apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Authenticity as a trend? Either something is real or it's not. Or the design is at least "real." So, yeah, for reals, keep it real.

"Authenticity" as a trend, hm. I wonder if I can afford that look this year.

Great...now I'll have to fight over furniture and home decor at my favorite thrift stores. "Rough luxe" has been around forever and was once called "creativity" for us common folk. Just wait, we'll be seeing million dollar homes decorated for thousands of dollars with 99 cent yard sale pictures because it's the new look.The wealthy kill all that is good......
.......sorry, bad day

I can already see how self-conscious this whole "trend" will be. And how far from "authentic" it is to label something and then buy to it.

Oh, and that authentic-looking AGA is probably about $30K...and that room better be in England, because it would not be authentic at all in the U.S.

Have you guys seen the pilot episode of Glee when the teacher's wife is talking about her pottery barn toilet brushes?

"They're Balinese!"

That's what comes to mind.

Next decor trend: irony.

Oh, wait, WSJ is already covering that in the "authenticity" article. ;)

so authentic is the new black? gack!

There is no way that REAL authenticity in homes would be a large-scale trend, because lets face it, that means you don't redo the bath, you don't get new counters, you don't get to do any of that- unless it's undoing the mistake someone else did or fixing a functional problem.

On a small scale, in the elite, or here at Apt Therapy? Sure. Out there in the general populace? Not so sure...

Let's remember though, if that's the trend, and you don't happen to live where this photo was taken, what's 'authentic' for where you live might not look so glamorous...

Then again, Robert Venturi (Learning from Las Vegas) might suggest that the stainless/granite/cherry trio has become the 'authentic' american kitchen. :)

Funny, seems to me the art world had declared "authenticity" as its own house pet of a trend just a few years back. HA! It's finally trickled down to design. **snigger**

Is it April 1? I understand the look they're touting, but calling authenticity a trend is like saying honesty's a fad.

RachelOM I so hear you. My favorite thrift store here in Houston has lately been all over the media, newspapers, TV, glossy zip code magazines, etc. Now all the prices are sky high and the consignment rules are ridiculous. 80% of my furnishings and art have come from The Guild but I think those days are over. Sigh

I think it is not a new trend, but it is a trend that has been prevalent (with the state of economy and all that). I do think there is value to it and it will have staying power and yes I think you can consider it a real trend. Cheers!

http://www.modernests.com

Authenticity is a lame name for it. I believe "modern industrial", "shabby chic" and even "eclectic" would be considered precursors for whatever trend they think they're spotting.

From the description, it doesn't sound like a new idea at all. I think it may be a new idea hitting the more "upper class" scene, especially in the face of a recession. But doesn't everyone enjoy old mixed in with their new? It doesn't matter if it's a $20,000 Egyptian antique or the great $4.99 60's lamp you found at a garage sale.

We're all looking for something unique, personal, but comfortable, and of course glamorous. (And to note: glamorous doesn't always have to be crystal and fur... it just has to be refined)

These experts remind me of music critics. They're the first ones hung in the revolution...

I agree w/unabridged that "authenticity" is a misnomer. But call it what you may (wabi-sabi?), I'm all for the rejection of immaculate minimalism!

That looks like a $20,000 Aga in the photo. To own one of those requires authentic money.

It isn't a trend if you can't recognize it where you find it without being told what it is. And since 'authenticity' will look different everywhere, that should be impossible.

And if it's a quality everyone would aspire toward whether they hit it or not, then it isn't a trend either. For instance, attractive is not a fashion trend.

And who doesn't want to reflect their personality in the design of their spaces? (Though some people think their personality IS the ikea catalog)

Ugh, someone had too many column inches assigned to them.

WSJ headlines this article as Rough Luxe, the page also has a link to their new trend in fashion 'Elegant Slumming'. Maybe the new trend in headlines is oxymoron.

Years ago stainless/granite/overdone kitchens and baths were only found in wealthy homes; now that this idea has become cheap and found in every new middle class home across the US it is no longer desireable.

It's time for something else to spend money on! Indeed a stove that equals the annual income of some touted as "authentic" seems to be a joke, but no. I'm guessing that the label for the new look is probably not well thought out; perhaps some high-end interior designer can think of something that expresses the idea without opening up to ridicule.

Yes, it's true, us plebes have all been doing the authentic thing for years. Look on the bright side though, there's a chance some good furniture and lighting will come out of this.

Authenticity isn't a trend. It would look different everywhere and it's not a trend if you can't recognize it when you see it.

It's also not a trend if it's a quality everyone would aspire to, whether they get there or not. i.e.- attractiveness is not a fashion trend.

And who wouldn't want to express their own personality in their design (even if they think their personal style IS the ikea catalog)?

One line of the article struck me as needing a response:

Where they say the previous trend was "theatrical and perfect," it seems to me that this new trend is just "theatrically imperfect." There's nothing authentic about it - it's just as contrived, but more difficult to execute.

Egolessness? Ha.

Wait, so this is a trend about rich people buying up antiques in an attempt to make their homes seem more "authentic." How is this a new trend or even worth a story?

From the article: "When Halard outfitted his loft, he collected 18th-century tiles and shipped an old tub from Europe, to ensure that not everything would match or look as if it had been minted that week. 'So I actually spent a lot of money to make it look imperfect,' he says, laughing. 'Which for me was the ultimate luxury.'"

Gross. This is the elite essentially appropriating the 'make do' ethos of poverty and thrift and turning it into an aesthetic. It's akin to the recent interest in 'homeless chic' among fashionistas. They're both attempts to seem serious and 'in tune' with the current mood, but are more revealing of their proponents' startling lack of sensitivity and general cluelessness.

I wonder if Alain de Botton is laughing his ass off at this.

Seems to be a natural pendulum-swing-reaction to the MCM-inspired minimalism. It will be interesting (and amusing) to see Pottery Barn et. al attempt to harness an "authenticity" movement, but what can I say? I like this look better, so I won't complain about that stuff.

The pendulum will swing the other way in a few years and we'll be inundated with more photos of all-white kitchens again.

Someone was careless in assigning this trend as Style Statement.
Enduring luxury, time-tested quality, resilient beauty, inherited perrennial ... never mind. It's much harder than I thought.

Love to deam that Aga cooker, though.

This is a fad that won't last. Using the picture in this post as an example, it takes a lot of time and effort to find "authentic" materials. But when the novelty of scavenging for "authentic" materials, the homeowners will soon realize that these materials 1) are unfinished and warped and hence, a bit ugly, 2) easily damaged (water on unfinished wood floors won't "patina"-- it will blacken, then rot them), and 3) hard to work on. Who wants to cut their veggies on a warped, misshapen island? Veggies would be rolling everywhere, and because it is unfinished, it will hold bacteria. The family will get "authentic" salmonella. I think the ridiculousness of having a brand new $20,000 stove juxtaposed with unattractive and barely usable surfaces will make itself evident soon enough.

I'd tweak it a bit to say that the next trend is not just hand-made, but home-made authentic. Think of the popularity of DIY projects.

Slowdown, I'm with you all the way. This reminds me of that pun: "Money isn't everything, especially if you have plenty of it".

Imitating the "look" of poor with multi-thousand dollars' worth of implements is the cruelest form of mockery.

this is definitely a trend in the houses i've been working in around dc metro in the last handful of years.
but like all trends, there are countless people who just happen to already be that way. this one particularly jives with those of us that like and gravitate toward really creative and personal spaces, but dont have much money.

i refer to it as urban bohemian. but lots of terms seem to work. "authentic" will sell it, but what "authentic" is i'll never know. whatever, its just marketing.

I don't think this is a new idea by any strech. However, with a resurgence in handcrafts taking hold, mixed with people trying to be more ecologically responsible, as well as budget-mined (thanks to the last year of economic troubles), it certainly is getting more attention. It's something that many people have been doing for many years, but now they have felt the need to "tag" it.

Of course, this is going to lead to commercial creation of all things "authentic", but the people who are really decorating this way already will stand the tet of time.

I believe the more well-to-do and the rich folk are less inclined to show their wealth in the current economy. Being frugal and less showy is the new norm maybe because of a bit of guilt - who am I to say, just a guess.

Ergo, this new "trend" for the upper crust - mixing old and new, "rustic" and "re-use" - ahh...something akin to what most people have been doing for centuries because they needed to, not because it was a choice and a trend.

If the economy didn't tank, I think the "trend" would be everything brand spanking new and even the lightbulbs would soon cost $100 a pop.

do you know how much "authenticity" costs?! i simply can't afford it. artifice all the way. it's much cheaper.

lolz!

This reminds me of Real Housewives of NY, when Jill wanted to redo her condo and her husband(?) designerfriend(?) said "but you just did the condo." And she says, "yes, but this was when I was traditional and now I want to be midcentury girl." (I'm paraphrasing from memory.)

Maybe now she (and others like her) will want to be first-apartment girl and throw away all of her faux hi-end mid-c stuff to overspend on faux "used" hi-end "old-timey" stuff.

It reminds me of those "hot and not" lists that gleefully announce that things that were never in style are no longer "in".

e.g., Not Hot:
(1) plastic lounge chairs
(2) pink carpet
(3) Kmart bedroom sets
(4) flimsy flatware
(5) Disney wallpaper

I mean, don't you remember just last year when flimsy flatware was all the rage?

Everything's already been said extremely well by all of the previous posters so I'll just add that I doubt any cooking goes on in this kitchen (so no need to worry about the rotting floorboards!). It's for showing off and if you're an authentic social climber, there you go!
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com

I just went and read the article, and I have to say, AT readers totally own this "rough-luxe" stuff. The photos they have still look designer-made and ugly as sin!

The first pic in the slideshow is of wallpaper which mimics the effect of peeling paint, revealing "narratives of the past." The person who buys this wallpaper probably also thought pre-ripped blue jeans were a great idea.

Authentic? More like the exact opposite.

I think it definitely is a trend. The people on here are more design-minded than the average American who has become accustomed to slate-textured Pergo flooring, faux-finished walls, and wood-veneered pressboard furniture. Most people have been buying whatever is in front of them and cheap instead of really shopping for things they love and plan to keep for a long time. It took a recession for us to remember why we want our cheap, fake things to look like the real things: they're good quality! I'm happy about this trend, and I hope it will help to end (or at least reduce) the level of fakeness that plagues America. Who knows, maybe women will become content with their real breast size and hair color!

I don't think it's a trend for most of us but what appears to be happening is some may followed the buy your stuff from a cataloge or those who did the fake distressed look are now realizing that if you bought the ACTUAL vintage piece, the room now has more of an authenticity to it but to be AUTHENTIC in general means it reflects you and your personality and it evolved organically over time and can't be forced.

Sadly, some may not realize that and will STILL try to decorate their rooms in a more "authentic" fashion but still do it on a short time frame and by willingly mixing low and high stuff in one space. It may still looked staged in the end.

Thinking about it more, I think this is the attempt of the design world to re-invent the distressed look that came around 20 years ago.

How much of a slave are we to the 20 year design resurfacing rule?

I am surprised at the anger in all of these comments!
That room is gorgeous, the ideas expressed in the post are good ones.
I would have an aga range if I could and put it in a room just like that if I could.
While I agree this is not a "trend" (obviously not), it is an exploration of a certain kind of style. Witness the torn bedspreads in World of Interiors -- not there for show, but because it's someone's real room. It's eccentric and interesting and very beautiful.

Slowdown: brilliant, and very well-put.

It sounds like they want to go back and live in an idealized "Grandma's House", or maybe something from a 40's magazine ad showing a perfect home and happy family.

sounds to me like the hipster/ironic/obnoxious "aesthetic" bleeding into home decor. is nothing safe?

The 'table' in the picture reminds me of a Welsh Settle. They were high-backed benchs which often converted into something else, such as a bed, but I'm sure that I've seen a picture of one that converted into a table.

Anyway, my sympathy to those whose favourite thrift shops have been invaded. Perhaps you could strike back by offloading furniture etc that you've been meaning to ditch for years. Instead of leaving it outside with the trash, just band together and hold what you could call "An Authentic Attic Sale" and watch those suckers swarm in with their wallets in hand!

As for American authentic, there is one piece of furniture that I would love to own, Sarah E. Goode's "Cabinet Bed".

Is this the elite set trying to buy american after they've shipped all our jobs overseas? The irony of it all.

'authentic chic', 'elegant slumming'.... didn't they call this 'derelicte' in zoolander?
slowdown: yes, yes, yes.

The folks at Calculated Risk (blog) found it amusing but they've been forecasting that the rich will begin to support inferior goods as a means of social camouflage for a while. Will the upper middle adopt it as necessity?

Myself, it reminds me of the shift from the gilded age overblown perfection aesthetic to the mission and craftman "every man's" movement. There was a large depression in 1893 so if you follow economic cycle theories it sort of makes sense.

This is not about "slumming"! It's just a certain aesthetic. I've always wanted to have a worn down leather couch. Does that REALLY mean I'm trying to embrace "homeless chic"? NO! I saw one in a swanky house in London years ago and thought it was cool!
This is not "trying to look poor", it's not "mockery."
Back down, people, we're talking about style here, not class warfare. Just because we're all jealous and want to be able to afford Francois Halard's life, doesn't mean it's not gorgeous.

I was criticizing the incredible stupidity and hypocrisy of the article and many of its subjects. How is importing bath fixtures from abroad or paying interior designers to carefully fade wallpaper for you just to achieve a certain look "a repudiation of the old notions of luxury and the mindless accumulation of more stuff" (which is how they define "rough luxe"). The proponents of this 'movement' repeatedly suggests this is not about consumerism, but a reaction to excess consumption. Yet all they're doing is buying old stuff to replace their new stuff and paying premiums to make sure the old stuff has the desired patina. It's exactly like buying pre-faded, pre-ripped jeans. It's exactly inauthentic.

From the article: "Crystal ball–gazers who forecast changes in our patterns of consumption have been predicting for some time that authenticity would be the next big thing. Caroline Till, the design trends editor at London’s The Future Laboratory, says the brand strategy firm was tracking a trend among designers that by spring was spreading into the broader marketplace. Their April 2009 trend report, called “Inspire: Rough Luxe,” stated, it 'celebrates a heavy rawness erring on the artisanal.' Till doesn’t believe the timing is coincidental: 'Because of the downturn, consumers are taking a bit longer to think about a purchase,' she says. 'And they want to buy into a story.'"

Basically, because of the downturn, rich people are now remembering that flaunting your wealth in an obvious way is vulgar. So marketers have invented a trend touting "authenticity" as the next big thing to guide their purchases. I agree this isn't a new trend in design, but the article and the people featured in it still come off as incredibly tone deaf.

From the article: "“I think especially now, when we don’t have a sense that we control our fates entirely, maybe there’s something a little bit easier about the idea that every single surface of your environment isn’t polished..." I beg to differ. Anyone who can blow huge gobs of money to make their home look 'authentically' old and weathered is certainly not in danger of feeling like they're not in control of their fate. But all those laid-off workers? The working poor? The even poorer? Well, at least they can take comfort in knowing that their authentically rough lives are chic now.

This is an excellent analogy: "It's exactly like buying pre-faded, pre-ripped jeans. It's exactly inauthentic." I have to agree.
However, this is not about the "working poor or laid-off workers." Please. I believe the aim in having an un-polished, not blatantly ostentatious "bling" ridden granited-up-crap house is more to have the feel of, say, a rich French land owner look from 100 years ago; how does this relate to the working poor?
And anyway, why so angry about rich people?! Wouldn't you want to be one? I would! I make us$30k year. I am better off than most of the people in the world, does that disabuse me of the right to have a certain kind of taste? Am I doomed to spend every cent I have for plastic shit that looks like everyone else's? NO! And even though us$30k is more than many in the world will ever make in their lifetimes, if I lost 1/2 of it, I would most definitely feel like I was not in control of my fate.
Slowdown, slowdown.

LitNerd, I think that your words
"Most people have been buying whatever is in front of them and cheap instead of really shopping for things they love and plan to keep for a long time. It took a recession for us to remember why we want our cheap, fake things to look like the real things: they're good quality!"
are describing exactly the essence of it.