Every 12 months, homeowners are bombarded with different blog posts about the top interior design trends for the new year. Professional forecasters and trend-setters steer us to opt for things they deem are “on-trend.” From the hottest colour trends to the latest interior design styles ready to make a hit, catching up with fads can be exciting yet equally exhausting.
So while you’re adapting your home to the latest ideas and designs, it is important to consider the pitfalls of trend-chasing to make sure that you’re able to curate a home that resonates with your personality, lifestyle, and taste, regardless of what’s trending.
Trends Expire
When researching the latest design trends, we often overlook the fact that they will not stick around for long. Shops suddenly start grasping inventory that fits in line with the specific trend, advertisements by home decor stores spike, and consumers rush to incorporate the designs and decor constantly being presented to them everywhere. But it is important to remember that these fads sometimes disappear faster than they appear. People will soon jump onto new ideas with the old trends expiring and your home appearing tired.
Trends are Cookie Cutter
Credit: Ikea
"Social media assists certain trends to spread like wildfire," designer Killy Scheer of Scheer & Co. suggests. "Some start subtle and are executed with intention and reason, but the more they spread out, the more diluted and disconnected they get. Suddenly, everyone has the same home and no one really knows why they're doing what they're doing. It's the interior design industry's version of fast fashion."
As such, trends might not bring satisfaction to people who love a touch of personalisation and uniqueness in their interior. Think of walking around your home, then your friend’s home and then your neighbour's home only to realise that each of them looks almost exactly the same. Trends, often being limited and specific, are bound to get somewhat boring and stagnant, and the space it takes in your home makes it more difficult to get creative.
Trends Promote the ‘Throw Away Mentality’
People are now becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, whether it’s altering their lifestyle to protect the planet, or incorporating sustainable features in their interior. But following trends doesn’t sit right with this ethos. New fads come in frequent cycles and redecorating our homes every time the fashion changes isn’t very eco-friendly. It promotes the “throw away mentality” and encourages people to prioritise fashion over sustainability — even if it’s replacing something as insignificant as a vase with pampas grass or replacing industrial-style lighting fixtures to inject more warmth, or more significant changes like switching out colourful appliances from your bold-hued kitchen for a more neutral interior
Trends Can Result in an Impractical Space
There’s nothing worse than putting time, effort, and money into decorating and designing your home only to end up with a space that is impractical and unfit for your lifestyle. What looks great on social media and in magazines may not be conducive to your everyday requirements.
Indoor jungles, for example, can be expensive but result in pests; statement pieces, like hanging chairs or curved sofas, look good at the expense of being uncomfortable; and leather cabinet pulls lend character to a room but reduce practicality as they loosen up over time and can easily get stained when exposed to sticky fingers, wet hands, oily palms, food residue, etc.
Conclusion
Following trends is not wrong — and while many of us definitely want to keep our homes up-to-date and adapted to the latest fashions, it is important to consider the drawbacks posed by chasing interior design trends. A good rule of thumb is to incorporate styles that match your personal aesthetic and leave the adventurous part to pieces that can easily be switched out, such as lamps, accent pieces, figurines, frames, decorative baskets and trays, throws, etc. Pair this with opting for things you feel an emotional connection with and following your instincts and designer eye rather than blindly hopping onto any and every trend that comes up.
Not sure how to update your home and make it look refreshed without facing the pitfalls of trend-chasing? Contact one of our Interior Design Gurus, who will view your home via video chat and give personalised decor ideas and suggestions, all while keeping in mind your style, preferences, and lifestyle requirements!