I thought it would be fun to capture the top-10 design trends of 2011 — while the year is still fresh in our minds. We can also ask, “In 50 years, which will be keepers — and which… maybe not so much?”
The thing is, I spend so much time in retro-world that I don’t have the greatest sense of what has been “in” all year. My main connection to the “real world” is the New York Times Home & Garden every Thursday, and I go over to Apartment Therapy to see what they are up to, now and again. I also still get some catalogs, although they have mostly given up on me. So I need your help building a list, which we can then refine to the top-10:
I have a few suggestions to help get started — please add your own!:
- Greige Nation. Dark grey and greige everywhere, including laminates named after clammy death. Restoration Hardware gets the prize for interiors that look like they were designed by and for vampires. Although I think their prices and products are aimed at the 1%, not the 99%, dark grey and washed-out coordinates do seem to be everywhere at all price points. Accent colors: Plum and yellow.
- Edison bulbs
- Pendant lights made out of any possible piece of junk, errr, I mean, vintage treasure. “Put a Bulb In It!“
- Huge chandeliers made out of any possible piece of junk, errr, I mean, vintage treasure. Even more so: Layered chandeliers. That is: A big something (usually with vintage reference) on the outside, a chandelier on the inside. E.g.: Birdcage outside, three-arm chandelier inside… and big drum shades over capiz shells.
- Dark kitchen cabinets. Espresso. Kona.
- Big zig zag prints, on pillows in particular. There was that whole Missoni-mania at Target thing.
- Perhaps, though, silhouetted leaf prints on pillows were even more common?
- Mid century modern mania. Blogs go Craigslist crazy. Ebay prices officially go too high. Many Unhappy Hipsters are hatched. Saarinen tulip tables and chairs peaked. Like out of nowhere, 28 places to buy a mid century modern sofa. Note: Five years ago, there was NO PLACE to buy a mcm sofa.
- Relatedly: The wisdom of restoring mid century homes, even the modest ones — came solidly into the mainstream… Not only was there significant coverage about this blog in places like the New York Times… there were lots of other stories in mainstream media about such renovations… and, hey, even pink bathrooms got *some* respect on tv home decorating shows.
- Relatedly: Vintage and DIY. 2011 was an economically disturbing and depressing year — we pinched pennies and instead, bought used, raided grandma’s attic, fixed things up ourselves, and made due. Gosh, that part of the Great Recession (GR) has been fun.
- Glass tile backsplashes. I think we’d see more glass tile showers but for the GR.
- Ridiculously expensive “green” houses are still being put out there as if there were such a thing.
What else? Also, were there any interior design ideas, including those driven by technology breakthroughs, that were really *new*? And, any other big trends in kitchens or bathrooms? I’m thinking that most of 2011’s trends are “cosmetic” — surface treatments. Everyone is broke or sitting on their dough…
What do you think, readers?
What were the big design trends in 2011?
Let’s build a list, then we narrow it down to 10 with a vote. Fun!
wayne schmieden says
Trends come and go-dark cherry cabinets, tile floors, the dark granite countertops-all so pricy. And the upkeep on granite!-Not to mention smudges on stainless steel. Wait until people tire of this ‘luxury’ look and want color again! What next-tearing it all out[again] how “green”!
I’ll keep my speckled gold , thank you-much more versatile…
Chutti says
Gotta echo the votes for granite and stainless.
Having househunted (and house-sold) this year, they are absolutely ubiquitous.
That said, it was easy to choose a realtor, because I knew when one understood that I would not look at houses with granite kitchens, we had a winner.
I even will assert that many of the forclosures out there may be a direct result of taking equity to put in said granite. So sad.
I have no idea the environmental cost to all that granite, but I suspect it’s significant.
I have a feeling that 20 yrs from now there will be some sort of forum for people who want to repurpose the granite taken from their dated twenty-teens kitchens.
Not a big fan of the glass mosaic tiles going into lots of hipster MCMs, either. Those are going to be pretty dated, and way too flashy for most modest homes.
Oh- and open floorplans with the vaulted ceilings. Seem to be trending down in CA. How much does it cost to heat/cool those rooms? Holy cow!
pam kueber says
We have had at least two readers featured use glass tiles on their backsplashes. I think they did a nice job — it worked harmoniously in their design. Back in the 60s, there were actually opaque glass tiles in the same size, I think…
wayne borchert says
Pam-I used recycled glass tile on my kitchen backsplash. It looks a lot like the smaller ceramic mosaics from the 60’s. I used glass as accents in the bathroom along with white ceramic. That way, I could update in the future without gutting the entire bathroom.
SJ says
I put glass mosaic tile in both bathrooms in my mid-century modest ranch, and lots of people think it’s the original tile.
gsciencechick says
Gee, I’m on a roll, LOL. We also have glass mosaic tile backsplash. It really fits the retro vibe of our kitchen.
Elaine says
We have glass mosaic with a glass mural behind the stove in our 1964 colonial. I love it! It replaced white formica that was added after a fire in the late 80s.
TappanTrailerTami says
Open floorplans: blech. I need WALLS to hang the atrocious amount of wall mounted items I have. You can’t hang pictures on thin air!
Too many tiny rooms: blech # 2. It is one thing to have a simple MCM house of modest square footage with smaller sized rooms, but it is entirely another when floorplans are plus 2000 or even 3000 sq feet, and they just stuff more rooms in them without any room size increase. I don’t need a room for every activity, not even a family room.
Granite and stainless steel: this is my # 1 pick for a decade old “style” that just needs to DIE for god’s sake!
Greige: blech again. Pam has this well covered!!!!
Jane / MulchMaid says
This has been trending for years now, but the botanical/bird focus on printed fabrics is strong (branches, leaves, grass, bird silhouettes (yes, put a bird on it!) and it’s moving to wallpaper and general tabletop decor.
Elaine says
The bird thing is great to hear. I’ve had a bird collection for more than 30 years. You know how it goes, you have a bird figurine, and somebody notices, so you get another one for a gift. Now you have two, so people notice, and you get more bird gifts. I have maybe 40 of them stashed in an antique glass front secretary. Maybe I should start bringing some of them out to accent spots in the house.
Suzanna Smith says
Y’all have forgotten the corollary to the granite countertop, the travertine tile backsplash. I’m mcm house hunting in Dallas & if I see another listing extolling the “gorgeous granite countertops with travertine backsplash” I’ll lose it. Travertine is creeping into the bathrooms as well. Blech!
Annie B. says
Hereabouts, we’re perhaps eighteen months behind the more urban areas on the current design trends; therefore, granite, stainless steel, and the open concept will be with us for yet a while.
The McMansions with gratuitous, purposeless ornamentation are still being built and landscaped with palm trees. Smaller Mac’s are appearing, but are so out of proportion in scale, etc, they look as if they were constructed by children from popsicle sticks.
Keith says
Here are a few I’ve noticed…some are multiyear trends.
*citron for kitchen accessories
*collage-look artwork (and fake book boxes), especially in French, with postage stamps.
*welded multicolored enameled metal wall decor.
*black iron candelabra (those scrolled things with candle spikes).
*mosaic glass candle hurricanes and display bowls.
pam kueber says
Yes, Citron! That’s what I meant when I said Yellow as an accent color for the grey.
And I agree re the collage-look artwork. I think this is an outgrowth of all the collage on Etsy. Except, commercialized….”Put Some French On It!”
clampers says
There seems to be an obsession with taking old furniture and painting it glossy white or glossy black…or glossy other-colors. Don’t get me wrong, I have painted my fair share of furniture, but sometimes it is just sad to see all that nice warm wood being covered up. Makes my inner Lesllie Keno shudder.
Also a trend towards what I call “ironic upholstery,” where vintage pieces are covered in bold modern fabric. Again, sometimes it looks cool but sometimes it feels overdone because it seems like they are sort of mocking the traditional style.
pam kueber says
Yes, Clampers: Two good ones!
gsciencechick says
I just had a traditional channel back chair re-upholstered in a fun print, and it looks like a completely different chair. I figure I will probably tire of it in another 10 years when it needs re-upholstery again, and something else will be in style.
Marion Powell says
I’m wondering how long the stainless steel appliances trend will last. It is greige though it’s been around a while. (I love my white appliances and bathroom fixtures too.)
I liked the lamp shade on ceiling lights idea for a while. I even constructed my own, but I’m tired of them already. I want something with a little personality and have found a lovely country french chandelier for my hall stairway.
As K mentioned, the open concept home is a disaster in my humble opinion. Back in the 90’s they were all the rage when I had moved and was house shopping. I resisted and found a traditional house with actual rooms in the public area. So much better to decorate and of course the noise problem is solved by a few strategically placed doors.
I’m glad I never yearned for granite. Still have my white formica countertops.
I have to admit that I’ve gone back to “beige” walls in the public areas and halls. I had color for quite a few years and thought bone/antique white/ navajo white would be a nice backdrop. But most rooms have some sort of wallpaper on one wall or under chair rail.
A recent trend is the TV on the wall or on top of a low dresser. All the old cabinet furniture is obsolete. I think there will be a lot less computer furniture now that the computers are getting smaller and laptops more affordable. Also, will land lines be a thing of the past soon?
pam kueber says
Great builds, Marion. The first color I ever painted on a wall in my first-ever house circa 1985 was: Navajo White. I’ve been thinking about it lately. A classique.
And yup: Alas, alas for all that money – me included – spent on cabinetry to hold the TV.
Leslie says
Another computer-related prediction: sooner or later someone is going to notice that aging boomers wearing bifocals do NOT want their computer screen focal point directly in front of their face. This is driving me nuts. I have to arch my head back a good 30 degrees to get my screen into my bifocal range, or else type from halfway across the room.
Marion Powell says
Leslie, I had an older frame made with “computer lenses.” That’s what my eye doc called them. They work great.
gsciencechick says
I have bifocal contacts, and they are wonderful. Took a few fittings to get both the close and distance correct, but well worth it. However, I realize not everyone can wear contacts.
Darlahood says
Stop. The. Granite. Seconding another commenter here, but whenever I lurk on Trulia to see what older homes have popped I am just aghast at how the kitchens are always completely torn out and granite and steel appliances put in. That’s going to look very dated in 20 years.
Friends recommending IKEA for everything. No, I don’t want to spend an afternoon there “just to look around” and no, I will not help you put together whatever crap you just bought.
Other than that, I honestly don’t know. This blog/site is the only place I go to for decorating ideas. I don’t know if that’s kind of sad for me or a feather in Pam’s cap, haha!
pam kueber says
I’ll take it as a feather, Darlahood 🙂 Like I said in the post, I don’t pay much attention to what’s outside in the “real world”. I actually TRY to avoid it.
Katie says
I’m actually going to defend IKEA. Yes, shopping there can take some getting used to, but they have a lot of clean lines, countertops that aren’t granite, and aren’t afraid of color. Their stuff is made for DIYers, and tends to be very well made, especially for the price. It isn’t perfect (what company is) but if you want to get furniture and cabinetry that fits in nicely in a mid-mod house, even if it isn’t strictly period, and you’re on a budget, IKEA is a good place to start.
pam kueber says
Actually, this list is not supposed, fundamentally, to be suggesting that any given trend is “good” or “bad.” Except, it is impossible for me to bite my tongue over GN. I don’t live near an Ikea, so have little personal experience with their products.
Ally Cat says
Actually, I’m a kitchen planner @ IKEA, so I see/hear a ton about what people are thinking when it comes to kitchens. No, they’re not steel retro cabs, but what other than the originals are? And compared to the prices and quality that Lowe’s or Home Depot offer, it’s much better. If I had a dollar for every time someone is dismayed that we don’t have antique glazed cabinets w/dental molding I’d be redoing my bath right now.
But I’d have to agree that Granite being the “standard” for “resale” is the most consistent idiotic thing I hear said. I usually reply that you should plan your living space for you, not for some imaginary future occupant of the house. It’s like a constant anxiety, or inferiority complex. But what if the imaginary people won’t like it?!? People are squeezing islands the size of football fields into kitchens the size of bedrooms, topped with 1500 lbs of stone on floors that may or may not be able to handle the weight. I use phrases like “sound attenuating materials” and “spacial clearance” and I just get stared at blankly, and then asked if we sell 48″ wide fridges and dishwasher drawers. Sorry for the blabbing, but it’s totally wacky. So to me, this is the year of every surface being really hard, and all colors being really dark…much like a cozy dungeon.
pam kueber says
Thanks for these comments, Ally Cat — you are on the “front lines”! To be sure, I have heard of many people happy with the options that Ikea offers.
Just another Pam says
Ally Cat, I’d not even thought of the floors! When we built our last house we had to make very special accommodation for the cook stove that included 6″ over centre 4 by 6’s, I shudder to think what a huge slab of rock would do to the structure!
I’ve noticed that a lot of people are using Ikea cupboards and upgrading the finishes though my ex and his boyfriend got their whole kitchen less appliances from Ikea. it looks amazing and they love it.
Ally Cat says
I only think of kitchen floor weight capacity because I grew up in an 1830’s farmhouse with heart pine floors. Those floors were solid, stable, and amazing, but just like in a family, you don’t make your elder family carry unecessary extra weight…totally disrespectful.
It wasn’t popular to do granite countertops in the 70’s and 80’s, (when I was a wee kitten) and those that live in old houses are the visitors, the house is the permanent resident. Really, to be fair, when it comes to countertops I think that many people fall in love with the natural patterns and colors that these gem-like granites provide.
That is understandable, but it’s just that like wearing too much jewelry or make-up, too much can be too much… and that can undermine true beauty!
Jeanne says
I just want to add a comment about kitchen cabinets. A friend recently purchased a second home on her block to use as a rental and had IKEA kitchen cabinets installed. Her father, who is a cabinet MAKER, installed them for her and told her the hardware on all the pieces was quality hardware (hinges, drawer slides, etc).
Obviously a person would choose between low, medium and high quality grade materials that the cabinets are made from (my friend chose a medium quality) but it’s good to know that they are probably dependable, quality products.
pam kueber says
good to know — thanks, Jeanne!
Ally Cat says
Hey, and for anyone interested in building their own fronts to match an existing kitchen, many people buy the frames and cabinet guts (hinges, drawers, etc.) and then make their own fronts to blend in with their own style.
OK, I’ll stop now, the whole point of not being at work is not thinking about…..Work!
How about those Mets?….
Just another Pam says
Too funny!
Good luck with that, Ally Cat!