The Design Police
by habituallychic
12 . 21 . 07
The New York Times ran a very interesting and thought provoking article today about design trends that have been deemed to be over. Now, I have said time and time again that homes are very personal and as long as you love it who am I to judge. To each is own. If you want to decorate for your home with a 7-foot tall neon pink Christmas tree and it makes you happy, knock yourself out. Zebra skin rug? I still want one. I consider it a classic and not a trend. But I’m sure someone else will beg to differ.
I see the point of the article though and agree with some of their logic. It’s hard to be excited about a design style when it finally reaches mass saturation and can be found on sale at West Elm. I think it’s the reason that so many people love to shop at flea markets and tag sales. Everyone is looking for that special item that no one else has. Instead of buying the new Jonathan Adler version of something, why not troll ebay looking for the original inspiration.
But unlike fashion, we don’t wear our homes on our backs. While it’s easy to see if someone is wearing something that is no longer cool, how many people get to see inside our inner sanctum? Usually just our closest family and friends. Unless you are an interior designer and open your door to criticism, it’s not likely that anyone will know that you have decorated with…gasp…a suzani that has been deemed too trendy. Of course, the magazines will move on to reporting new and more exciting design trends because that’s their job. It’s up to you to decide if you want to partake or go your own way.
I think how someone puts things together in their home is more important to the over all design than a few trendy pieces. And if you’re really worried, put them in storage for a little while and when you bring them back out, they will look fresh and new. In all honesty, I might write you a ticket for wearing no longer fashionable skinny jeans but I would never ticket you for those antlers in your living room. Especially since I was planning on looking for some while I’m home for the holidays. Does that mean I’m losing my design edge?
20 Comments
I’m 100% with you on that one…I walk around commenting on people’s outfits in my head all the time..”gee, who got dressed with the lights out this morning..” etc. etc. but would never dream of doing that with someone’s house. That is unless of course their sofa is still covered in plastic or something…
“No longer fashionable skinny jeans”? Granted, I live in South Africa and I knew the trend was slipping away even before I bought mine and yes, I know “you’re a guy, you wear skinny jeans? That’s so lame…” but this isn’t New York and people in Cape Town are pretty boring – at least with men’s fashion- and they look super hot. I’m sorry for ranting in your comment section, but seeing something I’ve known for the past few months clearly written down despite me trying to fight it, is a bit earth shattering…Please tell me slim-cut is still cool..Whatever I don’t care, I’ll rock slim cut clothes even if all y’all embrace the traversty of uber bell-bottoms and…flokati!
damn you, chic! your post is what i was attempting to say with my “eeeek or chic” post yesterday, but you had to go phrase it all intelligently and coherently, as opposed to my ramblings about bunnies, tigers and kelly wearstler. you keep showing me up like this, and i’m going to have to get that mean ol’ anonymous to leave some choice comments on your blog (and i’ll disguise my writing style when i do…)
seriously, wonderful post- you are my hero!
but skinny jeans, over? really? even for boys?
Suzy, You want to have fun with commenting on people’s outfits in your head, come to New York! I also thought about mentioning plastic slipcovers but then decided that those people are probably old and don’t read blogs 😉
Pieter, If they look good on you and you love them, then by all means, keep wearing them. I think the problem with skinning jeans is that too many non-skinny women tried to wear them because they were fashionable even though they weren’t flattering. Not a pretty sight.
Maison21, You’re too funny! Thanks for the compliment. Everyone has their own blog voice and you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t talking about bunnies and bedazzled zebras. That’s why we love you! But at least try on the non-skinny jeans. I think you might like them 😉
I really loved this post HC. BTW, what’s wrong with antlers? Have you seen Ralph Lauren’s St Germain collection? Much antler to be seen there! I just hope it’s not real or has been found on deer that died a natural death in the forest at a ripe old age! May still be a bit of a turn off to Santa’s crew though.
Thanks Jacqui O, Nothing is wrong with antlers! The New Times article deemed them on the out list too but I think they are a classic as well.
Chic – I completely agree, and Jennifer at Peak of Chic reiterates this as well. If you love something, use it. Especially if it’s a “classic” something, the swell will peak, but it does not stop being something really great. I’m on the hunt for obelisks – good luck with your antlers! If you come to Kansas I can find you a field (not close to home) and you can practically pick them up off the ground. Tortoise shells, too. Happy holidays.
HC, Okay, I secretly wanted to die when I saw the NYTimes article re the uncool design trends. My husband and I moved to Brooklyn from the W. Village and it was the first time in years that we could fit a dining room table and chairs. I got the table and the overlapping square chairs from West Elm… Usually I would get something not so popular or trendy but I really liked them and even thought that when I got sick of them I could have them painted. Anyway, thanks so much for your post it made me feel better and not so uncool. And your right, it’s not like I’m walking around with a schrunchie in my hair, now that would be bad!. Happy Holidays, Erin
Thanks Mrs. Blandings, I might have to plan a trip to KC sometime. You have a lot of great things going on there!
Erin, Maybe I should have said I’d write a ticket for scrunchies instead of skinny leg jeans. Seems like a lot of people still like them 😉
I love this post. I think that while having 8 predictable trends dotting your house is too much, it’s equally bad to abandon a trend just because you wake up and Deborah Needleman has declared them over in the pages of the NY Times. I posted about zebra rugs a while back and while I could feel the trend fading fast, I still defended my love of it. For all of us, because we are obsessed with design, we think the trend is over because we see it everywhere in magazines. But in reality, I don’t think there is anyone else in my zip code who has one, so I have no intention of abandoning it. I love it. Maybe I will switch it out and put it in another room for a change, but I am always going to love it. It’s a design classic.
I do love the in & out lists in general, though. It reminds us all that home design now (like fashion) is such a shell game. 🙂 The trick is to not get to conned by what people say is in *or* out and to just commit to the things you love and be totally unapologetic about it.
http://decorno.blogspot.com/2007/10/things-that-are-rightnow-always-forever.html
fantastic post. love your blog.
fantastic post. love your blog.
fantastic post. love your blog.
fantastic post. love your blog.
feel free to delete three of those
Elequently put. And good luck finding those antlers… I wouldn’t mind a moose head on my wall, but my wife won’t have it.
One thing I don’t need to see anymore of is a house full of “decorative items” and no actual artwork or paintings. A home should have at least a little more warmth and personality than a hotel lobby.
I love antlers, I’m sort of against real ones but fake ones are just beautiful, I would put them on my wall in a heartbeat. Actually, I’have been really feeling them lately too, so I made a post about them. Do check if you like:
http://a-mad-tea-party-with-alis.blogspot.com/2007/12/deers-antlers-and-branches.html