NOTABLE THINGS: REDEFINING “TRENDY”, THE COLOR I’M SURPRISED I LIKE, MUSIC TO MY EARS, DRY SHAMPOO THAT DOESN’T SUCK, + MORE!

I don’t know why, but this month I’ve suddenly become very intrigued by a particular topic – trends. And not the trends of the year, but the actual use of the word “trendy.”

So here’s a little backstory. 2 weeks ago I asked for your thoughts on Instagram of what you think is a trendy design element vs something that is timeless. Things like shiplap, barn doors, painted cabinets, herringbone floors, millwork, and antique furniture filled my DM’s with all sorts of thoughts and opinions. I have my own thoughts on trendy vs timeless elements and believe me…I have a whole blog post about that coming soon!

But you know what I realized…I think I (and maybe you too?) have been using the word “trendy” wrong.

Yes, we use the term “trend” to describe popular styles, but so many of us (again…myself included) also use the same word to describe short lived styles that will soon become outdated (if they haven’t already). “Trend” comes with a negative connotation as if it’s a bad thing or less than those that are timeless.

But perhaps the word we should be using instead is “fad” because a trend is not a style that will inevitably become outdated…that’s a fad. “Trend” simply describes a change in styles, objects, and colors that are current, up to date, and popular right now.

Yes, some trends are fads, but I think what I forgot is that some trends are timeless. If we’ve seen this trend consistently and/or repeatedly throughout history, then that probably means it’s timeless and just so happens to be getting a lot of attention right now….aka a timeless feature that is currently trending.

This is the exact reason why we should stop feeling bad for liking trends. How did that even become a thing in the first place? I’m all for originality and doing your own thing, but you should never feel bad for liking something simply because a lot of other people also like it. You’re literally the most current with your design style. But more importantly, if you like something for your home, it shouldn’t matter if it’s trendy, timeless, a fad, or outdated!

When someone says something in your home is trendy, you can say “Thank you! I try to stay in tune with interior design!” 😘 If someone says that bold colors won’t be “in” next year…well if you love it then DO IT and paint over it again when you get tired of it. Who cares if someone says vertical shiplap is just a fad…if you think it’s the character your kitchen needs then do it unapologetically!

Everyone’s idea of a trend (or fad) is subjective to their own personal opinions anyway and EVERYTHING will go in phases regardless of whether it’s considered timeless or trendy.

And when the trends change (because inevitably they will and we can thank our fast paced “need for more” culture for that) and you hear about how outdated the color green is, you can kindly and confidently say “and??”, because in the end you didn’t design your home based off of whether something was or wasn’t trendy, you designed it based off of what YOU like.

And that’s exactly how it should be. ❤️

Other notable things –

• @by_chelsealyn’s stone wall in her kitchen is the definition of how you turn an average kitchen into an english cottage. When I say my jaw dropped….

• Turns out it’s worth it to buy the slightly more expensive dry shampoo. I always hated the chalky feeling my old dry shampoo left in my hair, and I was so surprised when this Kirsten Ess spray absorbed oils without making my hair feel chalky afterwards. 10/10 would recommend this one for lighter hair colors and this one for brunettes.

• I haven’t stopped replaying this song by The Careful Ones since Christmas and if I could choose to have anyone’s vocals it would be Avery Lynch’s in her song Out of Love With You. P.S. both artists are on Spotify!

• Been seeing more and more burgundy interiors and I’m surprised how much I DON’T hate it! 2016 me would be SHOCKED!

• I’m a new follower of @buildingwalnutfarm and I’ve seen her mudroom floating around Pinterest for some time, but have you seen the rest of her house? WHOA! So inspired by her exterior…I mean come on!!!

• I haaaated sweet potatoes until Chris tricked me into eating these sweet potato fries and now I’ve requested them to be a weekly occurrence in our meal planning. So good!