Trends

March 24, 2020 – Published in Design & Decor Winter 2019 issue

What style defines you?

Words Rachel Balzan Demajo – Interior designer at SAKS

Home is where the heart is they say, and nothing could be more true. Your choice of home styling, whether intended or randomly collated over the years, says a lot about our personalities and our outlook on life.

A rustic look, whether it’s by default based on the architecture of the place, for example a farmhouse, or whether it’s a modern home with purposely chosen rustic interiors, brings the outdoors in with an old world instantly recognizable appeal. Raw unfinished textures such as wood, stone and cowhide are a style statement in themselves. When we consider such styling, we think of little cupboards, dressers, organised clutter, an excess of displayed ornaments, and a very homely soft colour palette to blend in with stone, wood and soft furnishings. This type of style appeals to nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts with a zeal to experiment. The old fashioned farmhouse has come a long way, and nowadays any ordinary modern space can be converted into a rustic treasure trove of antiquities and beauty.

Scandinavian Stories are designed for the outgoing, practical personalities with a quest for culture and heritage. Scandinavian decor is the result of usefulness meets moderation. There is no flamboyance, no excess. Characterised by immaculate white walls, this quaint home décor style screams sophistication and modernism with a twist of heritage and history, just like its friendly and culturally-inclined host. The key shading scheme utilized here is anything between brown earthy tones and lush green hues elevated with a vivacious white backdrop. Wood, clean lines, de-cluttered spaces and simple accents are all common features of this design style. It calls to the happy family picture of kids and dogs and a central fireplace. This style makes for an ideal family home.

Those that have the travel bug, have a love for sun, sand and sea will immediately recognize and fall in love with the coastal design, which is renowned in beach houses - bare foot luxury yet romantic, villas by the sea. Structure your space with accents of the sea and explore with fresh hues of blue, sea green, pastel browns and dirty white colours. Wooden flooring, large apertures and dreamy wallpapers will also add element to the area. In terms of accessories,  think oceanic and choose from a wide range of nautical patterns and shell textures that bring out the vibrancy and freshness of the sea. This is a free spirited design, ideal for creative and unwinding spaces.

Royal flush – Hollywood regality meets iconic 50s and 60s glam. For the glamorous and larger-than-life personality with a liking for the finer things. Extend your modern and upbeat energy to your interiors with an explosion of Hollywood regality in your living room. From lush curtains to ultra-glam upholstery, do not settle for anything less than exorbitant and high-polished. Though opting for Hollywood-inspired home décor brings back popular looks from the iconic ’50s and ’60s, your space can exude top-notch sophistication rather than old-world charm. Think glossy surfaces, clean lines, hints of colour and bold prints, complemented with iconic and bold Greek key patterns. Amp up the drama quotient of your space with this timeless design trend.

Are you a bohemian soul? Artistically unconventional with eccentric taste and quirky style? Then take your home in the same direction and enjoy a stylish theme for colour, quirky prints and playful textures. A bohemian soul will never timid far from natural tones supplemented with a burst of shading. Set your soul free with rope swings, vibrant cushions, turkish rugs, vintage headboards, tasselled throws and stunning DIY projects that will keep the compliments coming. This is a fantastic trend for those that like to collect artefacts and little pieces from their varied travels. It’s a style that is not afraid to mix and match, and done cleverly, can produce a really outstanding original result.

Is less more? Minimalist and the current Japandi trend describes an extremely organized and efficient individual, imprinted with a well defined pattern in matter of design.  Fine materials, lack of colour, subdued shading, clean lines, minimal decoration and a concealed place for everything is what defines this modern look, that appeals to many, perhaps more masculine oriented busy people of the modern word.

As for classic interiors, we are looking at the kind of person with the most valued respect for timeless beauty. Noble, elegant, interested in culture, such personality has fine timeless tastes in all areas of life. This is the Bentley of design, the Jaguar of furniture pieces. This is not to say this is the most expensive style choice, but it’s a design that does spell timeless luxury and is surely a style that never fades.

As with art there are never any clear lines on where one style starts and the other ends, and a creative designer will seek to match the personalities between owners and home, often mixing things up and producing an extremely clever result. Choose well, and get guidance. You won’t look back!