It’s the age old question: what will last and what will fade out of style? And how do you tell which trends will become classics? Designers in every area of expertise seem to know how to spot trends a mile away, but it is possible to train your own eye to recognize a classic or a fad as well. And if you’ve made way for trends in your home and are worried about keeping a space current, we’ve compiled a few things to help you sort it out.
Image via: Amara
THE BASICS, WHAT’S A TREND AND WHAT’S A CLASSIC?
An easy first clue is the timing of the style, design element, or product. Something that is “timeless” usually moves slower in the media. What we mean by that is that you’ve seen it used plenty over the months or years, it stays around, it’s sort of always anchoring design even if it includes a trend alongside it. A black and white combination, for example, will never be out of style – it’s always been here and always will be. On the other hand, if something is a fad, you’ll see it pop up all the sudden, you’ll realize you’re seeing it everywhere in quick succession and you’ve likely not seen it much before – fiddle leaf figs in every living room, chevron patterns on walls and rugs and coffee cups, rose gold everywhere, and that good ol’ millennium pink splashed on walls and sofas all over your Pinterest page. When an element of design like those pop up suddenly and take over everything, that’s a hint that it’s a trend, rather than a classic.
HOW CAN I BE TRENDY WITHOUT EVENTUALLY REGRETTING ALL MY PURCHASES?
Trends, by definition, are things that people like, so it’s ok to want to participate with them. What we’d recommend is choosing to introduce trends to your style in smaller ways that are less expensive to replace down the road. Accessories, pillows, textiles, and digital prints are great ways to include a trend in your space, but if you do end up tiring of them in a couple of years they don’t hurt your wallet as much to swap out. Avoid diving in to trends with things like wallpaper, large furniture, etc as they’ll be much more of a pain to switch later on. (We do approve of removable peel-and-stick wallpaper though, that stuff’s amazing.)
Image via: Kathy Kuo Home
I HAVE ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS TRENDS, HOW DO I KEEP THEM IN STYLE?
We’ve all been here before. Luckily there are many ways to adapt the items you snagged a few years back to a more timeless design. Rose gold for example, is a great color to mix with other metals like brass and chrome – and win win, mixed metals is trending now!
REMEMBER THAT DESIGN IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, AND SO ARE YOU
Even timeless design can get boring after a while – if it didn’t, trends wouldn’t happen! It’s part of being a human that we crave newness and want to refresh our lives as we get older and have life changes. Understand that you’re going to want to switch things around at some point, just try to have your larger piece investments be versatile so you can swap out the small stuff as you go.
Image via: McGee & Co
REACH OUT TO A PRO IF YOU’RE UNSURE
This is why designers have jobs! You can always get advice from a professional if you’re unsure how to pull together your style in your home. Feel free to reach out to Haven for our design consult services!
SOME EXAMPLES
Still unsure trend vs. classic? Here’s some of the most recent trends that have gone out or are on their way out, and their more “timeless” counterpart
TRENDS ON THE HORIZON
While designers are naturally wary of overindulging on trends, that doesn’t mean we don’t like to use them too! There’s a reason trends are popular, because people like the way they look! There is also always a possibility that trends that pop up have the ability to turn in to classics. Here’s some on our radar, we’ll see where they end up!
Natural items – wood, woven, greenery – definitely trending and easy to work in to design, don’t think this one is going anywhere for awhile!
Texture – in more than just faux fur blankets, textured tile, wood pieces and wall art are all making an appearance and we’re digging it
Mixed metals – when done well, we love this for instant depth in a space
Bottom line? Design is meant to be a bit of a playground, and there’s lots of “right” ways to design your space. Feel free to incorporate trends and mix them with classics for a curated space that’s uniquely yours!
Love, HAVEN