WHAT’S HOT IN HOME TRENDS
Matte black, irregular patterns and natural materials are popular in the maker marketplace
When it comes to home furnishings and decor, online maker marketplace Etsy.com provides a great overview of what’s hot in the industry — and what’s about to be.
Postmedia caught up with Dayna Isom from Etsy, which hosts more than 1.8 million sellers from over 200 countries (97 per cent of whom work from home), to hear about what they’re seeing for summer and predictions for fall and winter.
“What Etsy’s all about is bringing the globe to your home,” says Isom.
How this manifests in products for your home and decor this summer is seen in “exotic patterns, graphic lines, earthy textures, rustic surfaces, blues and greens, bamboo, raffia and concrete,” she says.
And the source of these patterns, colours and materials is primarily South America and Africa.
As we’ve seen in kitchen and bathroom faucets, appliances and surfaces, matte black is proving hugely popular for summer on Etsy, in ceramics and items where it is paired with metallics — and in weddings, Isom says.
“Last month, we did our first weddings’ trend guide,” says Isom. “And we found that matte black was trending throughout weddings. It’s not scary to have black weddings any more; it’s cool, it’s sophisticated, it’s sleek.”
Patterns have been popular for some time with Etsy buyers, says Isom, but what they’re really seeing for this summer is an increase in the use of irregular and mismatched patterns.
“I love a pattern, but what I love so much about this is that you’re seeing it mixed with so many different materials,” Isom says.
“So you’re seeing it with raffia, with linens, with cottons, with wood, all entwined together. It’s about irregular patterns, it’s about imperfections.”
Aztec prints are also trending for summer in everything from fashion to home decor, Isom says.
“Imagine that you’re strolling through a local market in Mexico,” she says. “These are all the textiles, and the unusual broken patterns that you’re going to see. It’s all heavy, with black and white. We’re talking zigzag prints and broken prints.”
In line with the current wellness and well-being trend in home decor, natural materials are proving very popular for summer, says Isom, and that is seen in the use of wool, clay, linens and cottons, along with a desire for simplicity in the home.
“It’s all about being simple and decluttered,” she says. “And just keeping it simple and clean, so you’re going to see delicate patterns, muted pastels, graphic prints, lightweight transparent fabrics and pops of coral.”
The popularity of light textiles on Etsy is also included in this movement, says Isom, with “semitransparent materials” finding favour. And the great thing about these items is that you can layer them up (blankets, throws, curtains) as we move into fall, so they don’t just “live once,” she says.
Almost in contrast to this, Isom says one trend they’re seeing is “the look of luxe,” inspired by vacations on the French Riviera, where money is no object and sun is plentiful.
“You’re going to see gold prints, bold print mixing, watercolour prints with brush strokes in soft green tones with metallic woven all through,” she says.
Watercolours are also being used a lot in wallpaper, she says, such as in simple, hand-painted stripes.
“Wallpaper is such a big thing right now,” she says. “And it’s not your grandmother’s wallpaper … it’s sophisticated and updated.”
Metallics continue to be popular in home decor, Isom says, but instead of full metallic pieces, they’re seeing more items that are metallic dipped or have metallic trims.
As everything in fashion seems to make its way into decor, so too has the “athleisure” or activewear craze sweeping the globe. People are favouring casual, comfy, soft fabrics in “calming neutral and soft pastels,” says Isom. “It’s the ’80s influence, but an updated ’80s; it’s clean and not neon,” she says. Included in this “fit for life” trend is embracing “fun prints” and “not taking yourself too seriously.”
Looking ahead to fall and winter, Isom says they’re seeing a few key trends in home decor, one being “dark horse,” which is all about “winter landscapes, dark jungles, pewters, silvers, horseshoes, velvets and heavier fabrics.”
We will being seeing a lot of suede used in conjunction with heavier knits and cosy blankets, says Isom, and the Bohemian influence will carry on in home decor, but more in kaleidoscope patterns and colours, and a “new turquoise,” referencing the gemstone Larimar.
Isom’s personal favourite for fall and winter is the “celestial trend” they’re seeing in home decor.
“This is all about being inspired by the universe, and this could very well have come from pop culture hits like Stranger Things or Black Mirror, but I think this is going to be a major thing that we’re going to continue to see.”
You’re going to see gold prints, bold print mixing, watercolour prints with brush strokes in soft green tones with metallic woven all through.