NADINE SPEAKS EP. 1 – LET’S TALK ABOUT TRENDS

Wow, our very first episode of the Nadine Speaks podcast is LIVE! I’m honestly a little nervous for you guys to listen to it, but mainly excited to finally get this thing up and running. My hope for this podcast is that it will simply be an extension of my blog. We’ll share design tips, home renovation advice, and tell relatable life stories about the interior design world and beyond! This is going to be fun!

Click below to listen and keep reading for the show notes.

TRENDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN

Cane Chair from McGee & Co

Cane – Suddenly we’re seeing an explosion of cane furniture and I’m here for it! I fell back in love with cane a while ago and I swear two weeks later the trend hit! Sooo I didn’t want to be the one to admit it but…I think this makes me a trend setter….jk jk! 😉

Designers – Alexandra and Michael Misczynski of Atelier AM
Photography – Francois Halard

Arches – From arched doorways and windows to mirrors and curved furniture; curved lines are making a comeback and it’s happening quickly! Everything was straight and linear before and I’m not surprised to see a shift in the complete opposite direction for a change of pace.

Photo by @contague

Brass – Of course brass has been “in” for a while and I don’t think it’ll go away for a little while longer. We saw a quick shift from copper to brass and America is loving this trend! (Word on the street is that polished nickle is also making a comeback…not sure I’m on board with this one yet but we’ll see how that pans out!)

Photo from Coco Kelley

Over-sized Artwork – We used to hang gallery walls on every wall in our house and now we’re making a shift in the opposite direction with one simple, over-sized piece of art. Gallery walls are certainly not “out” but they’re definitely not as popular as they once were. It’s obvious that people are intrigued by simplicity.

Photo from Camille Styles
Design by Amber Interiors

Wallpaper – Yes wallpaper is back…again! Florals and over-sized graphics are making a name for themselves again and America is soaking it up. We’re seeing this most in bathrooms and bedrooms.

Design by Studio McGee

Color – We went from white walls everywhere to splashes of color. We’re seeing life in our homes again! White walls definitely isn’t “out” but blue-green, mauve, and beige are all gaining in popularity. I think it’s safe to say that color is back!

Photo by Chris Loves Julia

Globe Lighting – Major trend alert! Globe lighting is everywhere from pendants and table lamps to chandeliers. It’s making a major statement in the design world!

Side Note: When it comes to trends, we seem to be following a pattern. We shift from one opposite to the other because we often over-correct our styles. We go from loving lots of pattern and color and then we get tired of it so we go the complete opposite with solids, simplicity, and minimal color. There’s not one that’s right or wrong…but there’s a definite pattern in our thought process.

TRENDS THAT ARE FADING OUT

Gray – Yep, the color that everyone in America painted their walls is no longer the popular choice. Dare I say that beige is the new gray? And by beige I mean an extremely light, almost white, tan color…basically a creamy white.

Shiplap – It’s risky to put the most beloved trend under the “out” list but someone has to say it. When something explodes in popularity this widely and this quickly, it’s bound to go out of style that much faster. Sorry guys! But there are more modern ways of incorporating shiplap in your home if you can’t let go of the #shiplap trend. For example, vertical planking is a great option or…dare I even say this…paneling isn’t all that bad either. Rich wood tones or unconventional colors (such as black, green, or any color but white) on vertical planking is a more current choice.

Fiddle Leaf Figs & Succulents – Not that these plants are ugly…but there are definitely less expected options to pick from for indoor plants. Other than the olive tree, I haven’t noticed an overwhelmingly popular replacement for the fiddle leaf fig; but it does appear that ivy plants seem to be taking the place of succulents.

Open Shelving in the Kitchen – I have to admit, this trend is definitely not out by any means but I personally am ready for it to fade out. I’ve just never been a major open shelving fan unless it’s more of a built-in bookshelf configuration. Before we remodeled our kitchen, there was open shelving and all it did was collect dust. It’s just one of those trends that never really hit home with me. It’s not bad…just not for me.

MY THOUGHTS ON INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS

I used to soak up all the interior design trends and incorporate trendy pieces in our home so that I blended in with the pack. I would look for what was most popular on Pinterest and Instagram and I would hunt down look-alike pieces in department stores so that our home could fit in with society’s standard of “stylish and current”.

But my thought process has changed within the last year. Lately I’ve been feeling the urge to design outside of the norm and create a home that doesn’t just consist of things I’ve already seen done. It’s so easy for me to fall in love and feel comfortable with ideas, trends, and styles that I see everywhere on Pinterest and Instagram, but I’ve learned that those trendy styles tend to be the things that I grow tired of the fastest because I’m seeing them everywhere!

Of course I still have at least one trendy thing in my home…we all do whether we like it or not. And I don’t want to make you feel bad for liking trends. You are absolutely more than welcome to be obsessed with trends! I have personally just felt the desire to push myself outside of my creative comfort zone and try things that are less popular and not a copycat of something I saw on Pinterest.

Side Note: I’ve also realized that interior design trends filter through faster than my bank account can handle so half the time it’s not financially worth it for me to buy something trendy.

Ok so let’s talk about when you fall in love with a trend that you 100% know you want to incorporate in your home. Great! Go for it. Despite my 5 minute tangent on trends I really want you to know that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with loving a trend and adding it to your home!

Let me share my thoughts on how to do so tastefully and in a way that you can make it your own. I challenge you to use trends as a guide for creating your own unique ideas. For example, cane just made a major comeback and is saturating the design world. Personally, I’m 100% on board with this trend but if you incorporate it in your home I challenge you to do so in a way that you have yet to see. Cane is most popular in chairs and buffet cabinets so maybe design an accent wall with cane as the focal point. Or go funky with cane wainscoting!

Basically what I’m trying to say is forget what’s popular. Create your own style that you love and if you want to incorporate trendy ideas, do so in a way that you’ve never seen before!