I try to be in tune with what is happening in the design world. I could lie and pretend this means endless hours sourcing and researching, cross referencing and scouring but trends are always pretty obvious. They dominate the design media and get prime real estate on retail floors.
Here is the thing with designing in the now: it is the NOW. Interior design is definitely less agile than fashion so trends tend to linger, hang up their coats, put their feet up, stay awhile. But few will become classics.
My approach? Stick to lines that have survived the trend trap – they deliver over and over and over again.
But boy is it easy to design around what’s current and in proper measure, it can be fun.
Colour Me Green
The hot colour trend this year in fabric is green – bright, ballsy, bold green. It hasn’t made it into retail spaces yet – they are usually a bit slower to react, want to make sure it has legs before they start making toss cushions and objets of every variety. Although I like it, I can’t live with it so I won’t be spec-ing it. It just feels like the design industry trying to be super clever, serve up something we haven’t seen before. But it is very available and abundant in the fabric houses. Grab and go design.
The Bottom Line
It is often less expensive to buy within the lines of what is now because there is just more of it. Budget is, way more often than not, an important consideration in all design planning and something established as a trend is going to provide choice. There will be the high/low offering, a variety of fabric grades and finishes. Options.
My suggestion though? Buy the very best quality you can afford. It pays itself forward by standing up to life and providing some longevity. I tell clients to amortize furniture investments – do you like to swap things out every few years? Then divide by three. If you are a lifer like me? Divide by 20. The numbers shrink.
And use the now in measured proportion. Pops and bits. Full stop.
Do What You Love
At the end of the design day, you need to love where you live. Mull decisions carefully but if you keep coming back to a trend that grabs you, jump in.