Cottagecore. Millennial pink. Chubby design. Do any of these words ring a bell? A quick online search of these buzzwords will reveal they are interior design trends that have popped and fizzed within the last 10 years. The words may be new to you, but the trends’ influence can be witnessed in stores and hospitality spaces, online, in print and possibly even in your home.
For centuries, colours, shapes and patterns have ridden waves of popularity and contributed to the identity of a decade. Tastemakers and revered media outlets were once the gatekeepers of trends across all facets of design, and en vogue styles would slowly filter down to the general public. Today, the relationship between trends and broader society is closely entwined in an increasingly online world of relentless information and inspiration sharing. Neale Whitaker, a highly respected interior design personality and television presenter with a wealth of expertise in publishing, is more interested in learning about why things are suddenly fashionable rather than what is fashionable. “It’s so often an oblique comment on society or culture or a reaction to what has gone before,” he says.
Sydney-based designer Amanda Talbot suggests that
