Living rooms are getting more laid-back and less fussy
As 2019 draws to a close, weโre getting ready to enter into an entirely new decade. And according to leading voices in the design community, weโre also getting ready to leave behind some popularย living roomย mainstays.
Living rooms are getting more laid-back and less fussy, which means a lot of once widely-held โrulesโ are going to the wayside. Here are the things they say itโs time to phase out from your living room:
Meticulously Styled Bookcases
A glossy coffee-table book here, an unlit candle there, coordinating geodes everywhereโno more. โI will admit, Iโm over groupings of same color book spines and the overall matchy-matchy look in a bookcase,โ notesย Pimlico Interiorsย designer Melissa Lindsay. โThat being said, there is still very much an art to accessorizing bookshelvesโto obtain a look that feels relaxed and almost haphazard.โ
Creating a layered look takes time, and it isnโt just about shopping for pieces that are visually appealing. Style bookshelves to evolve with your current pursuits and passions. โMillennials are more about experiences, versus stuff,โ confirmsย Schwartz Design Showroomย owner Alexis Varbero. โInstead of having bookshelves done in a nanosecond, they are filling their spaces with meaningful items and trinkets from travels.โ
The Matching Furniture Set
โThere is nothing worse than walking into a room and having it look like the designer just left the building,โย D2 Interieursย CEO Denise Davies laughs. โI think matching furniture is phasing out. My clients like a room to look well curated rather than overly designed.โ
Davies says the key to creating a layered look is to include two different sculptural chairs to add interest and sophistication, opposed to a matching set. โI also like having a few different coffee tables that can be moved around giving the room multiple functions, especially when entertaining,โ she adds.
The shift is also reflective of the way we entertain today. Instead of formal dinner parties around the grand dining table, hosts prefer a flexible atmosphere for cocktails and conversation. โThe formal nature of the living room is being replaced with an unexpected comfortable living space, housing unique design elements like billiard or games tables, bars or even modular seating,โ addsย Bungalowย owner Wende Cohen.
Millennial Pink
Donโt panic: Everyoneโs favorite shade of pink isnโt leaving for good, but itโs evolving. โWe still love the rosy blushy pink (a.k.a. Millennial Pink), we just see it transitioning into a warmer version inspired by the peachy undertones pulled from organic untanned leathers that are a big upcoming trend,โ Cohen confirms.
โIโm seeing a shift toward blush with warm or peachy undertones and pairing this soft palette with its more moody counterpart: a rust color,โ Lindsay agrees.