How do we feel about trends? I like them. They’re fun, usually fleeting and they impact so many areas of our lives. As I type this I’m googling current trends in……food - butter boards?!, interiors - bold wallpaper borders (remember wallpaper borders in the 80’s/90’s?), fashion - cargo pants (another 90’s one I invested in first time around), even children’s names! Let’s face it I imagine most of us have some painful memories and photographic evidence of trends gone by that we’d rather forget (see below, not me btw!) 😂. Whilst I believe trends are often light-hearted, frivolous & fun, when it comes to interiors I would apply caution when buying into them. Why? Well a trend isn’t destined or meant to stand the test of time. It’s these changes in what’s hot & what’s not that keep us all on our toes and usually have us dipping into our pockets to keep up with them - a marketers dream. Don’t get me wrong, I am fully invested and influenced by trends - I love seeing what’s current and my Instagram addiction certainly feeds that need for me and millions of others. In fact perhaps now more than any other time, trends are all consuming, even more fleeting and by the time you’ve got on board with one, it’s been replaced by another. Just a few examples below of trends that perhaps haven’t stood the test of time??? Hands up if you had a shell suit (🙋‍♀️)? And yes, I know they’re probably coming back in again 😔

Images Courtesy of Pinterest

So my response to trends in interiors specifically is? Keep up to date but remember that we are so easily influenced and sometimes that means we are buying into trends that don’t necessarily align with our fundamental style (see my blog post on finding your interiors style here). Admittedly some trends last longer than others and aren’t always cringeworthy. I’ve certainly been victim to a trend and the problem is that initially you have an ‘on trend’ space and are pleased with the room you decorated from top to bottom in orange (as an example - in my case it was a terracotta dining room) because orange was the colour du jour, but you soon tire of it and are left wondering what to do next and potentially hating it. Something that time and experience has taught me is to keep the fundamentals simple and classic. It’s these basics that will stand the test of time, much like jeans and a white t-shirt. Paint your walls in classic colours, invest in furniture that is simple, timelessly beautiful and practical then add in trends when you feel the urge with a cushion, an inexpensive art print or vase. This way you have the opportunity to easily switch things up if and when you need to. Remember that your home should have a flow to it - something that links all the spaces together bringing cohesion, so nothing feels jarring. If you’ve gone full boho in your living room then a zen white bedroom will feel disjointed.

The Hans Wegner Wishbone chair

The Hans Wegner Wishbone chair has been around since 1950 and is somehow still so contemporary whilst maintaining it’s status as a Danish design classic. Those Scandinavians are just so cool!

I’m all about longevity when it comes to interior design as I’d rather not have to redecorate every six months and I certainly don’t want my clients to! I’m someone who doesn’t need ‘too much’ stuff although I wouldn’t say I’m a minimalist either. I like to have what I need & I like those things to be considered, functional and beautiful. One of my favourite quotes is by William Morris, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” One of the 19th Century’s most celebrated designers, Morris and his designs are still so relevant today and timelessly beautiful. I’m not into the ‘throwaway’ mentality that trends can bring about, especially in this crazy world we live in, but I think it’s fun to dip in & out of them in a non-committal light-hearted kind of way that you and your bank account wont regret in six months. That said, It’s your home so you do you. Have you bought into any trends? I’d love to know.

What I think about trends…

My Interior ‘icks’ - and how to avoid them!

Bring in the Spring