created within their parquetry wall. An amazingly extreme version can be found in Stockholm, in an interior I’ve long admired. The apartment below features colourful, exaggerated parquetry across all floors and some walls, with colour inspiration coming from the seasonal changes of its adjacent park.

Perth’s Nolita Trattoria by Mata Design / Humlegården Park apartment by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter via Plenty of Colour

Of course, you needn’t even venture inside to spot some irregular angles and textures – such features might be refreshing the skyline in a city near you. Here’s to an excellent long weekend, and perhaps crossing paths with an interesting building like those below…

Kerala’s JDT Primary School via Open Buildings / Melbourne’s Pixel Building (Australia’s first carbon neutral office!) via Plenty of Colour