It took a global pandemic and a year of lockdown but new research launched by Heal’s today has found that not only do we no longer care about trends but we have gained the confidence to make our own choices of furniture and colours that we want based on what we need from our homes and not what is dictated by fashion.
I have been working with Heal’s on this survey to find out how our homes and minds have changed over the last year and the results are here, in my weekly sponsored post. Twelve months ago when the world first shut down, many of us were forced to interact with our interior design choices (or lack of) for the first time in daylight. Or indeed ever. Freed from only looking at that wall paint under electric light and realising that the kitchen chair wasn’t fit for office use, we have been busy redecorating and investing in our homes.
And, as we emerge blinking into the outside world and on the verge of returning to work, it seems that we have learnt and understood not only how important our homes are for our mental well-being, but, in a spot of good news, we have also gained enough confidence to make the decor choices that are right for us and how we live rather than relying on trends to tell us what we want.
Almost of a third of those questioned said the lockdowns have had a lasting impact on their interior choices and they were less likely to follow trends in future.
Half of us now feel it is important to create a sense of relaxation at home with only 25 per cent focused on how our homes look and, for 41 per cent of those surveyed, that has translated into our colour choices with calming neutral shades on the rise.
Nelly Hall, the brand director for M& L Paints, said: “Our homes have always been a sanctuary for us to relax in, but during the past year, they have become everything from our offices and schools to our favourite restaurants and even the venue for a few kitchen discos.
“Because of this, we’ve seen an increase in people choosing soothing, neutral paint shades to reclaim their homes as a calming environment. Colour is known to play a huge role in helping to boost our mood and general wellbeing. Subtle, neutral tones – often colours inspired by the natural world – are perfect for creating balance and harmony, whereas bright shades evoke a sense of energy. Think of the feelings evoked by fluffy white clouds and soft, golden sand compared with those triggered by a bright shade of red.”
Our priorities appear to have shifted from a focus on the aesthetics of our homes to one of creating spaces where we can relax. And, of course, any deeper understanding of what we need from our surroundings to support our own mental health can only be a good thing.
Heal’s interviewed 2000 people about everything from how much they had spent on home improvements to whether they wanted to go back to the office – turns out only one in five of us (17 per cent) want to carry on working from home. Of course for many it is impossible to separate the notion of working from home with the pressure of home schooling and increased childcare so it’s perhaps no wonder that the vast majority of people want to return to the office.
Thirty six per cent said the time spent indoors has had an influence on their interior choices and they were now spending more on investment pieces and/or upcycling products. For nearly of us (48 per cent) home is the place we feel happiest and 69 per cent have spent more than £5,000 on home improvements over the last year.
However, the survey also found that with boundaries between work, home and school blurred one in ten adults feel they are living at work – while half of all Gen Z (aged 16-24) have felt trapped in their bedrooms with the result that 20 per cent of them say they no longer like where they are living.
Heal’s said: “The survey results really demonstrate just how important our homes have become to us over the last 12 months. People are investing more, taking a more considered approach to what they choose to fill their homes with and are now prioritising how their spaces make them feel, rather than focusing on aesthetics.
“There’s been such a change to the way we live, and we’re seeing that reflected by our customers too. It goes without saying that we’ve seen a significant increase in sales for home working solutions, but we’ve also seen people choosing to invest in special, wish-list pieces that they’ve coveted for years.
“The last 12 months appears to have accelerated the move away from fast-furniture and focusing solely on trends, to people being more considered about what they are bringing into their homes. People are choosing to invest in designs that will stand the test of time and help them to create that sense of sanctuary at home.”
Have you found this? Tell us if your decorating choices have changed over the last year and if you are surprised by what you are choosing now. Regular readers will be familiar with my sudden love for yellow during the first lockdown, a colour which has now, as the world begins to take tentative steps towards opening up again, retreated almost entirely from my thoughts.
So let’s hear it: dying to go back to the office? Feeling more confident about interiors? Do you think trends are over? Do share your thoughts in the comments and let’s build on the Heal’s survey which you can read more about here.
I have worked with Heal’s for many years and am proud that they were one of the first companies to sign up to the Design for Diversity Pledge. This is a post that was sponsored by them following research carried out last month and for which I took part in a day of media briefings and wrote this post on the findings of the survey.
Trends are fun to look at! It is fun to see new stuff and new colors. And beautifully designed interiors! I buy a lot of interior magazines and read too many blogs on the subject 🙂
That said. Do I follow the trends? Some. Minor once that I like, that match my style and can be done cheaply by myself and/or with recycled stuff. Do I buy a lot of new stuff to follow trends? No. I don’t. Especially not cheaply made knockoffs. I have had my style for over 20 years since I bought my first mid-century dining table so I am confident in my style and buy items to match that. But having a set style doesn’t stop me from appreciating other styles and looking at pretty pictures. But it does stop me from overspending, most of the time at least. 🙂
But I do wish that I had spent a bit more money on the swivel chairs for our kids desks based on the fact that I am now using one of them as my office chair… the husband took the good chair. I got the good table. Compromise….
I cant say that I have changed the way I purchase things for my home but I have taken up some projects that I have put off for far too long (I’m looking at you flooring), I guess because I’m here looking at it all day every day.
While beautiful and apparently cozy, there is not a single functional office chair pictured in this post. Ergonomics are critical for those of us who work intense desk jobs. To really buck all trends I would love to see a home office styled with a chair that works and is also stylish.
I agree. None of these office set ups pay any attention to ergonomics. Hello, chairs that are adjustible and sit/stand desks. If you want to help readers with home offices keep their health and safety in mind.
Yes totally agree , and all these photos seem to only have a laptop on the desk. I am lumbered with 2 screens and a laptop , so ugly!
I think people are becoming more aware of their environmental impact and as a result, making informed decisions about what they purchase for the home. I think design classics that have a story and focus on craftsmanship are what will stand the test of time. We’re seeing this also in fashion with the rise in creating ‘capsule wardrobes’ – having a few investment pieces that provide a good foundation and unlikely to go out of fashion.
Well, in a post announcing that trends are dead, we see interiors featuring blush pink as the neutral, dull little sofas jazzed up with cushions, throws, mid-century-stylee furnishings and lamps, bloody pot plants, is that a Crittal window peeking in the corner, a pendant lamp hung modishly low over a table…no, we’ve never seen any of these things before!
I have spent way too much time on interiors sites of late and yes, there is an uneasy alliance between the ‘influencers’ and designers and the retailers and manufacturers to get us to buy more stuff by buying into trends. But most of us can’t afford to adopt trends as they arise, even supposing we wanted to do so. The good sites (like this one, hah!) mostly steer clear of the excesses, and instead nudge gently in the direction of trying something different – a bit more pattern, painting a door or window frame in something other than white. (Having said that, the gingham ruffles were unforgivable.)
I managed to avoid getting a tattoo in the nineties by reminding myself that I was simply responding to a fad. In the same way, I’ve managed to avoid en-suites, freestanding baths, metro tiles, an excess of downlighters, those ‘feature’ light bulbs with visible filaments, feature walls, those gigantic droopy floor lamps, feathers, open-plan, pointlessly large kitchens with workspaces, sinks and ovens miles from each other, concrete, woodburning stoves. Any and all of these things might be nice in a hotel or holiday rental. Absolutely wouldn’t want to live with them.
Absolutely adore the set up in the top picture because of the view. I’ve never liked offices with harsh top lights and bog standard office furniture. I really love looking at or being in green spaces which is why I have a plant on top of my desk. When possible during the last year, I brought my laptop outside into the garden which was an invaluable space. The local park has been inundated with people trying to escape their four walls and I felt so sorry for people who live in apartments without even a balcony. So, I’m all for biophilic design, trend or no 🙂
Interesting read as always, thank you. However, I’m not sure if the trend is dead. Evidence to the contrary is everywhere. No matter where you look at the moment, you’ll see the same things over and over again, to name a few: painted paneling, dusky pink bedrooms, green kitchens, encaustic patterned tiles, black/dark stairs and balustrades, that certain shade on green (e.g. F&B green smoke), half painted walls, cupboards with rattan paneling. Surely these are trends, no matter how lovely they feel and look at the moment, I cannot believe all of these are here to stay and will stand the test of time.
I dislike trends … I follow what I like for my home. Interesting, prior to lockdown my colour scheme was very grey and muted, we have now moved house and the new scheme is much bolder but contemporary. Furniture mid century with some vintage and some statement pieces.
I’m not so sure trends are dead. Think this might be a more of a temporary blip and once a more ‘normal’ life really returns – which might not be until later this year, or early 2022 – we will relish trends and new ideas for decorating and furnishing our homes as they become less like refuges and the centre of all our lives. I also note that most of the Heal’s images show paneled walls, which appears to be a huge interiors trend at the moment!
However, I hope that while things do revert to a new normal that trends are slower, more considered and more sustainable.
Off the main subject, but triggered by the penultimate photograph: mirrors. For me, the horizontals reflected in the mirror perfectly complement the strong geometric patterns and colour palette, making the whole room more interesting. Putting up a mirror is like adding a statement painting to a room. If you don’t consider what’s going to be in it, you’re playing Russian roulette with your design. Unlike a painting you also need to think about how the image alters as you move around the room.
Always disliked trends, generally designed to sell more stuff. I wrote about this on our blog recently – I tell our clients you should furnish your home with furniture that lasts and memories. Make your interior personal – not what some high street buyer thinks you should have.