Every new year is exciting for design nerds like me. We get new trends to obsess over and eventually forget about when the next new things comes around like a child with a toy. Over the years it’s always been the same, we have seen styles come and go. In the 80’s we saw an explosion of mirrors and bachelor-pad style shabby chic come and go as happy as we were to see feathered hair and homemade acid-wash jeans die a timely death. In the 90’s it was NASA-scale entertainment centers and pastel florals we were thrilled to see go away with shoulder pads.
These last few years have been design dreams, people are becoming more interested in the science of interior design and with the growth of sites like Instagram and Pinterest, it’s easier than ever to become your very own interior design expert.
Though hindsight is 20/20 and we can look back to those decades and realize what was trendy then wouldn’t last, it’s not always as easy when it comes to yearly trends. When you are looking to redecorate or remodel, what’s worth spending your money on can be a consuming question. Are you investing in a trend? Will you hate the whim purchase you bought in a year because it was all over your Instagram feed? What is timeless, what is going to be timely and what should you expect in the coming year? All questions worth asking and luckily, I have some answers and predictions for you as you settle to make your design decisions.
The Timely Trends:
1. Copper:
This one is an easy prediction. Shortly after copper became a hot trend metal for homes, the market became flooded with cheaper imitations. When something becomes less exclusive and valuable in any market, the demand for it goes down.
2. Quote Artwork
This trend began out of the millennial meme generation growing up and becoming homeowners and ultimately home decorators. Inspirational memes, beautiful quotes on eye catching backgrounds, and the like are something we grew up seeing and creating so it makes sense that they would become part of our adult homes and often a key part of gallery wall installations. But as all things do, millennials are growing up and they tastes are becoming more sophisticated.
3. Fake Taxidermy
This whimsical style has its charm but in the grand scheme of things, taxidermy fake or real will die a trend-death in the grave of man caves everywhere.
4. Wall Decals
As a permanent piece of home decor, this somewhat new trend is going to disappear as quickly as it came. But where I believe this style will continue to be a part of the home is in temporary situations. Rooms like nurseries and children’s room are perfect for wall decals as they can be added and removed inexpensively and easily as a child grows up.
5. Yellow and Orange
Nothing screams trend like a room that conjures flashbacks to 1990’s Nickelodeon set design. Though yellow in the home is huge in Europe, using orange and yellow side-by-side in American homes is going to go as quickly as it came.
The Timeless Trends:
1. Greens
This trend hit most recently, especially in the darker shades, most likely due to the shift of eco-consciousness in our society. Green paint and decor can breathe fresh air into a room that anyone will appreciate. This trend is in for the long haul.
2. Jewel Tones as Accents and Anchors
Colors like emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red, topaz yellow, sapphire blue, tourmaline green, and turquoise blue have made a stunning introduction to our homes and it looks like they are here to stay.
3. Open Floor Plans
There is debate amongst those who predict trends about open floor plans about the lifespan of this trend. But ask any real estate agent in the housing market and they will tell you that open floor plans are one of the top requests as well as top remodels for residences all across the country. So for now, at least, it looks like openness is in.
4. Wallpaper
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, wallpaper is not just terrifying florals and obscure paisley’s and cannot be listed as just a trend anymore. Wallpaper is an amazingly easy way to add texture and design to any room where having just paint would fall flat. There are incredible new wallpaper designs out there with everything from stripes to forest scenes and they’re going to stick around for years to come.
5. Poufs
Moroccan poufs are adorable, function and can be found in an amazing amount of styles and fabrics. They provide a perfect footrest and are easily rearranged as extra seating. This is a trend worth investing in.
Trend Predictions for 2017:
1. Cork
The growth of Pinterest has brought the design industries idea of an “inspiration board” and brought it to the masses. And I predict that for those who are tactical or visual, these cork walls will grow in popularity. Beyond just that cork is a perfect soundproofing agent for the growing trend of open floor plans.
2. Upholstered Headboards
We’ve slowly seen these headboards move into high end homes but as the trend becomes most accessible by the masses, we will see this trend hit the spotlight for bedrooms in 2017.
3. Natural Textures
As we grow to be more in harmony with our environment, that attitude is going invite the outdoors in and rid ourselves of the synthetic in 2017.
4. Repurposed Pieces
We are in an “upcycle” age if there ever was one. In the last two years or so there has been shift of mentality from, “eh get rid of it” to “lets make use of it” and I believe we will see it grow this coming year.
5. Taupe and Blue
Both blue and brown have been interior design staples for many years but in the coming year I believe we will see a growth in the jewel tone blues as well as browns being toned down from the industry standard of chocolate to a lighter version in taupe or mocha.
Trends are just that many times, things we as a society fall in puppy love with and eventually move on from, but there are in those rare cases we fall in love and that trend becomes something more permanent in our lives and homes. But at the end of the day, when it comes to our homes, worry less about what is trendy and follow the advice of William Morris, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” If you follow those guidelines, your house will be uniquely trendy and ultimately, beautifully yours.
What do you think of my predictions? Share this with your friends and let us know your own predictions!
