7 Reasons To Ignore Cool Home Decor Trends

If you're planning your home renovation, you've probably already ripped out many inspirational pictures from decorating magazines.

You've probably known for ages exactly what special features you want to include in your house because you based it on something you saw last week/last month/last year.

Here's why you should stick to what you love, even if cutting-edge interior designers say certain elements are supposedly "so over" or something equally rude - and simply have what you want and ignore the coolest or latest decorating trends.

Choose what colour really suits you
After all, the trend experts don't expect you to change this every year!

In 2021 for example, the gurus at Pantone decided the Colour of the Year was Ultimate Gray, and Illuminating (a yellow). Grey continues to be overwhelmingly popular - especially for Hamptons style homes - while the Illuminating mustard colour doesn't seem to have caught on as much.

The 2022 colour is Very Peri, a deep violet. If you want to keep up with current trends, consider investing in decorating accessories, such as throws, cushion covers and vases - or irises, perhaps!

This photo is a rare example of being able to meet two years' worth of Pantone trend colours, but it's not usually achievable, nor does it usually look cohesive.

Look inside your own house if you're being seduced by Pinterest
You may love the Hamptons look, but if you have black leather sectional modular lounges, and dramatic lighting, it's going to take a lot of money and effort to achieve that style.

If your home features lots of wainscoting and parquetry, the boho look won't work.

Ask yourself if you're getting seduced because you "think" you should have that style, rather than if that style deeply appeals to you.

Visitors want authenticity
There's a skin-crawling feeling when you visit someone's home that reflects nothing of the family and feels like a display home.

You WANT guests to say, "That's so you!" rather than, "Oh, yes, that's pretty trendy" if you've shown no interest in a particular look. Your home should be a genuine reflection of your interest, not a tick-the-boxes effort.

The move away from consumerism
Unless you've been living in a cave, you'll notice there's been a move away from mindlessly buying everything new, all at once, and especially from one store. Almost no-one wants their home to look like a Freedom catalog anymore.

A home that has depth and character might have a mix of furniture and decor acquired during their student years (read Ikea etc), something custom-made, a number of family antique pieces, items collected on their travels, treasured pieces made by the kids, cool knick-knacks bought from the local market, as well as those items which were left out in your neighbourhood during a council clean-up, and fixed and repainted to be used once more.

Ignore the top 10 "trends" publicised by the home and garden magazines 
Want to know an awful secret? The so-called trends are based on press releases of products and services pushed by their advertisers. It's what they want you to buy, whether it suits you or not. Yes, really.

Whatever you like now...
Whether it's trendy or not, whatever you like now will be out of fashion in two years' time. Should you care? No, because everyone's home will look dated at some point in the future!

Floral carpets, orange-stained wooden floorboards and furniture, black wrought iron wine racks, lime green Laminex kitchens, balloon fabric curtains - these were all trendy once upon a time.

Then again, Fred Flintstone stone feature walls, 50s mid-century furniture, textured rugs, macrame planters, tulip tables, lava lamps, and indoor jungles were cool, then not cool, and now cool again.

But you might want to take advantage of current home trends 
Current home trends include convertible furniture (such as outdoor benches that convert into a table), recycling boxes, compost bins, decorative mailboxes, organic shapes, designer pet beds, locally made furniture, and upcycled furniture.