The High-Gloss ’80s Trend Designers are Loving (and How to Style It at Home)
Love it or hate it, the ’80s are the decade that keeps on giving when it comes to design trends. Bold accents, and lucite and brass finishes, for example, all trace back to the era and still appear in apartment tours today. Now, high-shine lacquered finishes are the latest ’80s mainstay to make a comeback. And, mark my words, you’ll be seeing them everywhere this spring.
“With the return to pattern and maximalism, it makes sense that lacquered finishes are back on trend,” confirms Jenny Bova, creative director and cofounder of Jenny Bova Design and Bova Creative. “It may seem like a small thing, but it adds tremendous depth and sophistication.” In a world full of flat matte and natural wood furnishings, glossy lacquer looks more energizing and elevated — everything that spring calls for. “[Lacquer] evokes substantive glamour and helps designers create positive energy by reflecting light and adding glimmer,” says Courtney Smith, principal designer at Courtney B. Smith Design. “And don’t we all want more of that right now?” The answer is yes.
How to Style the Lacquer Trend at Home
“My advice would be to add in a lacquered piece to your space with intention,” advises Maggie Gienger, director of interior design at Arhaus. “It’s a part of the story, not the full story. This finish truly functions like art and should be treated as such.” And if you live in a small apartment like I do, lacquer pieces pose more than just an eclectic, retro look. “It can make a small room feel larger, as its reflective surfaces allow light to bounce off it differently throughout the day, or it can give a large room an intentional, visual anchor.”
TL;DR: Lacquered pieces can function as a room’s focal point or a decorative detail — it’s totally up to you. If you’re ready to experiment with the trend, I made it easy by rounding up the best high-shine finds for every function.
