Have you already settled into 2018? Great, then let’s continue.
With all of the recent festivities and new year’s eve celebrations very much behind us, it’s now time to look forward at what we can expect from this new year. The experts and pros have already had their say at what they believe will be the next big things over the coming twelve months.
Take a look through some of the following things that are all set to take over our lives in 2018. I’ve covered various aspects of life, so I’m sure you’ll come into contact with one of these future fads at some point or another!
In The Home
Mixing Metallics
For the past few decades, mixing metallics in interior design has been a big no-no. Well, all of you decor experimenters will love to hear that separating metallics are going to very much become a thing of the past. In 2018, it looks like mixing them in the home will be very on trend and will be a style that many interior designers will be using for their clients. So, don’t be worried about using both silver and gold in the same room – your home will look very fashionable if you do play around with them!
Velvet Makes A Comeback
Did you think that velvet has been well and truly left in the 1970s? If so, think again! In actual fact, this material had a huge comeback last year in the world of fashion and it looks like it is all set to take over the world of interior design this year as well. So, if you have been thinking about investing in a new couch, it’s worth looking at the velvet ones as an option in your local furniture store. Don’t forget to stock up on some amazing velvet cushions to go with it!
Wabi-Sabi
Ever heard of wabi-sabi? Nope? Well, you will do very soon! This Japanese design trend looks like it will be hitting our shores this year. The whole philosophy of wabi-sabi is that there is beauty in imperfection. Hand-crafted pieces are a big part of this as it means that no two items are ever identical. It’s a great way to bring some unique touches into your interior design.
Travel
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
The city of Newcastle in England was named the Rough Guide’s top travel destination for the year recently. You can find out their reason for naming it number one at https://www.roughguides.com/, but it’s very easy to see why they did! For starters, it is hosting the very exciting Great Exhibition of the North this summer. There will be heaps of performance art, live gigs, and special shows over the two-month festival, making this city the place to be in England in 2018!
Rwanda
If you have always wanted to visit Africa for its safaris and beautiful landscapes, then you should consider a vacation in Rwanda. Over the past couple of years, a lot of direct flights from some major cities including London have opened up this destination to a lot of travelers. And there is so much waiting to be discovered! It’s famous for its native apes, and there will be plenty of chances to see them in their natural habitat. Head to Lake Kivu if you want to try out a kayaking tour as well. You’ll find it ever so easy getting around this diverse country as the main language is English – so no language barrier at all!
Nashville, Tennessee
Fancy staying a little closer to home? If so, then you might want to book a trip to the city of Nashville. It’s already a popular tourist destination and has been for some time, thanks to its connections to some of the music world’s largest stars. Of course, most of those stars are big in the world of country, such as Johnny Cash, but this city is now opening up to a younger generation thanks to its association with the likes of Taylor Swift.
The Gold Coast, Australia
Want a beach holiday this year? Well, why not take a trip down under to Australia! This is an especially good idea if you are into your sports as this is the year that the country hosts the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast. You’ll be able to split your time between watching some of the world’s greatest athletes and lounging around on the gorgeous beaches. The Gold Coast is also the perfect base from which to explore the Great Barrier Reef.
Culture
Avengers: Infinity War
Ready for an awesome superhero movie with an all-star cast? The latest Marvel movie will hit cinema screens in just a few months. Avengers: Infinity War will probably be the biggest blockbuster this year. All of the gang are teaming up to go after the bad guys: the Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Thor, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. This could be the best film that you see all 2018!
Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald
2018 is going to be the year when we get another dose of J.K. Rowling’s imagination as the second Fantastic Beasts film is going to be released. Eddie Redmayne will be playing the role of Newt Scamander again and he will be up against Johnny Depp’s dastardly dark wizard. Jude Law joins the cast this time around and he will be playing a young Dumbledore. The plot is still very much under wraps, so who knows where this latest adventure will take us?!
Maniac
You’ll have to update your internet subscription with https://www.optimum.com/ and get ready for a TV binge as Netflix is about to drop a hotly anticipated show. Maniac is a dark comedy and loosely based on a Norwegian show that premiered in 2014. The main characters will be played by the fabulous Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, so it looks set to be a brilliant series already! There’s been no mention of a potential release date just yet, so it might not be out until the backend of the year.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Neil Patrick Harris is back as the terrifying Count Olaf in season 2 of A Series of Unfortunate Events! The premiere date is all set for March 30th. This looks like it will be another show that we won’t be able to pull ourselves away from!
Tech
Driverless Deliveries
Over the past year or so, there has been a lot of talk about driverless deliveries. Amazon was said to be trailing drone deliveries – people’s orders would be sent out on drones and flown to their front doors. It looks like we still aren’t too far from driverless deliveries becoming a reality, but it doesn’t look like drones will be used anymore. Instead, it looks like courier services are going to start using driverless cars to help them out with deliveries. It looks like Dominos and Ocado are all set to start using this tech for their deliveries – it’s now only a matter of time before they roll out this tech. It would seem that it is the companies providing a chilled courier service that are making the first steps with this technology.
Augmented Reality
Did you think that augmented reality would be used in the gaming world? Nope – in 2018 it will come into the mainstream and will be used in a variety of ways. Furniture stores such as IKEA have been developing augmented tech that can be used to help their customers figure out how pieces of furniture will look in their homes before they buy them. An individual just needs to hold up their phone or tablet device, look at their room through the screen, and they will see the item of furniture in situ. Even though Google Glass is now a thing of the past, there are still some big companies playing around with augmented reality and spectacles. Amazon is one, and they are in the process of creating smart glasses that can show information on the lenses to the wearer.
Cryptocurrencies Hit The Mainstream
You will have no doubt heard a lot about Bitcoin lately. This cryptocurrency has recently increased drastically in value and, as a result, a lot of people are getting behind it right now. One reason for this boost is that people are getting ready for the potential financial consequences of the UK leaving the EU, and it is thought that investing in these currencies is a very sensible option right now. It is now widely believed that many of the world’s top financial organizations and banking institutions are going to embrace all of these currencies and make it a lot easier for their usual customers to invest in them. It is also thought that a lot more mainstream shops and stores will start to accept this new currency during this year. So, this might be the year you ditch your dollars!
As you can see from this list, there is a lot of stuff to look forward to this year, from tech trends to cultural highlights. What do you think will be your highlight of the next twelve months?