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Transcending The Trends

Harriet Goodacre

February 01, 2022

When it comes to individual style, this often grows and evolves over time and more often than not, is affected by the current interior and fashion trends that we absorb from our sources of inspiration.

Although fashion trends come and go and can often date quite quickly, in the interior world they evolve more slowly and use many of the same touch points in history to achieve a new approach on something that has already been done.

What would we class as modern style? An evolution of your personality, incorporating elements of classic trends that you gravitate towards. The easiest way to achieve this? Stick to what you love and are drawn to, whether it be a colour, era or texture and then artfully mix it with other colours, textures and of course design influences. This will help create a seamless blend of old and new and in turn become classic and true to your style.

In this blog post, we take you through some key concepts on how to dress your home so it doesn’t feel dated and we also reflect on those more holistic trends that help us consume and interpret interior fashions in a different way.

Utilising Design Elements To Make The Most of Your Space

Use design elements to make the most of the space you have. A compact space like an attic en suite often needs a little help to make it feel more spacious. The easiest way to do this is to use a tonal colour palette across the room and incorporate mirrors to make it feel bigger and lighter.

Here is where colour plays a large part and you can update this as and when your style changes, it’s important, whether it be tile or paint, to continue to the same colour onto the sloping ceilings as this will help create a seamless finish.

By mixing heritage fixtures with modern feeling tiles the look won’t date, by opting for wooden furniture you can also mix up the look by painting the cabinet as often as you want.

Modern Technology with a Retro Feel

Modern sleek cabinets in your kitchen are easily adaptable with colour, if you leave them as plain pine you can tap into the Scandi look but by painting them you can hark back to any era. Here we’ve created a retro feeling vibe with the use of pastels. Although the tiles are Country Rustic and Victorian in design, the high gloss finish and pretty raspberry tone creates a nice contrast with the matte units.

For added retro vibes, the vintage lemon print on the tea towel is not only fun but adds further colour. The floor is the essential part of the design, the modern terrazzo effect grounds the colour but also stops the overall look becoming twee.

Modern Country

If you have a country style property, going for a truly contemporary interior doesn’t often work but classic country might not be your style. Toeing the line between the two is modern country and because it’s a mix of styles it does have a timeless quality to it. The key is to pair a few key classic elements with modern furniture and/or colours.

The tiles here are of Victorian descent from the Minton Hollins range and paired with a classic cream Aga. To counterbalance this, the wood has been kept minimal and light and floor to ceiling pantry cupboards have been used in a tonal colour to the tiles to provide a sleek and clean finish..

Unexpected Formats

You don’t often see tiles used on the wall in a dining room, however in this instance the glossy shaped tiles from the Syren range nicely rebound the natural light to lighten up an otherwise dark colour scheme.
The contrast of the mid-century chairs with the modern Crittall patio doors echoes the theme of contrasting eras in this stylish space. Even the typically square floor tiles have been laid in a diamond pattern to further accentuate the references to past times.

Quintessentially Parisian

The Adalene range was inspired by the grandeur of Versailles and based on a typical French parquet style so what better tile to recreate this timeless look? True Parisian chic never seems to date, an English spin on the look is to add coloured panelling to the rest of the room, stepping away from the calming neutral palette preferred by the French.

Pair the decorative tiles with a simple streamlined sofa, a glass coffee table and minimal wood furniture. The cleaner the better for this look.

The Element Of Surprise

If you’re renovating a property, keeping the original features, or recreating some elements that fit the style of the house is less likely to date over time. However, we can’t all be stuck in the past so it’s important to include some elements of surprise.

Traditionally a Victorian hallway would have been tiled (floor and half the wall) but usually with dark colours and lots of pattern. If that isn’t your thing, then try a clean subway tile on the wall with a traditional looking capping piece. Keep the top of the wall tonal to make the space feel larger. If your hallway is narrow, opt for a chevron or herringbone pattern that runs horizontally, this will give the illusion of more width!

The Bold Kitchen

Investing in a solid wood kitchen is a pricey venture however, it has more longevity as it can be painted, stripped and reengineered a lot easier than cheaper options meaning it can adapt to you and your taste a lot easier. Here we’ve mixed to classic elements, a dark wood effect tile on the floor and a clean white marble on the wall, everything in between can be mixed up over time.

A boldly painted kitchen is a great way to add a feature to an otherwise bland and functional room, we particularly like this deep blue shade contrasting with the dark brown Kanzi floor tile.

Another way to consider trends is how you feel in a space, Elle Decoration recently did an interesting piece on what the new year design trends will be and most editors broke out of the box of material thinking and explored an holistic approach. These are some of our favourites but have a read of the article and see which ones speak to you.

Positivity. After two years of depression and negativity, the world is crying out for a big injection of positive attitude. Interiors will be where this seismic shift is most apparent, with even the most conservative consumers embracing bright colours, bold patterns and exaggerated proportions.
BEN SPRIGGS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLE DECORATION UK

Biophilic design. Nature will continue blending into our home surroundings.
MARIA PATOUCHA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLE DECORATION GREECE

Imperfection. Nothing is more trendy than imperfection!

EVA SLUNEČKOVÁ, MANAGING EDITOR ELLE DECORATION CZECH REPUBLIC

Collaboration. Perhaps a reaction to a world where it was so hard for us all to work together, there’s definitely a new appreciation for meaningful and creative collaboration. While working from home is not going to disappear completely, designers and creatives are looking to harness the opportunity to meet and interact in person, making the most of being able to touch and work on products in real life rather than virtually.
BEN SPRIGGS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLE DECORATION UK

Extravagance. Another reaction to the extended period of collective trauma and financial depression caused by the pandemic, there is a definite move towards extreme luxury and extravagance. Take it as this generation’s version of the roaring 1920s. There is a tangibly hedonistic approach to the way people are behaving and their approach to interiors too. Precious materials, gilded details and a revival of chinoiserie characterise this look.
BEN SPRIGGS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLE DECORATION UK

Crafts. Traditions are experiencing a huge comeback and that trend will continue to grow.

EVA SLUNEČKOVÁ, MANAGING EDITOR ELLE DECORATION CZECH REPUBLIC

Explore our trend predictions for the year and tell us how you’d like to adapt your interiors to incorporate some elements of newness in 2022. Share your thoughts over on our Instagram @toppstiles.

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