This website is about design through the decades, and with that in mind, we’ve done stories and open threads about top residential interior design trends in the 1940s, the 1950s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. We’ll fill in those missing 20th Century decades soon, but meanwhile, I was thinking: Now that we are about 2/3 of the way through the 2010’s, let’s try and begin to capture the top interior design trends while they are all around us.
A KEY RULE RE COMMENTS: Regular readers are aware that I am not a fan of certain contemporary trends. But for this story, I will not opine. Let us — with objectivity and no judgment on aesthetic or other values — just make a list. Note, I may not approve judge-y comments; I am trying to keep myself focused on equanimity — it’s is not something I’m naturally programmed for, I’m working on it.
Top interior design trends of the 2010s:
I’ll start with a few that I think make the list.
- Gray is the Color of the Decade: Did the popularity of this color reflect the economic malaise of the Great Recession? Gray was used in abundance, on: Walls, kitchen cabinets, flooring, upholstery, and more. By 2017, the gray trend is fading (white walls, for example, seems to be ascendant.)
- Bye bye Granite, hello Quartz: The long-lasting supremacy of granite on kitchen counter tops came to an end. Trendy folk who can afford them want quartz countertops. Even trendier folk, with even more dough re me, want giant slabs of Carrara marble.
- Retro Renovation Revival: The time finally came for midcentury design to experience a revival. Circa 1995, when I first started looking, there were like ZERO midcentury modern-style sofas for sale. Today, there seem to be HUNDREDS. Classic midcentury modern design penetrated the design and decorating culture, and midcentury “modest” got its due, too: The success of the Save the Pink Bathrooms campaign — which made these vintage bathrooms desirable again, at least among some cohorts — is just one example of how granny’s choices finally started getting some respect.
- Upcycle This: Propelled by online sites like etsy and pinterest, the 2010s saw the biggest revival of crafting since perhaps the 1970s. Chalk painting old furniture… turning ball jars into pendant lights… ‘put a bird on it’ everythings… and much more
What do you think of my list so far?
What else should go on the list?
More stories on design trends:
- Top decorating trends from the 1940s
- Top decorating trends from the 1950s
- Top decorating trends from the 1980s
- Top decorating trends form the 1990s
Victoria says
I think for kitchens in particular: just too upscale for the house. Especially in a our market where the home prices have gone crazy, people are retrofitting their relatively modest home with super high end kitchen appliances and fixtures. Much of this is (as always) era-inappropriate and can be a bit overwhelming in a little bungalow.
Good trends I have seen are more widespread preservation and restoration of mid century homes — pretty much for the first time ever.
Stefanie says
So glad to hear that. I feel ill when I see beautiful, durable, mid mod materials trashed for trends. It is such a shame. I am thankful I didn’t have the money to tear out my on site built knotty pine cabinets when I moved into my 1950 ranch. It was the best decision I couldn’t make.
mary says
I happen to hate the gray walls of the decade. I find them cold in most rooms. Or maybe I just hate that when HGTV finds a color, every wall in America has to have it.
Reminds me of the movie ‘Funny Face” Think pink!
Who cares if it looks good in your rooms with your architecture and style of home? It’s IN!
Blah.
Elaine says
Mary, I hear you. I am so sick of the gray default everything. Three houses on our block were recently repainted in gray after new owners took over. One was weathered white with obnoxious blue trim before, so the gray was an actual improvement. They have really pretty bright colors on their porch, too. That is an advantage of the neutrality of gray.
Linda says
With you on the gray. Seems to have surpassed the earlier aqua and chocolate brown combination color trend. I’m now seeing a lot of it showing up second-hand. Guess the trend didn’t last long.
I used to get a kick out of a particular renovation show on HGTV where the couple would have color discussion that always centered on what shade of gray they would be using. This gray was almost always paired with white. Occasionally, they would venture out and add a dark brown finish somewhere.
Marian M says
The one design trend that I see constantly on home improvement shows is the barn door. I’d never install one, as it will be out of style in short order. I’m also not a big fan of shiplap. It’s everywhere. And those feature walls with boards tacked up to the wall will also not stand up to the test of time.
Laura Ainsworth says
Yes, I was going to suggest “barn door” until I saw this comment. Some of them are so big and heavy that they scare me a little.. Are they as unwieldy as they look on TV? I also notice that the typical color palette is incredibly restricted: total white and/or weathered gray with “pops” (what an overused word) of just one color permitted — usually navy or bright blue. All other color has been leached out. Brushed nickel seems to be over. Bright brass or gold hardware on those bright blue cabinets gives them a nautical look. Ahoy, matey!
CarolK says
I barn door set-up might be the solution to a problem we have with a bathroom door. A few years ago, we had a friend of my husband do homework in his bathroom. This guy is incompetent as a contractor. He installed an elongated toilet so that the bathroom door cannot be opened all the way. He could have turned the toilet so the door could open or even moved it to a different location altogether since the floor was opened up. The easiest way we can have a useable bathroom door is a barn door. A pocket door just won’t work unless we have electrical moved.
Pam Kueber says
Get a new toilet? Get a new door that opens out, rather than in? Both sound cheaper than buying and installing a barn door.
Malissa says
We built our home in 2004 and I am still fighting the hubs to retire out overstuffed modern section in tan…..that said, tan and brown is the theme in my home! I am sure I was not alone on the neutral trend! One reason I love to accessorize with wild colors. Time to repaint I guess but at least I choose a nice yellow for the kitchen and dining room! And I updated our 70s era bilevel design with stone veneer instead of brick to keep up without the McMansions around us! ????
Dan says
Those glass bowl sinks that always look dirty; porcelain wood grain floor planks; massive faux antique wall clocks; arranging books by color (a personal bete noir); masses of “decorative” pillows on the bed and sofa that you always have to chuck out of the way; bowls of lemons in the kitchen
Carolyn says
Dan, what frosted my cookies is “Books by the Yard” – wha?! The ONLY way I’d do colored books or books by the yard is if they were Reader’s Digest Condensed Books – now THERE’S a statement! Sad day when I had to give up my 5 decades collection – all of them read by me…
LuAnn says
Besides arranging books by color, I now see them turned backwards so the spine doesn’t show. Obviously not meant for reading because you can’t find them.
Jay says
Never could fathom books acquired just for matching the décor. I read them or use as reference, shelved however they fit.
Abi says
IKEA, IKEA, IKEA. I love Tina Fey’s “IKEA is Swedish for argument. Enough said.
The snow blind look in kitchens – white floors, cabinets, ceilings, light fixtures.
Pam Kueber says
I woke up thinking about this question.
– There was a solid effort to promote Steampunk design — all those ginormous trunks and chairs in Restoration Hardware catalog. I don’t think it really stuck, but you could say it morphed back into industrial.
– Chandeliers got big and geometric and in often, asymmetric. Like, long pieces of pipe going various directions with big globes on the end. Contemporary statement pieces.
Kyle says
I’m seeing a lot of “espresso finish” kitchen cabinets with those long straight “bar pulls” as hardware.
Gretchen in Greenwood says
Ikat fabrics, flokati rugs, plastic or cardboard “taxidermy” animal heads,(why?) quotation wall decals, subway tile, tearing out perfectly good upper cabinets to install open shelves so flies can crawl on your dishes…
Steve Buckshire says
Kitchens seem like they are no longer just for preparing food. Kitchens carry more responsibility and they have become big on multitasking (laundry, dining, home office, and more are all being absorbed into the kitchen).