Quietly Quitting
Featuring a Q+A with Kelly Piatti, Owner and Principal Decorator of Decorating and Such
story by LIESEL SCHMIDT
10 Design Trends TO LEAVE BEHIND in 2023
story by LIESEL SCHMIDT
You know that feeling when you walk into a house and you feel like you’ve stepped into a time warp? We’ve all been there, looking around at details that we can ascribe to a particular decade or design trend that has run its course.
Much like fashion, home design has a shelf life—fortunately, a more stable one—and there are some styles we are quietly quitting in favor of new ones. Rather than just hauling off and starting from scratch, however, slowly phasing out old styles is the best way to update the look of your home and create a nest for yourself that is on-trend but still reflects your taste and what you love. Here’s to a beautiful home that you love!
Starkly Minimalist Kitchens
Topping the list are sterile kitchens so shiny and white, you feel like you’re in a clean room. Not a speck of color or a sign of use in sight, these spaces may look cool and crisp, but they’re just a little too perfect. Do you use this kitchen or is it just for show? Is there a secret stash of sweaters in the oven or do you actually fire that sucker up? If kitchens are the heart of the home, these minimal designs imply a cold, cold heart.
Gray Matter
Much the same way, the all-white or gray aesthetic is making its way toward the door. The monochromatic look is, again, minimalist and reads as sleek, but it can also be boring. It’s devoid of personality and begs for color. If you still want to use white or gray/greige as a palette, that’s fine, but don’t bar any detail of color from entry. You’ll warm up the space and give it some panache instead of looking staged for a magazine.
Overly Coordinated Color
Speaking of staging, color-coordinated rooms have to go. No one actually keeps books on their shelves arranged by color—it’s too contrived. And arrangements of single-color décor—the vases, the pillows, the whatever-tchotchkes-you-find-in-that-color—look like you’re following a formula. Mix it up and let disorder in!
Squiggly Style
Or blob-inspired design, if you prefer it. Either way, the concept is being abandoned in favor of structure. Sometimes formlessness is interesting, but for the love of right angles, don’t make it the only design statement you’re making. Sculptures, paintings, even furniture isn’t safe from the shapeless curviness of wiggly lines, squiggles and blobs. Work it in, if you must, but your home shouldn’t look like everything is a Rorschach test.
Complete Openness
Open floorplans aren’t completely being abandoned, but COVID changed the way we live in our homes. Sometimes, you just need defined spaces, especially if you’re someone who works from home. We need to have a physical separation between work and life to create balance.
TV Rooms
Having a TV room is fine. We all need something to entertain us and give us a break from reality, but it shouldn’t be the focal point of your home. Even if you don’t have a theater-sized screen, it can become the center of the space, so make sure you still create an arrangement of seating that doesn’t require staring straight ahead at the TV, but instead encourages interacting with the real people in your life.
Functionless Décor
Dual purpose design is subsuming the useless pieces of décor that have long been part of life at home. Rather than items that simply take up space, think about incorporating design elements with a function—like unique lighting that serves up visual interest as well as being serviceable or beautifully designed serving dishes that double as décor.
Grandma-Chic Sofas
The Chesterfield sofa design has enjoyed its time back in the sun, but it’s become a little too big for its proverbial britches. This particular design element is everywhere these days as part of the modern farmhouse trend, so why not find a piece that’s lighter or more eclectic while still respecting the look of your space? You’ll achieve an aesthetic that’s more unique and far less formulaic.
Knockoff Design
Knock off the knockoffs. They may be as common as faux Chanel, but that’s the perfect word for the trend: common. It’s unoriginal and cookie-cutter in a way that diminishes the original. If you love a design, hold out for the real thing if you can. That may mean combing antique shops or stalking pieces on eBay, but the classics are worth the wait.
So... what WILL be trending in 2024?
VIP had the chance to interview Kelly Piatti, owner and principal decorator of Decorating and Such. As a native of Alexandria, Kelly has spent the last 20 years elevating the daily lives of her clients through affordable room transformations. She has been styling and restyling homes one room at a time, without always purchasing new furnishings, saving her clients time and money. Check our Q+A with Kelly!
VIP: WHAT ARE SOME NEW TRENDS ON THE RISE FOR 2023/2024?
KELLY: A newly emerging trend is called 'Dopamine Decor.' With a major focus around mental and spiritual wellbeing lately, this trend focuses on decorating your home and creating spaces that make you happy. Research concludes that the things we surround ourselves with can have a transformative effect on our mental and emotional wellbeing. Think favorite color combinations, bold accents, soft textures or printed wallpaper to achieve this latest 'feel good' trend!”
Curves are also on the rise, making a comeback after years of 'linear' mid-century modern interiors. Curves soften a room and allow your eye to wonder throughout the space. Think curvy sofas, ottomans and artwork. Even arched doorways are finding their way back into architecture.
VIP: WHAT DESIGN FEATURES ARE TIMELESS AND STAND THE TEST OF CHANGING TRENDS?
KELLY: Neutral color palettes for furnishings and paint are timeless. Combining black and white and blue and white are classics that never go out of style.
As far as accents, a gallery wall, an animal print and/or a patterned rug on top of a hardwood floor will never get old.
VIP: WHAT IS ONE BIG MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE IN TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH CHANGING HOME DESIGN TRENDS
Transforming the entire room. Because trends shift and have an unknown lifespan, your 'new look' can quickly become outdated. Best to incorporate just a few trendy elements in small doses into your room, which can be easily removed and replaced once a new trend interests you.