Why You SHOULD & SHOULDN’T Follow Today’s Trends in Design & Paint

And the ONE WORD to consider before you hop on the TREND TRAIN…

I’ve written many blog posts on current and past paint colour trends, as well as on creating a timeless, TREND-PROOF home (links at the bottom of this post). HOWEVER, sometimes it’s best to keep things simple (something you’ll rarely hear me say as you KNOW I love to talk/type).

This is why I’ve created an easy, bullet-point list to help you consider whether you should COMMIT to a particular trend (just joking, it’s not easy, it’s a 1200 word article but it’s DAMN GOOD). And if you read it all, you’ll find the ONE MAGICAL WORD you need to live by at the end of this blog post. If you DON’T read it all, three slaps with a wet noodle.

WHY YOU SHOULD FOLLOW DESIGN & PAINT TRENDS…

• You’re planning on selling in the next few years and are sure this trend will still be popular (ie. you’re not just catching it on its way OUT). Do a bit of research on your particular demographic and see if this trend relates to them. If so, FILL YOUR LIL TRENDY BOOTS!

• You’re not married to one particular colour or style personally and love CHANGE (join the club, it’s fun – we drink wine and talk about paint colours and Ryan Reynolds allllll day).

• You have the resources to change your home when the next trend that you love comes along. If not, you may want to make choices that are more AFFORDABLE and easy to change in the future (ie. decor vs hard finishes).

• Your home’s location or particular style actually SUITS this particular trend REGARDLESS of whether it’s IN or not.

There are MANY timeless features in the above space – Benjamin Moore White Dove

Kylie M Interiors / Rick Pharaoh Photography / Lewis Remodelling

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FOLLOW DESIGN & PAINT TRENDS…

• You don’t have the resources to CHANGE this particular trend or style once it’s passed – assuming you see a NEED to change it, either for personal tastes or RESALE.

• You’ve never followed trends. If your home has something ‘trendy’ in it, that’s just a coincidence – you do what you love!

• If you plan on staying in your home for five-seven + years. At this point, anything that WAS trendy will likely be on its way out anyway; trendiness will be irrelevant. You may as well do what you LOVE, whether it’s trendy or not, OR make a more timeless choice.

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

THE BEST WAY TO FOLLOW DESIGN & PAINT TRENDS

When it comes to trends, it’s often about whether you have the means – physically and financially, to change this trend should you need to down the road. This can be for personal reasons, ie. you don’t like this trend anymore and want to try a new one OR because you want to SELL your home and this trend has passed and makes your home look dated.

TRENDY PAINT COLOURS: HOW TO EMBRACE THEM WITHOUT REGRETTING THEM LONG-TERM

If the current trend is a particular PAINT COLOUR, commit to it on a SMALLER scale. For example, if you’re still loving gray (a hot topic these days)…

INSTEAD OF…

Painting all of your kitchen cabinets the current hot colour, paint your kitchen island or bathroom vanity this colour instead – keep it to a smaller scale.

6 Questions to Ask Before You Paint Your Cabinets White

INSTEAD OF…

Buying expensive furniture pieces in a trendy colour, add this colour to your room via DECOR or smaller furniture pieces – keep the large pieces more timeless.

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

INSTEAD OF…

Painting your entire home or huge open layout a trendy paint colour, paint a FEATURE WALL or secondary room instead as these are easier to change in the future.

TRENDY PATTERNS: HOW TO EMBRACE THEM WITHOUT OVERDOING THEM

INSTEAD OF…

Committing to a POPULAR pattern on permanent hard surfaces (ie. tiled surfaces), add this pattern in smaller doses on toss cushions, drapes or area rugs. Or at the most, keep the pattern to a smaller tiled area.

Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray

TRENDY SURFACES: HOW TO LOVE ‘EM WITHOUT GOING TOO FAR

With ‘trendy surfaces’ I’m talking about countertops, wood flooring and tile in particular. When it comes to choosing colours for these surfaces, BE CAREFUL, as they’re some of the most expensive to replace should you change your mind in a few years or want to sell.

ARE GRAY WASH & WHITEWASH WOOD, LAMINATE OR LVT FLOORS STILL TRENDY?

Hard…no. 

If you’re thinking of doing whitewash or gray wash floors – please stop, like now. GENERALLY SPEAKING, a light to medium-toned wood will give you a longer life. And while it’s ‘okay’ to nod towards a trend as it relates to DEPTH of stain, it’s NOT okay to commit to a particular colourful trend on your floor UNLESS you don’t care about resale.

Just LOOK at that lovely violet-pink undertone in all of its glory! Benjamin Moore Classic Gray walls

Gray wash floors are out, and while whitewash floors are still trendy, they aren’t neutral. Whitewash wood floors usually cater to a violet, pink, or violet-pink undertone (same with gray wash). This will limit and date your home.

Remember, I’m not telling you NOT to do these things (based on the previously listed reasons). I’m just suggesting that if you care about RESALE or change your mind a lot, you may want to rethink your choice. 

INSTEAD OF…

Covering your home top to bottom with flooring various shades of gray, find a more NEUTRAL wood stain for the main living areas and install gray carpet in secondary rooms. You can also add gray in your decor or paint colours as well without overwhelming your home.

Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray 

ARE GRAY TILES STILL TRENDY?

Long story short, no, but that doesn’t mean they’re GONE, they’re just not at their peak. If you’re going to choose a gray tile, make sure it has some variation, ie. white/beige/greige in it as this will give you flexibility in the future.

INSTEAD OF…

Outfitting your bathroom with gray tile floor, gray shower tile and a gray vanity, choose a subway tile or large scale white tile for the shower, gray tile floor and either a white, wood or colourful vanity. Or, as shown in this next bathroom, choose a warm gray shower tile, a floor tile with VARIATION and more transitional choices on the vanity and countertop…

Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil

TRENDY IDEAS: HOW TO EMBRACE THEM WITHOUT KICKIN’ YOURSELF IN THE PANTS IN FIVE YEARS

Sometimes an IDEA captures our hearts and before we know it, we’ve got two-toned walls and a garbage bag full of used sponges. This same concept can be directly related to the love for, dare I say…shiplap walls?

I LOVE SHIPLAP WALLS and although I’ve heard they’re on the way out, I’m not changing mine ANYTIME SOON. However, the prospect of changing them doesn’t scare me as I didn’t commit to them on such a large scale that I may as well rebuild my home.

Would I do a SMALL ROOM like this next powder room in shiplap? You bet your BOOTY I would, as long as I’m willing to redo the drywall when I’m over it…

3 Ideas to Add STYLE to a Small Bathroom

Would I do a larger room or multiple rooms? HECK no! At the most, I’d do a very small room (as shown above) or a few feature walls.

THE ONE MAGICAL WORD TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOPPING ON THE TREND TRAIN…

I mentioned something about ONE MAGICAL WORD to consider when decorating with today’s modern paint colours, patterns and ideas…

MODERATION

It doesn’t matter with it’s a trendy COLOUR, PATTERN OR IDEA, using it in MODERATION while considering how much it will cost should you want to replace it in the future is the BEST way to use trends in your own home.

LONG STORY short, as usual, no matter what trend you’re considering, don’t commit to it on such a LARGE-SCALE that you basically need to rebuild your home to embrace a new style or prepare it for selling in a NEW market.

READ MORE

How to Create a Timeless, Trend-Proof Home – 4 Part Series

Are Gray Paint Colours Still Trendy?

Is the ALL WHITE HOME Still Trendy?

Is Beige Back? Is Beige POPULAR again?

The 8 Best WHOLE HOME Warm Neutral Paint Colours

The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colours

NEED HELP?

CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOUR CONSULTING & E-DESIGN SERVICES! 

Chat soon,