5 L.A. Trends Inspired by the People Who Live There

People cut themselves off from their ties of the old life when they come to Los Angeles. They are looking for a place where they can be free, where they can do things they couldn't do anywhere else.- Tom Bradley

You never know who you are going to walk into on the streets of LA. It could be a tourist from the Midwest if you find yourself near Pantages Theater, it could be a musician from Japan if North Hollywood is your stomping grounds, it could be a designer from Mexico if the Fashion District is where you spend your days, it could be a businessman from Denmark around Pershing Square, or it could be Leonardo Dicaprio’s assistant's cousin twice removed making your coffee at one of the thousands of Starbucks. There are many things that The City of Angels may not be, but you can always say that it is multicultural.

The thing I love most about California interior design is how the designs so closely capture the personality and quirks of the homeowners and on a larger scale how the trends that arise in LA and all of Southern California, are a mirror for the melting pot culture. Though the city is often listed as one of the trendiest cities in the world, the national trends aren’t always the leading designs. So while the rest of the country is in love with Mid-century and Deco styles right now, LA mixes the industry wide trends with distinct twists that are inspired by the cultures of those who love the city most, it’s inhabitants!

Japanese Zen

Japanese zen style is dominated by the overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility you can feel in the simple yet beautiful design features. This style is easy to achieve with subdued tones, organic materials, and topped off with the mixture of geometric designs and irregular natural shapes. This style has seen a growth in LA and all of southern California in the last couple of years from those looking for a zen oasis in the hustle and bustle.

Scandinavian Super White

This trend has been growing in our city for awhile now. Something about the subdued colors and rich textures of scandinavian design have captured the interest of many designers. A highlight of this trend is the attention to negative space, the rooms can often have a lot of furniture in small spaces but each piece is strategically placed to give it room to breathe. And of course obviously the color standard is white. With this you can have texture, shine, a breathe of nature and it won’t feel overwhelming.

Vibrant Spanish Flair

Vibrant cultural colors, talavera tiles, wrought iron details, exposed wooden beams or full ceilings, stucco and natural, rustic appeal are all characteristics of these beautiful spanish influenced homes. Even if you live somewhere where this style of architecture isn’t prominent like LA, there are techniques that can be used to achieve the look.

Bohemian Bliss

Made popular by tie dyes, eccentric rugs, plenty of plants, mixed patterns, macramé, canopies, beads, and other obscure textures. This boho style can often be overdone in homes but with the right amount of minimalism, this trend has grown beautifully in the laid-back culture of California.

Mediterranean Escape

Terracotta, lavender, yellow and many shades of blue dominate the color pallet of Mediterranean style homes in reflection of the beautiful creeks of the region. Accessorized with mosaic tiles, bronze highlights and textured plaster walls complete the beautiful look we’ve seen grow for those looking to have a Mediterranean stay-cation everyday.

Moroccan Paradise

Bold tiles and mosaics seem to be the overarching theme we see throughout all these styles and Moroccan is no different. We see beautiful mosaics on backsplashes, fireplaces, floors and more in these homes. Alongside those tiles we see bold patterns, a bit of glitz and glitter, intricate and detailed furniture, and my favorite, poufs! We see this style in LA in a lot of different fashions but luckily Moroccan inspired homes look beautiful as a subtle home design as well as more intense and authentic.

Trends come and go and are often inspired by a multitude of things but when you come from a place that has such incredible diversity, it’s no shock to see that the diversity slips into all forms of life. Because ultimately that's what LA is - it’s people from all walks of life coming together to create something beautiful.