This year, we embrace the mystique and symbolism of the Year of the Snake for Chinese New Year. In Chinese culture, the snake is revered as a symbol of wisdom, transformation and renewal — shedding its skin to reveal something fresh and new beneath. With its graceful elegance, inherent drama and ability to evolve, the snake shares many qualities with the world of interior design. Let’s welcome this serpentine energy into our homes and personal style, inviting transformation, sophistication and movement into our spaces.
Serpentine Elegance in Design
Snakes are masters of transformation, seamlessly shifting between light and shadow — an idea we bring into interiors through contrast and texture. Think handwoven fabrics, sculptural coiled tables and flowing lines in headboards, mirrors or lighting, capturing the grace of a snake in motion.
At the entrance of Warren Street Hotel, we’ve made a statement with a sculptural antique console table, its sinuous legs providing elegance and balance against the bold, modern backdrop of crittall doors.
Textiles that mimic a snake’s winding path are a favourite of ours. From embroidered fabrics with swirling vine motifs to ikat patterns with meandering forms, these elements bring a rhythmic energy to any space. A sneak peek into a newly installed suite at Haymarket Hotel reveals our Ring Road fabric, designed for GP & J Baker — gracing the walls, where it evokes the fluid beauty of serpentine design.
Colour & Pattern: A Bold Bite
This year, dive into bold hues that reflect the luxurious sheen of a serpent’s scales. In the Honesty Bar at Warren Street Hotel, we’ve introduced tortoiseshell-patterned walls and lacquered cobalt blue cabinetry, creating an unexpected aura of mystery. The overlapping, irregular shapes of the tortoiseshell pattern evoke the texture of snake scales, while their iridescence brings a timeless, exotic appeal to the space.
Symbolism in the Home
In Feng Shui, the snake is associated with the elements of fire and earth, embodying a courageous and transformative spirit. Embrace this symbolism in your interior design by playing with bold, moodier and warmer tones, like those in the new bedroom at The Whitby Hotel, where rich hues create an atmosphere of comfort and confidence.
The snake also represents intelligence and intuition, qualities ideal for a study or creative space. Subtly nodding to this symbolism, you might consider a sculptural serpentine-shaped accessory, like a curvaceous table lamp, to add an organic touch. We love this option with its undulating painted form and graceful lines.
For a more dramatic statement, we adore this sinuous staircase in one of our residential projects. Its form demands attention but does so with quiet confidence, much like the snake itself.
The Year of Transformation
Much like the snake sheds its skin, this year is about embracing change and reinvention, both in our homes and our lives. Whether it’s reupholstering a tired armchair, rethinking a layout for better flow or finally introducing that bold wallpaper you’ve been eyeing, the Year of the Snake encourages us to be adventurous.
So, let’s slither into 2025 with confidence, creativity and a touch of the unexpected. Here’s to a year of transformation, wisdom and of course, fabulous interiors. Click here to explore our 25 design tips for 2025.