From “nonnamaxxing” summer to “tacky” Christmas, we all love a good trend moment, but they can be easy to get carried away with. Trends can easily turn from tasteful to overwhelming if you’re not careful, reading more like an overpowering theme rather than a timely design choice.
House Beautiful’s director of special projects, Carisha Swanson, recently sat down with interior designer and home brand founder Bunny Williams, along with Michael Boodro, former editor in chief of Garden Design and cofounder of the Substack newsletter Editors@Large, to discuss the fine line between expert execution and overkill.
During the talk, Swanson asked the guests to share their advice on how professionals and DIYers can ace trends, teasing out the secret to finding the perfect balance between trendy and personal style. The seasoned pair shared advice from their own work to inspire your redecorating vision boards.
“To me, it's like a big salad. You make your own recipe for it. You don't want to overdo anything. I think that's what happens with trends, and that's why they move on. You can burn out on a trend so fast,” Williams says.
When you’re putting together a room, it’s important to start with a vision. This builds a clear concept of the energy and aesthetics you’re hoping to channel through design. When you take the time to really read into them, you’ll find they don’t always come from the same era, let alone the same brands, so it’s important to keep a keen eye on how your choices are developing and influencing each other within your space.
“People aren't buying all English furniture or French furniture,” Williams continues. “They're not doing period rooms…I have stacks of magazines from over the years. I rip out things, and I've made my own scrapbooks,” Williams says. “You go back to them, and it's sort of your inspiration.”
After all, blindly bringing a trend into an already established room can quickly turn into a design disaster.
“With nonprofessionals trying to do it themselves, but with some professionals too. I think people have to realize, yes, you can try things, but you have to evaluate them as you go along,” Boodro says.
So, is there a right way to approach trends? Well, yes. Your home is ultimately a reflection of yourself, your values, your lifestyle, and your personality. Those are the factors that should be driving your designs. Trends are indicative of our surrounding culture. They play off what’s popular in our social spheres and will naturally resonate at times; according to Williams, that's the key to trendy design. Only take what resonates.
