Each year, changing trends often leave interior designers, home stagers, and homeowners at a crossroads. When redesigning your home, do you choose the hip, new trend that is featured on all the magazines and blogs, or do you stick to something plain and crowd-pleasing?
Especially when it comes time to sell your home, bold design choices risk turning away potential buyers. So, when you fall in love with one of the “hottest” interior design trends, how can you responsibly navigate them?
Inspiration, Not Replication
The most important thing to keep in mind when considering a design change is that they are meant to inspire, not dictate every choice. Just because an idea is trending does not mean you need to comply with it completely. For example, neo-mint is a popular design trend this year, incorporating light shades of green in interior design. That doesn’t mean your walls need to look like spearmint gum. Instead, incorporate a few new plants, change up your bedding, or replace an end table to invite the spirit of the trend without overdoing it.
What to Do with the “Color of the Year”
Pantone (along with nearly every major paint manufacturer) chooses a new “color of the year” each year. Designers of all mediums love experimenting with the shade to make new designs that feel fresh and hip. The problem with the color of the year is it changes every December, so unless you enjoy painting and replacing your furniture, it’s important not to go overboard.
For 2020, Pantone chose classic blue, a shade that is, “Reminiscent of the sky at dusk.” It’s a good opportunity to play with the “dark is the new neutral” aesthetic popular over the last few years, but it isn’t always that easy. For example, 2019’s chosen shade was Living Coral–a bright, orange-pink shade that graced runways and advertising, but was much more difficult in interior design. As Realtor Magazine describes, “It may seem like one color dominates each year… that’s not necessarily the case. The color of the year represents a clever way to influence design choices and market paint products.”
Just as with any trend, allow yourself to be inspired with a “color of the year” choice without feeling the need to strictly follow the rules. And remember, this color choice was picked by a paint company (not your personal style) and is meant to last for 12 months at a time.
Neutrals are Timeless
While your Pinterest board might be brimming with bold, out-of-the-box ideas, decorating a home (especially when staging for selling) is all about pairing neutrals with bold accent pieces, art pieces, and furniture. As any rental company will tell you, neutral walls give a potential buyer the image of a blank slate. Whatever their personal design style, they can better imagine bringing it into your (hopefully soon to be their) home.
A fun rug, beautiful art print, or collection of brightly-colored pillows are all great ways to integrate bold choices without taking large amounts of risk. This way, you can keep the bulk of your home relatively neutral and still have fun with bright features and brazen designs. Remember that trends are, in their very nature, temporary. If you’re looking to stage your home with unique and artistic designs, contact the design experts at Minnesota Home Interiors.
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