Whether you like them or not, trends are a part of our everyday life. Here are three tips to ride the trends in a timeless way.

In architecture and interiors, trends help keep the design aesthetic fresh and interesting, constantly bringing in ideas. But trends do change, some faster than others. Trends that we see in New Zealand are influenced by the seasons, fashion, decades gone by, and our northern hemisphere friends. The reality is that nothing is new, everything that is trending now has trended somewhere else in history or around the world. This is a common question I get: how can we feel like we’re on trend without the fear of regretting it in five years’ time?

Within interior design, decorative aspects can easily roll with current trends. We can more easily change cushions, rugs, window dressings, some furniture, and colours than the permanent aspects of interiors like kitchen and bathroom design. I feel the permanent spaces require more thought and careful consideration when designing to current trends to avoid feeling typecast to a particular year. It’s easy to fall in love with the imagery we gather online, but not all of it in saturation may be appropriate for us, our homes, and our lifestyles.

Design to the architecture and geographical location of your home This is a great starting point when thinking about the permanent interior spaces. Coastal homes are wonderful with soft lines, colours and materials, while their hillside counterparts feel great with sculptural sensibilities. Being sympathetic to these aspects and creating a foundation that uses beautiful scale and balance within the spaces that relates to the overall home and site will help stand the test of time.

Timeless elements in the kitchen and bathroom Timeless elements, when used as a dominant design aesthetic in these spaces, can leave scope for an aspect of a current trend you may love to be incorporated as an accent. Whether it’s a tile, tapware, benchtop material, or a particular colour, using an on-trend feature that’s blended cleverly over a whole space with a neutral backdrop will feel more intentional and seamless than too trendy.

Blend the trend Design to an overall theme that can easily incorporate a current trend. Themes like elegant, classic, mid-century, modern, minimalist, coastal, or European will all have aspects of current trends. Look at where the trend came from and see what other aspects of that genre will suit the architecture, geography, and your lifestyle. And don’t be afraid to mix trends from bygone eras or geographical locations. Eclectic design is a theme in its own right, and one I particularly love.

The trend is always your friend, when carefully considered. A good designer can help navigate the world of trends so that you’re still very much in love with your interior design in five years’ time.

Anna Dick is the whole-house interior designer behind Anna Margaret Interiors. Check out her projects and get in touch to talk about your design needs at annamargaret.co.nz.