Color psychology is the study of how colors affect human behavior and emotions, making it crucial to consider these elements when designing interior spaces. Furniture arrangement plays a significant role in interior design, as it can impact functionality, flow, and visual harmony. The proliferation of duplicate furniture has significantly impacted interior design trends, democratizing access to iconic designs and influencing the direction of dwelling. Interior design features such as lighting, configuration, natural and non-natural materials, colors, acoustics, and texture are all affected by color psychology.
The proliferation of designer reproduction furniture has had a significant impact on interior design trends, democratizing access to iconic designs and influencing aesthetic trends. While replicas can provide better space solutions without compromising on design, they may not always be the perfect fit for every room. One of the most profound ways designer replica furniture has influenced interior design trends is through the democratization of design. As replicas of iconic pieces become more prevalent, they influence the overall look and feel of spaces. For example, the widespread use of replica Eames furniture has led to the democratization of design.
However, replicas often come with inferior materials and poor workmanship, lacking the stability and durability of original designs. The widespread availability of replica furniture has allowed traditional and modern designs to permeate mainstream home decor, creating a more uniform and affordable aesthetic. Replica furniture allows people to enjoy iconic designs without the designer’s price tag, but it also has the opposite effect of an original design, as authentically produced designs uplift the look of the area.
📹 Trendy vs Timeless Interior Design | Will These 5 Things Stand the Test of Time?
In this video I go over 5 different items in interior design and explain why I think they are timeless or trendy. Many people are …
📹 Why a replica is nothing like the real thing| Grazia Materia | TEDxSydney
In this passionate short talk, Australian furniture designer, Grazia Materia describes the impact of the replica furniture industry on …
One of the best things about you and your website is when you talk about something that isn’t your personal taste or style, but you recognise it as a timeless classic design element. It shows a level of maturity that many are lacking. Thanks again for all the design tips and chats. Hope the prep for the new house is going well.
I was an architectural historian for 10 years from 1981-91 working on American vernacular residential/commercial building and I only saw subway tile once in maybe 500 projects. It was a former barber shop. It may be “timeless” now but it was not even sort of common historically…except in subways. B & W mosaic is/was very popular and I think looks genuinely timeless.
“Trendy is the last stage before tacky”- Karl Lagerfeld 😊…. I believe that if you take the time and effort to ensure a design is truly reflective of yourself within that environment, then it’s going to remain timeless, even if it’s on and off trend over time. If something trendy adds to your space then it may be lovely to incorporate it, however, if you’re only attracted to these options because they’re “on trend” or the latest out there, then it’s likely going to date.
I rented a tiny studio apartment with all open shelving and I literally had to put all of my dry goods into identical semiopaque jars just so it didn’t make my entire living space look and feel like a cluttered supermarket aisle. Never again! Now I have a tiny bit of open shelving to display my Le Creusets and my nicer oils/vinegars and that’s it.
Yes…white kitchens will always be timeless. I know this from my memory growing up in a house with a white kitchen during the late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s — white gas stove/range, white metal sink with grooves on one side for a dish rack, white metal cabinets, and white refrigerator that my father used to call an icebox. By the time I reached adulthood to establish my own household, the colors of those appliances morphed from white to harvest gold and avocado green. Those colorful appliances back then were obviously trendy since they’re around no more. So…back to white appliances we go until stainless steel appliances arrived on the scene as the must-haves in the residential market… The popularity of the white kitchen has ebbed and flowed over time..so, that white kitchen will be around for a long while…
When making our houses into our homes we mention “other people” too much. This is what I do. I buy expensive dishes for our use only and cheap simple ones for guests. I don’t try to impress them with my heirloom or my ability to buy things. I enjoy my everyday life and when guests come we enjoy each others company.
I love when people talk about Scandinavian midcentury modern furniture as a trend because in Denmark people have been using it for the last 70 ish years and I can’t imagine it going away completely. Functional furniture without unnecessary details will always be in (and always be kinda boring), and it’s made to last for decades. I always go for simple, beautiful, well-made pieces and then add pops of personality in cushions, lighting, etc that are easier to replace. You can’t go wrong with a midcentury modern grey couch, just don’t pair it with an all-grey living room.
I chose white cabinetry for my kitchen because it occupies a corner of my apartment that has no windows in it. The dining area next to it has windows so it does get indirect light. But I put a charcoal grey/black/ off white granite in it to bring in some darkness. I think that it looks lovely without being too white on white with more white.
Thank you for saying that about the white kitchens. We just bought a new construction home and the surfaces were already chosen by a designer. White kitchen cabinets, taupe backsplash, White countertops, green kitchen island sides…so maybe you could tell us what to do with all that white 😂? Love your website!
I’d be interested in your take on the current craze of all stainless steel kitchen appliances. Color choice is usually limited to stainless. Sometimes black, black stainless or white are options but not always. Stores seems to assume everyone wants all stainless and actually most people do. What do YOU think? Regarding paneled appliances, yes it’s an option, but most appliances aren’t designed to be paneled and not everyone wants that look. Thoughts?
I love how open shelving looks as decor (like you said to display beautiful ceramics, cookbooks, art, plants, etc.) And they csn be very practical for those 2 plates and 1 cup you use every dsy for coffee and breakfast, because you also clean them daily. But that’s it. Maybe do 2 shelves, I do think it opens up the space but too much looks weird and cluttered and dust! Dust is awful haha Edit: well, thr only thing white in our kitchen are the windows 😂 our walls are orange and yellow (with wood touches and a grey door). Yes I know, but it goes with the house and traditional style from my country.
My parents had a pink sort of boucle sofa in the 1950s. It didn’t go cross country with us in the mid 1960s. It went well with a framed, colored painting of magnolia blossoms. My mother always loved those things. They didn’t fit with the new house and its warm colors, red, orange, yellow, brown. Decades later she went with blues and greens moving to a house with those colors in place. Naturally, I don’t get people trading furnishings because styles change. On the other hand, I don’t get people keeping furnishings forever. Life kept changing for us, as did the size of our homes and our finances, and so did the furnishings. And so did the flood damage in two of our houses. (To jazz up her life when she was feeling stuck, Mom had a revolving library of furnishings. She would rotate something from her attic or garage, with her own stuff or to fill a son or daughter or friend’s first home. We had a very tall 1960s table lamp from my sister for many decades in one garage or another. It looked ok there.)
What I have learned about trends is, that if you fall in love with a more unusual piece, it represents your sense of style very strongly, get the best quality your budget can afford, or you can find thrifting. That’s how (in my view at least) a piece can survive the trend and become a long-lived statement piece. As someone who just prefers sculptural furniture, it’s great but also important to steer clear of unnecessary cheap (and in the long run expensive) trendy acquisitions.
Hi nick! I’m not sure if you’d be interested in doing a article about this but I’ve found it really difficult to change my design style within my home! We recently moved and my style is more along the lines of moody modern traditional yet most of the furniture/decor/lighting/rugs I own are farmhouse-y with sprinkles of modern traditional. How do I update my new home to reflect my new style without purchasing all new pieces. And how do I do it slowly, over time without my house looking super disjointed for the next couple years?
I never thought I would do a white kitchen but the home I’m currently building is our downsized home now that we are empty nesters. My kitchen has no windows and it a small space in an open concept. I did white because I wanted to light up that space which I knew could be dark and shadowy. I like light and now I feel like fate is laughing at me. Never say never.
Postmodern is a style just like midcentury modern. As such it has a timeless quality, but yes it waxes and wanes in popularity. I suggest it’s better utilized for accents rather than the predominant style just because it can easily become garish. And because postmodern design favors form over function. Translation, it looks cool but it’s often uncomfortable.
I think there are certain types of design that are a cyclical trend. I think things like the sculptural furniture fall into that label. It’s trendy right now but when it goes away we know we’re probably going to see it again at some point. Like putting something that you love in a cabinet because you’re tired of it and then getting it out in a couple of years when you realize that you miss it. Though as somebody who has a white kitchen because that is what it was when I bought it, I’m looking forward to ripping it out and putting in something else
I actually just bought a house and the kitchen is brand new with, you guessed it, white cabinets and subway tile backsplash lol. While it’s not what I would have chosen it certainly doesn’t look bad, just boring. Idk how we’ll get on with the white cabinets but I could maybe see us putting in a new backsplash (there’s not that much of it so would not be that expensive) into something a bit more unique.
I really hope sculptural furniture doesn’t go out of style/that even if it does that it will be respected. I love a lot of the super funky interiors going on right now. They remind me of interiors from A Clockwork Orange or a lot of post modernist designers like Panton or other less colorful folks. I think it’s so fun to be so creatively unrestricted and have furniture that’s not only functional but are also art objects in of themselves that you can marvel at every day
So when you say a white kitchen do you mean one that has all white everywhere like white cabinets, counters, and walls? Or do you mean even if there is a paint color on the wall that is say like a shade of blue and if the cabinets and counters are white with darker wood floor? I always get so confused with what exactly they mean when people talk about being sick of white kitchens.
Hi Nick… Please don’t take this comment negativly… it is not meant to wound. I must ask if you ever plan to offer your viewers anything other than home design info from a chair? Will we ever see you shopping for decor items, painting a wall, demonstrating a DIY, arranging a vinyette? I love your design points, however, just perusal you sit while showing pics from decor mags and books is not exactly stimulating or inspiring to those of us who wish to learn from your expertise. Please make your article posts more interesting. I know that you are more than a talking head in front of the same ole Mordern-Scandi backdrop. Looking forward to more from you.💚 SS in Texas
I always go with a white kitchen, white slab cabinets and black countertops because as soon as you go with a non-white (including cream color) and a non-slab cabinet your kitchen immediately becomes “time stamped” with the year it was installed. White is boring but it’s easy to change with colorful accents. It is also easy to refresh with new drawer pulls…just my humble opinion based on perusal kitchen go in and out of style for decades.
When it comes to trends and practicality, I think it is best to have a good foundation of timeless items. You can add trendy accessories and not break the bank. Just like a pair of Levi’s or a little black dress you can wear them forever and then accessorize them with the latest trend items. For me personally I make my own trends, I get in the meet for something then I go with it, but it has to stay with me for a long time because I can’t afford to redecorate every time a new trend comes along. So it’s best not to do trendy things that involve any kind of permanent construction, like retailing or ripping out your kitchen cabinets. You can still have a lot of fun on a budget, but some things, especially antiques you have to keep them around for a lifetime. And hey a broken clock is right twice a day so if your style goes out of trend give it some time, it will come back again later.
I love white kitchens! Have loved white kitchens my entire life. They look clean and timeless. Plus an all white kitchen allows me the flexibility to pick decor, color, and furniture elements to highlight rather than my kitchen cabinets and walls being the highlight. If I get bored of my kitchen, then I can easily swap decor and color for an entirely different look! I hated the wood and granite kitchens of the late 1990s and 2000s because the cabinets and countertops overwhelmed almost all decor items.
Can someone please give me ideas where to find pillow covers for my couch pillows? I’ve looked everywhere online and either they don’t have a good selection, or they’re too expensive, or the shipping is exorbitant. I’ve tried all of the regulars: pottery barn, west elm, crate and barrel, Amazon of course. These are just simple 22 in pillows and it’s been a nightmare. What happened to all of the fun pillows that have like color and pattern? All I see are solid colors, very boring colors. I don’t need pillows, just the covers.
When I was a kid in the 70’s and 80’s, what we now called mid-century modern was just “the 50’s” and it was totally not on trend. Then it got rebranded as “mid-century modern” and became classic. I think that is what is happening to post-modern design. It was just “the 80’s” but then got rebranded and I think will become timeless in a similar way to mod-century modern. Not for everyone, but always in good taste.
I think displaying dishes you’re going to eat from is not exactly sanitary. My display of French pottery was just for looks, and needed washing fairly often. After losing everything in a fire, I’ve become a minimalist, with a curved light gray Italian leather sofa and chair, very midcentury, and loving it. Your website has been inspiring, and has kept me from going overboard on decor. Thanks so much!
I think the less extreme types of sculptural furniture will be around for a long time. As for marble, the material itself is timeless, but exactly how it is used can be either timeless or trendy. Finally, I suspect open shelving in a kitchen will go down as one of the worst design trends in history for all the reasons Nick mentioned.
Trendy vs timeless is very simple. Trends were originally unique for their time period, but because they’re accessible to the general public they eventually become so “common” that the creative class rejects them for being boring and predictable. In other words, trends are victims of their own success. Timeless things tend to be out of reach for most people, so they have an air of exclusivity to them. For example, french wall moldings. They’ll never go out of style as long as there’s no way to mass produce those kinds of rooms. If they ever become so common they become builder grade in homes they’ll fall out of style. That seems unlikely at this point though. Like it or not style is inherently exclusive and is about representing class, taste, and social status. Once a trend starts showing up on sale at Hobby Lobby you know it’s over. Just the way it is.
I’m an interior design major and I’m really glad to have found this website. I really want to focus on historic preservation while still working in modern builds so to me, white kitchens are the bane of my existence. I’m not sure about the timeless factor of them. I think it’ll be many years before we truly see whether it was just a trend. They’re just very boring, but that being said I think white backsplash and white countertops are timeless. As for subway tile, I love it. I think it’s one of those elements that allows you to use it in a more historic inspired room or a very modern room. It can be very versatile in use and I really appreciate it.
So I half agree with the sculptural furniture being a trend. Technically sculptural furniture is not a trend, it’s been commonly used in very expensive high-end spaces for decades. But lately they are being mass produced in more affordable materials. Much like contemporary art, sculptural furniture is often bought and sold as investments for the wealthy’s portfolios. What I see happening is that a designer will create the next latest and greatest shapes and that will become the next “it” sculptural moment until it cyclically comes back around in 20-30 years. That’s just my art historian two cents though 🤷🏾♀️
Open Shelving- Always requires extra housekeeping for upkeep. Always exposes items to dusts etcetera, and unhealthy airborne things. Subway Tiles- Timeless perhaps? But they always impart a lavatory look. Don’t overfocus on the tile itself, pay attention to the overall look that you’ll be creating. Marble- It has its place. It’s always cold looking. On countertops, it’s the same as granite, anything you drop will break. Heavy use will require special products to restore its gloss. I think it’s best for accent furniture and small accent pieces. Sculptural Furniture- The main thing with furniture is to stop buying oversized giant pieces, then jamming them into an average size home. I’ve seen homes that have taken on a cartoon-like appearance due to oversized furniture, and oversized window treatments. White Kitchens- Best with cabinets that have depth in their design. Avoid flat vertical surfaces. Very easy to bring-in ANY other colors for accent pieces, including cabinet knobs. If the kitchen has paintable walls, you can use those to impart color if you get tired of the monochromatic White. At the basis of all design is- Do you like it? And don’t drive yourself nuts, consider that some version of remodeling can be in the future. Don’t consider what you want to do as being concrete permanent. Time goes by, you’ll naturally want something different, so don’t feel that what you want to do is going to cause it to be done and over with. You’re not going to be permanently stuck with it.
I agree with all of your points. And, BTW, I love a white kitchen. Why? When I cook, I need light. White kitchens are always brighter than darker kitchens. Plus, even when white isn’t clean, it looks cleaner. I don’t care if that makes sense. It’s true. Wood cabinets, dark floors and — God, Forbid! — dark ceilings in kitchens are the worst. Plus, I wish wood cabinets– wood everything!, would disappear from the kitchen. Wood absorbs so much grease and food odors, it’s about the most unhygienic thing you can put in a kitchen. Unless you like E.coli and salmonella. I can see adding a few splashes of color. The new color appliances have an interesting palette. Not wall paper. Like its grandpa wood, paper absorbs all those things you really don’t want in your kitchen.
Agree white kitchens are timeless. You can always warm it up with accessories or hardware. But you cant brighten a dated kitchen with the orange oak of the 80s and espresso cabinets of the 90s. Whites, in marble or subway tile, are a true “blank canvas” allowing the homeowner to create a feel without committing to every season.
I like open shelving because it’s convenient especially in a small kitchen but too much of it looks untidy. Still timeless to me though. Agree on subway tiles – a modern, yet timeless classic. Marble – I think it’s beautiful but is a very expensive trend & it shows every mark. A waste of money. Sculptural furniture – This would be ideal for my fantasy Paris apartment. I love it & am very, very tempted as it all looks so chic. However, cream boucle sofas are impossible to keep clean so reluctantly it’s a trend. White kitchens – it’s a no from me. Impossible to keep clean & too many identical cupboards to rummage in. Only for single people who never cook. A trend. Also, I think rattan & cane will be things that will go out of style as you’re seeing them in the bargain basement stores now.
Could you maybe make a article catergory where we can send you pictures of our room and you give us advise of how to improve it? 😆 Maybe we could say what kind of style we like or were going for. Would be much appreciated and could be fun, but if you don’t feel like it, that’s perfectly fine of course 😊
Experience has taught me that sculptural furniture does not mix with pets. I have the well-known togo sofa here in the house, sand-colored suede version, and my dog likes to sleep against the side of the sofa. As a result, the whole side has turned black and I don’t know how to clean it. The next sofa will definitely be a more traditional model on legs.
I agree with most of these but I kinda disagree with the sculptural furniature…to an extent(one piece in particular). I think some of the examples you provided really are form over function and those will fade out. But there are some that are actually more versatile and comfortable than most furniature out there, they have stood the test of time and I believe will continue to…bet you can guess which one I’m talking about 😉
Subway title is old kitchen design, dirty looking, nasty.. dated … open shelves small bar area is timeless… MARBLE looking stones like quartz is better than actual MARBLE.. marble, gets mold, stains easy, and not practical… specially in bathroom, kitchen, or backsplash…, traditional shapes boring,, white kitchens are sad… time capsule.. horrible insipid…4 YEARS AGO I PURCHASED MY RETIREMENT HOME BE THE BEACH, AND REDDESIGN THE WHOLE HOUSE USINFG THE OPEN CONCEPT LAYOUT. THE RESULTS WERE AMAZING .. IN ALL MY CABINETRY IS UED A 100 % solid hardwood kitchen using white oak, Finishing with stain using old French techniques by painting with a white wash, them charcoal paint enhancing wood grains, sand it all off and final coat using a GOLDEN lacquer… is a golden kitchen Full of character.. this technique is called Cerused Wood Finish? Cerusing, or liming, is a wood finishing technique that creates a two-toned look, where the open grain of the wood is accentuated against a contrasting base color. In this case used very gently
I love the look of open shelving, but it is not for me- no place to hide stuff! Subway tiles are classic and look fantastic in many homes! I also love marble- I once had a marble backsplash(unfortunately moved), would love to have it again, but it’s unlikely based on my current economic situation. I love SOME sculptural furniture and some of it can be incredibly comfortable- others not so much. Some of it will be proven to be more classic, but much of it is trendy and more short term. I personally think white kitchens are timeless, it is not for me as I love color-but they work so well for so many people. Thanks Nick! Great article!
Some sort of sculptural furniture will always be very current. But will THIS current version always be considered cool? No. It’s the stuff people will laugh at hardest, though in 30 years some people will adore the ‘retro’ look of it and be extremely thrilled to find it at the thrift shop: Soooo- 2020’s, just like my grandparents had!
Open Shelving is smart, easy access functional storage for use in the Food & Beverage industry. However I did consider Open Shelves for my kitchen due to lack of Cabinetry. I feel subway tiles should be restricted to subways, but builders are overdosing with it. Marble is amazingly timeless, ever tasteful & full of character. I’m concerned about white kitchens becoming dingy & too often give Institutional Vibe.
Not sure if there is a article on this, but finishes always are hard for me.For example, I have never had a liking for stainless faucets, showers, etc. Last fall I updated everything with matte black, including lighting fixtures. I know that is more of a trendy finish, but I think it looks so classy. I’m also curious on color pairings and if they are timeless. With my matte black, I have a navy theme (Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore). A few years ago black + navy was not acceptable, but now it is. Color matching is hard to know as well.
Post-modern reminds me art-deco, just puffed up like ball. Fengshui shit show in my opinion. Scandinavian is art of architects, created for body shape and high quality craftmanship with elegance and use ( no need for coastals or covers to protect anything, so bare and practical) original pieces cost thousands 60 years later… houses were created with furniture and functionality for generations… no need to update or change… only blankets, bed linnen, curtains and pictures, decorations generally is for you to make it extra personal. I love yours and Julie’s website. Both of you give me fresh eyes, better understanding and confirmations. 💜💚💙 thank you, my dear 🌸
I am not a fan of white kitchens, never have, never will. It screams “hospital” and has such a cold feeling. I also think that it would be difficult to keep it really white and clean looking. I agree 100% with the whole “open shelving” thing. The 1st time I saw it (years ago) I thought “no one lives that way”. All of the pictures you showed have some kitchen stuff, but mostly decor. Staging a bookcase for selling your house is a great example. People remove almost all of their books and put decorative items on them to show better, which is fine…but that’s the idea, it’s for “show”. No funtionality, just show. I really enjoy your articles. I appreciate your insight.
Seriously, I need advice on how to work with the 2000’s beige tiles, darker wood tones, etc – I feel like this area of home design is lacking. I know how to fix/work with crap from the 80’s-90’s, but how do I work with basic build crap post 1999? Stuff is still in great condition, so ripping it out isn’t a good financial option, plus: waste not, want not.
6:53 I completely agree. Postmodern only lasts so long before people need more functionality again. It’s like a mini, short-lasting rebellion. And, on the saucier side of comments, (in a valley girl gossipy voice): Doesn’t that next image have ALL the trendy, now almost played out elements?? 🙃 Good find!
I disagree about open shelving. I think it’s convenient for most of us and we are learning to love …eating and drinking on nicer dishes and glasses. Also the pantry is the new “go to” for storing items you dont want to display. You displayed in your article a bunch of colorful plastic cups and dishes….Design has come a long way…Most designs you have in glassware and dishware now come in hard plastic or melamine too. So I would say those “colorful dishes and cups” you displayed should be called trends.
I was ready to attack the keyboard, if you would suggest the white kitchen as a trend, you fell down on timeless.. 👍 Totally agree. I´m Scandinavian, and our kitchens has been white for decades. I grew up with white kitchens. (I have a grey kitchen today) I guess the trend style Scandinavian is difficult to copy from a real Scandinavian home, as it is in the details. 😉I believe the american take on Scandinavian is just that, american or continental inspired. We dont do huge area rugs for example.. Often we inherit a beautiful antique persian rug, that happens to be smaller.. or rag rugs, often runners not big rugs.
6:00 Calling Scandinavian interior design basic and simple, is actually the (misunderstood) American version of Scandinavian design, which is much more related to Bohemian. Scandinavian interior design, in Scandinavia, have been inspired by post-modern since the early 60s and is overall very much a fusion of mid-sentry and post-modern, thereby becoming its own style; Scandinavian. While it’s true that clean lines and brightness are important to the style, it is just as much about breaking those clean lines through post-modern implementations, such as couches, chairs or lamps. One of the most famous examples of this being Verner Panton’s designs.
When I bought my house, it came with a white kitchen. Well, black n white. White cabinets and countertop, black stove, black tiles. Metalic handles. Metalic appliances. The floor tiles are white with specks of grey. The wallpaper on the other wall is a neutral warm bege. I just added black picture frames on the walls. And there were already curtains with offwhite, black and orange. I have also a small rectangular table that I can play with the table cloth. In the end it’s not so white. When it’s almost 100% white, then I also don’t like it so much. Oh, and too much open shelving is stupid. Especially in a kitchen.
Personnally, i really think that it’s all depend on the person you are and where you live. I’m from Paris, I see subway tiles everyday and the subway here is not very clean… So, when I see subway tiles, i feel a little bit disgusted, like it’s off topic and I think it’s a trend that need to stay in subway😆… Same thing for sculptural furniture… If you see mid-century / Scandinavian furniture everywhere, everytime and if you really know well your own tastes, your own personnality, you can go for a sculptural furniture. It will looks very unique and timeless but I must admit that not a lot of people don’t really know themselves to go for such crazy things… 😉
The only thing more trendy & yuk than sculptural furniture is Bouclé sculptural furniture! I’ve seen fairly new looking flat & shiny in spots. That takes it to a whole new level of cheap looking, even when you’ve spent too much on it! Open kitchens, to me are just grease & dust traps. Your articles always strike a good vibe for me, thank you!
We have a sloped kitchen ceiling, that’s 80″ at it’s shortest. Upper cabinets can only be like 12″ tall to maintain a good clearance for the counter. But we found we can do 2 rows of open shelves instead, so we’re team open shelf… for our situation. The ceiling is already short, I don’t want to make it worse by big bulky things overhead
The sculptural furniture thing kinda looks like art noveau in a sense? Well pulled out it might look amazing, but again, don’t hear me. I’m that girl who bout a mayo desk (yeah, the hospital one) and just changed the metal tray into a “ella green granite” one. Why? Cause the shape of that desk is beautiful and the tray is changeable (perfect for those who love a change in decor)
I have lived for most of my life in humid climates (South Louisiana, Pacific Northwest) and I love a white kitchen because mold cannot get a toe-hold in a white kitchen. You can see it and bleach it the second it starts to creep in! Ditto a white bathroom. I don’t want to have black tiles & dark brown woods where mildew & mold can take hold in dark corners. NOPE. White is both clean & cleanable in a way that dark woods, dark stone, dark tiles, and dark grout are not.
Trying to figure out what to do with the white kitchen with IKEA like (maybe knock off) cabinets with a gray tile floor. So freaking boring ~ I would never have renovated & install anything in that kitchen. May some of the handmade tiles your been showing. I really like natural materials to maybe natural pendant lights over the island and swapping out the dining room chairs for something natural because they are worn out anyway. 😢
Please do a article on postmodern! Also, after a decade of Mid Century Modern in my home, I’m grown tired of it, but don’t want to get rid of all my pieces, and am now wanting to integrate some postmodern / ’80s revival elements. How to marry those two? Can they be made to work together at all? Would love to know your thoughts!
Sculptural furniture is new MCM. It’s going to stay. What actually changed is that these pieces got to the masses. They never were actually out of fashion but were mostly used in rich people houses, art collectors, design lovers. It is definitely look less out of place than peacock chair for most places. And most of these furniture pieces is also quite comfortable (sofas, armchairs) unlike usually rather small mcm furniture pieces
Subway tiles, to me, just look institutional, boring, basic, no matter how you slice it. However, other rectangular tiles with texture, pattern, or size variations do a much better job when it comes to a home. There are a plethora of other shapes textures and styles that look so much more sophisticated and I do not know how subway tiles became a “classic” for homes when they are a classic for hospitals, asylums, and, of course, subways. Just my unpopular opinion.
A white kitchen might be boring, but it will always be timeless! It’s really helpful to have a white/bright kitchen so you don’t need to open the lights when you cook. This is coming from a person that has had dark granite countertops with white walls, I still need to open the lights in the middle of the day where it’s bright, just because my surface is dark and I can’t see crumbs and liquid on the countertops.
Great article. I agree, very begrudgingly that white Kitchens probably fall in the timeless camp. The only reason I say probably is to do with purpose. If the purpose of a kitchen is to cook a good meal and nothing more, then I think the low-level anxiety psychologists say white rooms create undermines that purpose; I question if most people can make their best dishes in these overly lit sterile stress boxes. Now if the purpose of a Kitchen is twofold and the second purpose beyond food prep is to be the heart of the home then these sanatorium-like kitchens are not fit for purpose and I would argue that negates the timelessness of their design. I do agree that in one sense white kitchens are timeless, and what is timeless is not supposed to change, but in this case, I think it maybe it should. I don’t just dislike a white kitchen I hate them with a florid psychosis it’s hard to overstate. They bother me on some very primitive level I think. What does the Geneva convention say about white Kitchens? 🙂 Awesome article though.
Nick! Been following you for about a week and love your articles… have easily watched 2-3 dozen! Two Questions: 1. What’s the paint color on the wall behind you (way in the back with the light above table)? 2. I love Art Deco and Japandi (and just Japanese / Kanso) Design; my question is if you have suggestions on how to combine them? Maybe this will make a good article topic? Thanks! ✌️
I love white kitchens and just as you said it’s clean and fresh…Mine is actually yellow walls white cabinets and I LOVE IT. I think everyone gets shocked by the vibrant color at first but end up being in love with it because of how fun and warm the color is and it doesn’t matter if it’s winter, spring, summer autumn it’s just a happy color. My walls in my living room is an almost salmon pink color and again it’s so warm and cozy during winter in vibe with autumn, spring time and summer time it’s the best as the walls almost look like they shine with the bright greens of my trees that line my front house. I like white and my room is bright white but my all time favorite colors are in the warm tones for all my shared rooms.
Personally think subway tiles are trendy and I very much dislike the look of them, but they aren’t like…. “out there”… they aren’t going to ever look crazy… but ten years from now it will be pretty uncool to have subway tiles and everyone will just flashback to fixer upper shiplap, subway tiles, cliche farmhouse etc Just my opinion though 😊 Agree with the rest.
Nick, I find myself holding my breath every time you do one of these articles. Currently rebuilding a home and we’re doing all the design ourselves…total amateurs 🤣. Are we doing this right? Are we making the best decisions? Most of the time, I just want to throw my hands up in the air and say, “screw it. Let’s hire someone.” But where’s the fun in that!! Thank you for your honesty because it is invigorating. Have we made some of the design mistakes you’ve highlighted? Most def! That’s why we decided to forgo the open shelving and just go with art and a corner shelf. A very minimal feel to our space. Who knows if we’ll love it in the long term? Idk…but I definitely don’t want a trendy house. But did have my eye on a sculptural accent chair. So not doing that again!! Timeless is the new black ☺️. You’re awesome and so very grateful for all your advice. 🙏🏾
When I was single, i lived in a tiny studio with an improvised kitchen, so it had no storage space at all. So I used a table and a small bookshelf for the dishes and pots. I really liked it because I had just a few items and they matched. But now I’m married and have a cat, so I have more non matching stuff and I needed to stop the cat from cuddling inside the pots, so I switched my bookshelf for a buffet cabinet (because my new apartment doesn’t have storage space either)
I agree, and yes, it’s because I have a white kitchen and subway tiles. 🙂 But I chose them because they’re timeless. I have zero desire to spend thousands of dollars every two years to keep up with trends. I think of my kitchen as all white, but it’s really just the cabinets. I have colour in items that are less expense and less work to change out. Wood tones come and go but white is forever. Same goes for white subway tiles. But from personal experience I will warn everyone off all white countertops. Ergh. They show every speck of dust. If I could have a re-do, I would choose a speckled material instead, with a white background.
Your comment about white kitchens made me wonder if you have ever done a article about how to update/style kitchens with cabinets that are dated. We have dark cherry cabinets that we can’t afford to replace and don’t want to paint…but aren’t sure which counters/backsplash/hardware/lighting can make this kitchen more current.
Nick, you forgot the most important factor: COST (and hassle). Furniture can afford to be trendy because it’s easy to replace. Open shelving can be trendy because they’re easy to replace with cabinets. Subway tile in the white kitchen — well, if it’s not timeless, I’ll just pretend it’s timeless because no way no how would I spend thousands of $$ just to get back on trend.
Open shelving, I agree, is definitely more in the “trend” category–however–I can see how some styles will always lend themselves to having a bit of open shelving. The issue is always that not everything that is in the kitchen is all that aesthetically pleasing–and most people are not particularly tidy and stuff their kitchen cabinets the way they stuff closets. Subway tiles are timeless where they look appropriate. Personally, I wouldn’t opt for subway tiles in a modern space–that’s just me. Marble is the monarch of stone (despite it’s semi-fussy maintenance requirements). It is gorgeous and never vulgar–which is more than can be said for other materials…most notably ghastly materials that were favored in the 80s that some people have the most inexplicable sense of nostalgia for. Sculptural furniture is sometimes quite beautiful–perhaps in small doses it would stand the test of time. But if every single piece in a room is sculptural it’s going to be too much. The trouble with white kitchens (and all-white spaces in general) is the glare–one needs to wear sunglasses indoors and the endless cleaning required to keep such spaces decent goes above and beyond what it healthy. Beyond that it shows a complete lack of imagination. Functionally, again, cleaning would be a NIGHTMARE. I clean my house regularly–tidy every day, proper clean once a week, deep clean once a month–and even I wouldn’t be able to keep up with that. I disagree with your assessment that it’s “safe”, but I will certainly agree that it’s boring.
I agree with the white kitchens, they look nice in photos but are boring but they don’t date as much as other styles. The kitchen we have (bought our house in late 2018, was built in 1997) has white cabinets but granite countertops. So trendy in the early 2000’s and it shows. Now I’m happy that we have such durable countertops, not crazy about the color but it’s better than Formica. The thing I hate is the cabinet doors don’t touch, they have a piece of wood between them to rest on so when we open the door there is a border around it and our plates are just a little wider than the opening so I have to turn them sideways every time to get them in and out. So annoying. If the doors touched and didn’t have that piece in the middle then it would not only function better but look better, it does look somewhat dated because of it. My hubby is like, we’re not spending tens of thousands to redo the kitchen because that annoys you, fair enough but I would love to change that about the kitchen. The house we lived in before my family owns and I remodeled it after moving out so we could rent it. I did subway tiles but I did glass ones with a white background, just a little different. I also chose a cool mosaicish tile to go behind the stove that was the same clear glass tile but also had silver and grey in it so give a little change, the tiles were still rectangular and squares but much smaller than the subway in the rest. it’s not too much pattern but just enough to give it some character and not be super boring.
Besides not wanting to show kitchen items that are not flattering with open shelves, everything on a open shelf collects dust. If you don’t mind rinsing off plates and cups before use and make it work then great! I love open shelves but I would use it more of plants 🪴 or for simple kitchen art display (collectable kitchen items from travels possibly) 🥰
I enjoy these and would love to see more of a series. For sure. For me, I dislike upper cupboards very much. Always have. Love lowers but uppers. Ack! Not for me. Open shelving is for me but I am also an active kitchen So I want that access and function wins over form. But that said, love your style and articles. Keep up the great work.
Spot on; this is a solid list. The home I moved into six months ago came with a mostly white kitchen. Not loving the white cabinets, the home I left had beautiful cherry cabinets. Doing what I can to add color with window treatments and accessories. But I am definitely leaning toward adding a subway tile backslash. Soon…
Granite counter tops? Timeless or trendy? Because I kind of feel like mine are already looking dated. Also, are stainless steel appliances ever going away? I think eventually they will be seen as a trend, like a Harvest Gold or Avocado appliances, but it’s sure taking forever. And what will replace them? Maybe appliances fronted to blend in with the cabinetry?
I love classic, timeless design – when I’m making choices about my house I think back to what my Grandmother had in her house – she lived through the Great Depression and raised 5 kids (3 boys!) – her house was practical, functional and lovely. There’s always room for personality in wall color and accents, but I try to stay way from ‘trends’ in kitchens and bathrooms and go with more classic timeless design.
I hate upper cabinets! I have disliked them since my teens! I am slightly minimalistic and have very little extra mismatched plates or glasses. I have a spare pantry that I store randomn kitchen items, or the extra place settings I only need when we have company. I only use half of the upper shelving in my current cabinets and have planned to remove them, because I don’t like clutter, I don’t like the fact that I am 5 feet tall and cabinets are so hard to reach at times, Its a lot of wasted space, lol. I guess I am lazy, I just want to reach up grab a plate or a glass without having to deal with a door. If your a neat freak with OCD, can you still have open shelving LOL
Stumbled across your website and I just ❤️ it! We added onto our bilevel (which I hate the floor plan) an apartment for my mother in law and many others since 11 years ago. This was after a well known and fully vetted local contractor embezzled over 75K from us and hundreds of thousands from many others…. we are now looking to repaint the entire house room by room. Because of the issue with the contractor we were never able to remove the paneling from our family room from the 70’s yes the 70’s. looking for a home redo. From paint to carpet… kitchen cabinets are fine… lovely maple, oak hardwood flooring… need carpet on stairs and in bedrooms and a color palette for house.. that is my biggest issue… cannot make that decision…
I absolutely love sculptural but also functional furniture. Since I’m into art and design I just enjoy having furniture that also kinda serves as an art piece, to a certain degree and amount of course. I think a few more sculptural pieces really give a home a different kind of personal touch and Charakter than “just” paintings and color schemes. I love weird stuff but the function needs to be served just the same as the aesthetic part
Open shelving can look very nice but it is mostly impractical. Whether it’s the kitchen or any other room, open shelving is for display, not storage. It should only be implemented if you already have stuff you want to put out on display, not as a replacement for cabinetry, unless you already have more than you’ll ever need. Otherwise you’re going to end up going out of your way to accumulate display items to fill up those shelves and cramming the stuff you actually need to store into whatever limited closed storage space you have.
What I find interesting about you labelling a white kitchen timeless is, that it shows you are a professional interior designer. You can see the benefits of this style and would help your client build a nice white kitchen. But because you are a professional designer, you would also be able to create something more interesting and exciting using color and texture. So you are against the safe bet, wich is white. I do Webdesign and also encounter that most clients don’t want to experiment. They want to have something that already works on other websites. They do not trust my expertise enough sometimes… And I hate to do things others have done a thousand times already.
Open shelving doesn’t collect dust so long as you are using the dishes and things that you are using them for. I think open shelving has become a trend, that is getting tired, but it is also timeless because ultimately its just planks of wood mounted on a wall, whereas kitchen cupboards and fitted kitchens are always going through trends that seem to go out of date quicker than just simple shelving. And of course it depends how you style them and even what kind of wood you use, and of course, your lifestyle
Open shelving is not for everybody. They are only for “organized” minimalist people. My open shelves look great all the time. Everything I have there is harmonious. I have on them only what I need and use every day. Everybody loves them. The rest of the things that are not used often go in the cabinets. Which are not many anyway…
Not sure I fully agree with the assessment of the white kitchen. White is just a color and the color itself is obviously timeless. White is arguably the most important color in existence. What will make a white kitchen look dated or not will actually be everything else. The cabinet style and their finishes, for example. I think a white kitchen with shaker cabinets and simple hardware, another timeless choice that hovers between traditional and modern, will age better than a white kitchen with cathedral cabinet doors and funky hardware.
I hate open shelving. I hate white cabinets. I hate subway tiles. And the sculptural furniture is a no-go too. Marble I could do in an area that won’t have stains. I watch these articles so I have an idea of what is popular but I do what I like. I have learned a long time ago, buy what you like, not to show off for others. I fit more with a traditional style and don’t like clutter. I need cabinets to hide stuff I don’t like looking at or keep dust free all the time.
I love the little open shelving I have (just took the doors off the cabinet with the dishes I use most), but think all open shelving instead of upper cabinets wouldn’t work for most people, I also like plate racks and cup hooks and think that looks timeless, so maybe the part of open shelving that isn’t timeless is the amount that people are doing these days. Although I think that subway tile can look timeless I think the dark grout people mix with the white will look dated. Maybe a lot of things that are trendy can be timeless in small doses or used in a bit different. Except those couches, they just look uncomfortable.
I feel so validated that you mentioned how subway tiles are timeless. It’s not really common to see them where I live, but I think they look lovely. However, when speaking to a constructor I mentioned my plans and immediately heard how it was ridiculous and looks bad. So well, seeing your take on it made me happy.
I really agree with everything here, expect I’m not so sure about the all-white kitchen. While white itself is a great and timeless neutral, I think the “monochrome” look will end up dating it. I would predict that in 10 or so years when we see an all white kitchen, we’ll just think about that era when that was all that was seen.