George III giltwood oval mirror, circa 1765
Design “trends” in the Western World hundreds of years ago tended to follow the style of a particular ruling monarch in a European country, such as the Kings George, or a furniture maker such as Chippendale. Trends then lasted many years, and became part of history.
Only the wealthiest people could afford to decorate their homes. Nowadays, a trend is often a split second in time (those are the ones we want to avoid following!), and we are easily made aware of it no matter where we live or the nature of our economic status, via mass advertising and the internet.
A trend that is worth following is one that makes good sense from both a functional and aesthetic point of view, such as the freestanding tub, a trend whose revival has already lasted a few years .
Freestanding bathtubs are a current trend that we love; it offers the tub as a sculptural piece in the bathroom, rather than encasing it in a tile box that fills a large section of the room.
A freestanding tub compliments the current design trend of cleaner lines and less clutter. And we love the look of a shapely tub silhouetted in front of a floor-to-ceiling window! However, that doesn’t mean that we will always do a freestanding tub in our projects. In some cases, a built-in tub still makes more sense and the space supports it, such as in a home we completed last year, see photo below.
In this spacious master bathroom, we enclosed our client’s tub in a clean Caesarstone surround which gave it a calm presence at the far end of the room.
One of the things we at Janet Brooks Design are proud of, is that our homes are never quickly “dated”. Our projects look good 10 and even 20 years after we have designed and furnished them because we are very careful about following fleeting trends. Certain design styles, such as Southwestern, also lend themselves to a very timeless look here in the Phoenix area.
This snapshot Janet took a couple of years ago is in our clients’ Southwestern style home, which we designed over twenty years ago. It hasn’t been redone because they still love it!
Design Direction for 2015
The design direction for 2015 is definitely continuing with cleaner lines, less ornamentation and a “fresher” look than we saw a few years ago. But that doesn’t mean that we are succumbing to a “one size fits all” look, which is what you tend to see in retail displays and trendy magazines right now. At Janet Brooks Design, our eye is always on the goal of unique and client-specific design for each of our projects and we studiously avoid trends. That doesn’t mean we don’t keep up with current styles. It means we are sophisticated enough to give our clients an up-to-date look without the inevitability that their home will be stuck in a time-warp in 10 years. We enjoy creating home environments for people who don’t want to redecorate every few years!
The elegant lines of this sofa work in any design genre, allowing the more important design elements in the room to take center stage. Gone are the days of tassel trims everywhere, gathered skirts and slouchy cushions!
Practicality vs. Trendiness
There has been a huge trend for a number of years now that we have avoided like the plague….white marble kitchen countertops. YES, they are lusciously beautiful, and it has been tempting to succumb. However, it’s simply not practical. And the last thing we want is frustrated clients wishing they had made a better choice. Instead, we find natural quartzites and lighter granites that give a similar look but still offer long-lasting serviceability. When it comes to upholstered furniture, we are focusing on the new durable, easy to clean fabrics that give our clients peace of mind when it comes to pets and accidents! Silk velvet, as gorgeous as it is, does not allow for casual living!
Whether you are going for a cozy and charming look, or a sophisticated urban look, it is attainable using these practical, comfortable and yet very fashionable indoor/outdoor fabrics from Sunbrella.