Home Decorating Trends

Waterbeds: should they stay or should they go?

Move over, shelfies; there’s a new trend in town. At Apartment Therapy, we spend a lot of our time talking about how to make your kitchen a more beautiful place. How to make a statement with your backsplash. How to spruce up your kitchen floors with a runner. But how to beautify your pantry? Not so much. When it comes to design, the pantry is really a forgotten spot. Sure, there are plenty of pantries organized to perfection, but a beautiful design has never been a huge priority.

I thought it would be fun to poll a few designers and study a few lookbooks to see what vintage trends might make their way to the forefront again in 2019.

As we move into 2019, let the stars be your decorating guide.

I love color and really think any shades can work year-round in your home if you’re a big enough fan of them. And sure, colors are seasonal—white feels like summer, pastels read as springy, and darker shades are always going to be more autumnal or appropriate for winter. But the magic is really in the mix. Most shades can go either way, depending on what you pair them with.

Well, the end of the year is upon us, and it’s time to look forward to what 2019 has to offer in terms of style and design. But I also think it’s fun to reflect on the past and think about what trends might be running their course. What I’m about to say might be a little polarizing, especially if you live in a rental and can’t really do much about your surroundings. But the one trend I hope stays in 2018 is: Bright white painted walls.

There is nothing quite as luxurious as a stylish bathroom, but sometimes it’s hard to design the small space in a way that makes your eyes pop while simultaneously leaving a lasting impression. There are an infinite number of light fixtures and shower curtains you can choose from, but one way to take your bathroom up a design level is to match your wall tiles to your floor tiles. Does it sound intense? Sure, but have faith and hear me out.

It may not be for everyone, but it looks like this trend is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.

I love picking all of my designer friends’ brains on holiday trends. I mean, I know enough about the market to have a sense of where things are going, but they’re the ones that are going to be buying up all the decorations and executing ideas—I’ve officially given up on going HAM on holiday decor until I have a house.

These are the bedroom trends that are seriously past their prime.

We’ve discussed other body parts as decorative motifs on home decor products before, from breasts to butts. But I think the latest incarnation of this trend has got to be hands. It’s kind of unclear when and where this all started. Classic antiquity? I kid, I kid. Seriously though, palm-shaped chairs have been something you could stumble upon at flea markets for a while, if you were lucky.

When Prince George and Princess Charlotte head over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house, they hang out in some very fun digs. That’s because Carole Middleton, the mother of Kate Middleton, recently revealed some festive fun she likes to bright out for her grandkids during the holidays. Carole, a professional party planner, told The Telegraph that each grandkid gets their own Christmas tree in their bedrooms “so that they can decorate it themselves.

It’s not like Joanna Gaines invented farmhouse modern style. But she definitely raised its visibility by beaming this rustic, charming, and yet somehow fresh (at the time) look into our homes each week on HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.” Honestly, before her, farmhouse vibes were achieved by putting roosters on everything and using fake sunflowers in old milk jugs as centerpieces. Or something like that, I think, but I digress.

Pattern mixing is tricky when it comes to an outfit, let alone a home. You have to understand color, scale, and texture to really make it work. Most designers will tell you to start small with printed accents like pillows and table linens and then work your way up to larger pieces of furniture and rugs.

Lighting can totally make or break a room, and it can be easier to change out than you think, even in a rental. Take it from me—I’ve swapped out three fixtures in my space and brought in my own special bulbs for the recessed cans in my living room and the strip above my medicine cabinet. Don’t be that person that lets a crappy builder’s grade fixture bring down your otherwise awesome room. You can find something cool without spending a fortune, I promise.

Did someone say hygge?

It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. You know, when the color experts at Pantone will be announcing the 2019 Color of the Year, which will likely happen any day now. We’re on the edge of our ultra-violet seats waiting to see what hue it could be. To help ease and abate our anticipation, we called on some of our favorite interior designer friends to find out what shade they could see Pantone choosing as the Color of the Year.

Let's look back at the colors that defined years' past.

New year, new you. Once January 1 rolls around, we all make these grand resolutions to make ourselves healthier, more positive, more productive, and all-around better people. We buy a fancy gym membership. We forgo our favorite takeout spot in favor of a healthy, home-cooked meal. We even promise ourselves to not hit the snooze button more than once (okay, twice). We commit to bettering ourselves—and rightfully so—but what about our homes?

We all love perusing IKEA for the stylish home decor they offer at outlandishly reasonable prices. And the Scandi styles and clean lines mean minimalists are sure to fall for much of what IKEA offers. But honing in on the best items offered by the Swedish retailer can be a bit daunting, so we’ve taken the liberty of highlighting some of our favorite minimalist picks below.

As our calendars comes to an end and the bustle of holiday decorating and redecorating ramps up to light speed, it’s time to look back on the home decorating and design trends that were most popular in 2018—and which ones are on their way out in the New Year.

Are you kind of over mid-century modern design? Do you roll your eyes whenever you spot a knock-off Eames dining chair or faux Saarinen tulip table? Do you look at your MCM couch with a tinge of disdain, wishing you could redesign your space? It’s okay, you’re not alone. If I’m being totally honest, I too am tired of the MCM madness. Don’t get me wrong, I love the aesthetic; however, the style is becoming too ubiquitous that it no longer feels special.

You don’t need to be an interiors expert to be familiar with mid-century modern design. Even if you can’t spot its signature clean lines and minimal details from a mile away, most stores have products that are blatantly labeled “mid-century inspired.” The mid-century modern movement first broke onto the design scene over 50 years ago and is showing no signs of slowing down.

What if I told you there was an alternative out there to those kind of finicky, often expensive overlapping wood boards Joanna Gaines made so popular?

Living in a small space sometimes isn’t as fun as all those Instagrammable tiny houses make it look. With square footage at a premium, smaller apartments and houses come with their unique hurdles that make it challenging to decorate your space. Where are you supposed to put all your clothes? How do you fit an entire dining room into an area that’s as big as most people’s closets?

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Amazon has a bunch of home decor pieces that look expensive, but are ridiculously affordable. It’s not that surprising, right? After all, you can buy just about everything (and we mean everything) at the mega-retailer—and usually for a low, fair price. Of course, we’re not the only ones who think Amazon is a decorating enthusiast’s paradise.

It’s no easy task: narrowing down the must-know interior design terms, styles, designers, and iconic products into a definitive 26-item list, one entry for each letter of the alphabet. It’s impossible actually, but we thought we’d give it a go because, hey, it’s fun. Here’s to hoping you find a few of your design faves on this list—and that you get from a to zed learning at least one new fact to use as a conversation starter.

We’re finally in the last quarter of the year, which means the 2019 Color of the year announcements are streaming in more steadily than ever. The latest contender? Benjamin Moore. On October 10, the paint brand gathered design editors, interior designers and other industry folk at The Grill & The Pool at the Seagram Building in New York City (a bastion of mid-century modern design). After a few minutes of socializing and a welcome glass of champagne, it was time for the big announcement.

It’s kind of hard to innovate when it comes to upholstered furniture. Truth is, it’s pretty darn comfortable for the most part already. Sure, you can stain-guard the fabrics, introduce more finishes and add decorative flourishes like nailhead trim to the equation. But lately, I’m digging the throwback to the more graphic, modern lines of channel back pieces. This silhouette is part-retro, part-’80s even, and we’ve talked about it as a wall treatment before.

If you're searching for something new and a little more exciting, and you're into navy, then a peacock blue shade may be where it's at for you.

When you picture your dream house, chances are it features a big, beautiful closet. You know, kind of like Mariah Carey’s wardrobe in her iconic episode of MTV’s “Cribs.” Or maybe like Cher Horowitz’s, complete with a computer that puts together great outfits for you. Or maybe it has a rotating shoe cupboard like Goldie Hawn’s closet did in “Overboard.” You get the picture, right?

Granny-chic decor is having a moment. You know, the heavy floral prints, patterned wallpapers, retro furnishings, and other kitschy decor items you used to see around your grandma’s place. Recently, these kinds of nostalgic interiors are popping up all over the ‘gram, and we’re here for it. Don’t believe us? Read ahead for seven Instagram accounts you must follow if you’re a fan of all things kitsch and granny-chic. 1.

IKEA is getting in the festive spirit early this year by launching its winter collection before the craziness of the holiday season really starts. The Swedish home store recently released the first images of the collection, with promises that they’ll hit stores this month, October 2018. The collection is stocked with everything you need to get you home (and yourself) holiday-ready, from gift wrap, to wreaths, to tree decorations, and celebratory tableware.

Americans spent the last three or four decades tearing out pretty-in-pastel bathroom tiles. Pale pinks and greens surrounded every toilet, every shower, every sink. After spending decades finding the same shades everywhere, it’s no wonder we grew tired of the trend. But it’s time to break out your mortar and grout: Colorful bathroom tiles are coming back.

Overall, the aesthetic can seem a little spartan, but the design choices made are deliberate, and function is often just as important as good looks—and who can argue with that?

Did you know the mirror, as we know it today, was invented fewer than 200 years ago? According to LiveScience, in 1835 German chemist Justus von Liebig coated a pane of glass with a thin layer of metallic silver and successfully coaxed out mankind’s inner Narcissus for decades to come. Since then, mirrors have come to be a solid fixture in interior design and, more recently, round mirrors seem to be challenging the rectangular norm (and for good reason).

According to Etsy, on-site searches for this trend are up 38 percent compared to 2017.

ICYMI: A perfectly manicured dining room is so, so yesterday. We’ve all seen those uniform dining rooms in movies and catalogs. You know, with the long wooden table, matched chairs, and carefully curated China? They’re stately, regal, and, if we’re being totally honest, a little stale. You feel obligated to sit up straight, put your napkin on your lap, and use the correct fork for each course. Alternatively, a more eclectic dining room immediately feels cozier.

Bohemian looks have always been trendy, but not many people go full-blown flower-child in their homes. If you’re a true maximalist at heart and love going full steam with a trend, then you will love the maximalist bohemian aesthetic. Utilizing bold, look-at-me wallpaper prints, a dizzying array of clashing patterns, saturated colors, and layered textures, just about every detail in the space competes for your attention.

In honor of "Scandi Week" we're breaking down the basics of this mega popular design style.

Gallery walls fill a void in our heart we didn’t know we had: the need to show off all of our artwork, all of the time. But after a decade exploding with galleries, it’s time for something a little more streamlined. Enter the gallery grid, where themed artwork is hung in a grid—think of it as a gallery wall, sans clutter. The result adds a pleasing sense of order to your living spaces.

Simple silhouettes, minimal hardware, and pared-down color palettes. Let’s face it, most design enthusiasts can spot a modern piece from a mile away. (Psst… we broke down the difference between minimalist, modern, and contemporary, if you’re not up to date!) In 2018, almost every store has a slew of furniture and accessories that are inspired by mid-century modern classics—and for good reason. The style is contemporary, timeless, and looks good in virtually any space.

Trends in interior design don’t move quite as quickly as they do in fashion, but the home market still follows the runways to some extent. And if this past New York Fashion Week and the recent award show red carpets are any indicators, neons are about to come back into the collective color story after chalky pastels, moody indigos, and metallics have dominated for so long.

Yves Saint Laurent famously said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” Sure, trends come and go, but they’re pretty important to fashion, art, music, and, of course, design. Keeping up with trends not only allows you to see society through a beautiful, artful lens, it can help you gain a better understanding of a designer’s inspiration. Plus, bringing the biggest trends to your home will keep your space relevant and Insta-worthy. What’s in store for fall?

Right now in home design and even fashion, it feels like a total ’70s takeover. Some might argue that the ’90s are going strong, too. But the ’90s were the first real throwback to the ’70s, so there you go. This time period had two pretty distinct things going on—boho hippie vibes and glam, glitzy disco feels, which means you can probably find a way to work something ’70s into your home no matter your aesthetic.

Ah, home sweet home. Well, for now, that is. Whether you recently graduated from college, are moving in with your partner, or are renewing your lease, there’s a good chance you’re living in a rental apartment. Studies show more people are renting than at any point in the past 50 years. We’ll let that sink in. Sure, there are a lot of perks to living in a rental.

Because we know going to the dark side can be polarizing.

®How do you know what the next big thing is going to be? Well, if you’re Etsy’s trend expert, Dayna Isom Johnson, you have the entire marketplace to see what new styles are coming–and what new styles shoppers are looking for. The changing of the seasons is a perfect time to refresh your space, and she’s identified six trends that are a great way to do it.

Most of us can’t spend every day at the beach. Sure, we can spend every day fantasizing about the beach, but day jobs and social expectations and pure logistics prevent us from digging our toes into the sand every morning. If only it were possible: There’s something so marvelously soothing about blue waters stretching toward the horizon.

We get it: Marble isn’t the most revolutionary when it comes to home decor—it’s pretty much decorating 101 in the age of Pinterest, Instagram, and Amazon Prime. But hear us out! There’s a reason this swirly pattern has become a favorite for both 20-something renters and established homeowners. It’s both effortless and effort-full, instantly upgrading any area.

Sneaky homeowners used to fill bowls with fake apples, grapes, and bananas—but don't you dare take a bite.

With the cold weather season fast approaching, it’s time to finally address an age-old debate in the decor world: Are there really any differences between flannel and plaid? The answer, simply, is yes. So to further breakdown the distinction, we called upon textile aficionado Annie Selke, CEO and President of The Annie Selke Companies, for help. We asked her what really made plaid and flannel all that different and she spelled it out for us.

At Apartment Therapy, we believe your home is your sanctuary and you should fill it with items that bring you joy. For many people, that means adding some vintage pieces to the mix. “Vintage pieces naturally have a story to tell, so they will quickly infuse character and a mystical charm to your space,” says Mikel Welch, a celebrity interior designer. However, it’s important to strike a happy medium between old and new pieces.