Interior Design Trends – a “Hot Topic” (and not in a good way)

Having been in the design field for thirty-seven years, and a practicing licensed Interior Designer for over half that time, I’ve been approached innumerable times with the question, “What’s the latest trend in interior design?” Usually, I’m able to subtly divert the conversation to another topic, or, if pressed for an answer I’ll simply state that there’s nothing of note. How I’d really prefer to respond is…

DON’T GO THERE!

Let me clarify; I’m not referring to wall paint colors, wallpaper vs. faux finish, vibrantly colored throw pillows, mirrored furniture, i.e. relatively inexpensive “fluff” that can be changed without tremendous effort and an exorbitant amount of money. I’m speaking of the fixed pieces in your home on which so many other selections are tethered: appliance colors, plumbing fixtures, counter tops, floor and wall tiles – fixtures and features selected with longevity in mind. Examples of disastrous design trends: avocado green appliances, harvest gold appliances, turquoise plumbing fixtures and/or wall and floor tile, shell pink plumbing fixtures and/or wall and floor tile, ruby red washer and dryer sets, and basically anything that is dated as soon as it is installed. The design industry makes itself relevant in the same manner as the fashion industry, planned obsolescence. The fallout from poor choices in interior design, however, are much longer lasting and infinitely more expensive. The only people benefiting from “cutting edge design” are those in the industry.

Basics

I recommend to all my clients that they keep their basics, well . . . basic. In choosing white or biscuit plumbing fixtures for your daughter’s bathroom we can make the room Pepto Bismol pink while she’s a toddler, lime green when she hits her early teens and wants to assert her individuality (and change it to lavender within a few months), and black when she enters her angst phase. Neutral fixtures and features for your home not only make it easier for you and your designer to make changes in the future, but, should you decide to sell your home, it will be one less contentious point for the potential buyer because they needn’t “work around” fixtures that are color specific or consider the expense of their replacement in negotiating your asking price.