When most people think of trends, they think of huge changes, but many of the most surprising and influential developments in modern society involve smaller microtrends. They can have an outsized effect on our culture and spotting them early can give you a clearer sense of what the future holds.
Here are a few unfolding now…and the impact they bring with them on our homes.
THRIFTING AS A LIFESTYLE
Thrift shopping is going mainstream. It used to be that shopping for secondhand goods meant sifting through $1” bins at the local Goodwill shop or a neighbour’s garage sale. Today, it’s as easy as shopping Facebook Market Place or renting a room through Airbnb. Bargain hunting, environmental concerns and the sharing economy have erased the stigma of used goods at the same time technology has made thrift shopping more accessible, reliable and cool.
Following the financial crisis, there was a mind-set shift when it came to acquiring used goods. Now, it’s considered a smart bargain.
Being fashionable is about getting value for your dollar.
Today, about half of millennial’s interiors are second hand. They scour websites such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree which are making it easier than ever for people to buy and sell used used merchandise as well as auction houses like Lawsons and Vickers & Hoad.
Pink marble and endless mirrors give the bathrooms in Selfridges’ Brasserie of Light a sophisticated feel you could easily adapt for your own home. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
ROUGH, ROUGH TEXTURE
Tactility is the order of the day with natural materials and really rough textures taking hold in interiors – an antidote, perhaps, to the digital age. There’s no better place to channel this trend than living rooms to bathrooms with walls and furniture featuring stone-like finishes and imperfect patinas creating cosy, intimate spaces. Read more, ‘How To Create A Serene Home.’
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT LOOS ARE INSPIRING US TO GO WILD WITH OUR OWN BATHROOMS
In days gone by, the focal point of a hotel bar or restaurant interior would probably be the central space, where everyone could share the sense of wonder. The bathrooms would rarely have got a look in. But since the 1990s, restaurant revolution designers have grown more inventive with restaurant loos. And now with instagram obsession, the humble water closet is sometimes the best room in the house – tapping into our obsession to look camera-ready and have a more intimate experience with our surroundings. Read more, ‘The 4 Big Bathroom Trends to Keep Your Eye on in 2019’
Why bathrooms? You don’t spend as much time in a bathroom as the rest of hotel or restaurant so people are braver about going for stronger elements. For example, the design for the loos at Selfridges in London are clad entirely in pink marble and mirrors that could easily be adapted to glam up a poky guest bathroom. There’s also Martin Brudnizki’s masterful revival of Annabel’s with it pink onyx basins and flower-strewn ceiling that aim to make your visit to the washroom visit an experience rather than a necessity.
The best designs, such as at Claridges or The Ritz, are worth lingering in. It’s the unintimidating use of scale that can be used to create a statement bathroom at home.
Classic velvet love seats bring a luxe look at The Ned where chequered marble floors are reminiscent of old ocean liners. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
Lead image is Cy square coffee table in textured concrete by MCM House, www.mcmhouse.com
