What HGTV Doesn't Tell You About Trendy Furniture
Trends—there's nothing constant about it, except for the fact that it can cost us a pretty penny to stay on top of it, especially when it comes to furniture (and clothing, but this is about furniture).
"Trends—there's nothing constant about it, except for the fact that it can cost us a pretty penny to stay on top of it, especially when it comes to furniture."
How do you figure out what's trendy?
It can be tough to determine if an item falls in the trendy category versus the classic. The way I like to think about it is by asking myself, "Can I look back at this in ten years...will it pass the test?". More often than not, the answer to that question does the trick, but on the off chance that it doesn't, I think back on history (or my perception of what history might've been from all the TV I've consumed over the years) and then think about when the piece I'm considering might have been trendy.
Take a look at this picture of a living room in the 1960's (and please don't call this "vintage") and compare it to this West Elm pic below -- see the resemblance in styles? While today's living room might look nice or put together for some, the truth is that it probably won't fit the mold in let's say five or so years (I give it less though, it's all of the legs for me).
What HGTV doesn't tell you about trendy furniture is that it's draining your wallet.
What HGTV doesn't tell you about trendy furniture is that it's draining your wallet. Unless your objective is to stay on top of trends as they come and go, and your financial circumstance allows you to have the trendiest houses of all the houses, then I would suggest staying away from furniture trends altogether and saving it for the wardrobe.
Consider which of these elements are most important to you -- quality, comfort, price... all of the above? Your definition of value will differ from mine. It's important to consider the purpose or functionality for each piece, and then determine which elements will provide more value to you (ok, now I'm starting to sound like a textbook. I assure you furniture shopping is not this intense, nor should it be. THINK, but make it fun). For those who are fortunate enough to purchase high-quality, trendy new furniture every 2-3 years, then perhaps trends might make perfect sense... if that's you, I feel fortunate enough to have gotten your attention thus far; thank you.
When I first moved into my current place, I made the mistake of falling for trends (ew, David).
It was my first time furnishing a home, so looking back, it's not surprising that within the first three or four years I welcomed a new couch. Had I known what to look for in the consideration stage of my purchasing journey (heeeeeyyyy, my fellow marketers), perhaps I could've saved myself the extra money.
Personally, I tend to avoid patterns altogether, and gear toward clean lines, edges, and solid colors (see photo below from Restoration Hardware). Of course, there's no such thing as perfectly timeless, or cosmetic botox wouldn't have been invented; there will always be design elements that come in and out of style. However, when I say timeless, I mean it in the sense that it can at least last you your money's worth. The key is to swap it out when you decide it's time, and not when trends do.
If at the end of the day, you still find yourself a stickler for trendy furniture but are considering a more classic look, you can always try mixing and matching pieces that are timeless with fewer trendy items. Your home is your ground to create, so play on, my friends.
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