Dysfunctional Planner

It’s no secret that trends come and go, that we have seen our parents 70s brown shades reappear in boho scandi vibes but what are the currents trends and are they here to stay? I will only pick the ones I love rather than what others are doing.

Like always in your home, do want you want it doesn’t matter if it’s out of date. I still want a chandelier in the bathroom and a slipper tub and I have wanted that for a decade so just do what suits you.

Panelling

It used to be that only period properties had beautiful panelling but now everyone has it, whether it’s a tiny flat or a modern bungalow panelling adds a decadent statement that I really love. It has replaced the feature wall with a statement facelift.

Panelling comes in all shapes and styles from the beaded panels, ornate to the chunky wooden ones. I think that for panelling to work it needs to be large and the panels should be close together ( the sides) so that it looks like panels and not glued on picture frames. panels that only go half way up the wall should always be finished with a dado rail or capped with more beading.

I am not a fan of the thick Mdf panels that are made to look like the old English panels of the 1400s. I think they look wonderful in older houses, they just look a bit lame in modern ones. I have seen them made well it’s just not my cup of tea.

What happens next: I do worry that this trend will be over soon. Even though I would love to put them in the hallway and every wall in the bedroom. I love picture rails and dado rails as they are practical. So if we’re to put up panelling it would just be in the lower section. I think that this trend will end in the next few years but I think tongue and grove panelling has always had a country aesthetic which is less easy to date. So if you want panelling perhaps restrict yourself to below the middle that way if you want a change it’s not the whole wall.

Subway tiles

I love them. Clean white ones with dark grout or emerald green ones with black grout. I love a subway tile, stacked of center or herringbone I think they are simple classic. But I know this is a trend. A huge trend and although I would happily it see it still around for ever I know that in a few years people will be rolling their eyes at this classic elegant tile.

You see them everywhere, in the tube station, metro, subway. They are hardy and easy to clean. They also come in all colours. They also suit the bathroom, hallway and kitchen but they have already started to date.

So what happens next: if you have your heart set on subway tiles then get them, in any colour and choose your grout to match or contrast. For me if I get subway tiles then I will stack them horizontally in blocks to give it a cleaner more timeless look. It will make them appear modern but in an elegant way. I don’t want to see the end of the subway tile but I also don’t want the mosaic tile panels to return either!

Crittall doors

This is maybe my favourite trend ever. A glass framed door that feels classic and timeless all at once. My husband loves bifolds but me I love French doors in a black crittall style, lucky you can get bi-fold crittall doors. I love them to act as interior doors, shower doors and back doors to the garden. I love it when a house has more than one set in it.

I fear that these will head out of fashion which is why I still love a classic French door.

So what happens next: I want them and I feel I need them in my life I really do. But they don’t have to be black. They can be any colour you like. I like the Art Deco steel feel to them. They are like coach lights of the door world. Yes they may date but to an older building they are just elegant. Currently I do see another alternative. I would like to see the classic white French door come back in style as there is something about windows, doors, walls repeat! Everything we do to our houses it based on trends.

Open plan living

The pandemic has seen a lot of people work from home and live at home. 24-7 it’s a privilege we are lucky to have done during this time. Being stuck in your home has made people reevaluate what you home wants and needs. In the Uk we have seen a boom in people moving house, out of London or just across the road in a bigger house. Some people have downsized but the most common issue people have rejoiced in is the ability to shut the door.

Open plan living works for some, especially families where parents need to wash clean and feed, whilst working, homeschooling and constant watching the kids. It has been so hard on them. A lot of family’s have discovered that open plan doesn’t actually work. That two rooms together would suffice, like a kitchen dinner, dining sitting room or kitchen sitting room. Because they need to be able to close down a room and shut themselves away or just take a physical break from them.

We would love to open up our dining room and kitchen so that we could entertain easier but we love having a cosy sitting room that we can shut ourselves in with and just relax.

So what happens next: Personally, having lived in an open plan house where the washing machine can’t be on when you are watching tv or if like me you are not the tidiest. It doesn’t quite work or it would work if you had another sitting room you can hide away in or watch another show that your partner doesn’t want to watch.

It’s tricky but open plan doesn’t always work!

My advice

My advice would be to do what makes you happy in your home, ignore the trends and go for what you love. I think if you just want an elegant home then you can always go crazy in the smallest spaces. Take advantage of the hallways, toilets and bathrooms where you don’t spend a lot of time in but can be the most adventurous that suits you.

People buy beautiful old houses and then rip out all the character and put modern interiors in. Your house should reflect you I really do think that but it does pain me to see eBay filled with original cast iron fire places, stain glass windows and other treasures. If your style is modern then Respect the bones of a home, avoid trends and fill it with things you love.