We continue to discuss the trends of interior design in Spain after COVID-19 pandemic. Architects and engineers of “Egue y Seta” team are our experts.
In this article we are going to consider the transparency and biophilic trends, clash of maximalism and minimalism. And also we’ll point out some ideas about materials and colors.
Transparency and green design in Spanish interior design
The “transparency” trend seems to be all over the internet as well. And while this may point towards a preference for glass when it comes to choosing the finishes for partitions, we tend to think it stands for a lot more. Maybe, it is not so much about being able to see-through or enjoying the natural light that comes from the window of the adjacent room. But about buying “transparent” products, or goods that are open and frank about their manufacturing and distribution processes. When the consumer knows the workforce involved, the type of energy that was used, and all in all, its carbon footprint.
Green design no longer seems to be about looking green, about being raw, or made from unprocessed materials, is more about being environmentally reasonable an honest, if not entirely sustainable. The “green look” has shifted and has detached itself from the wood-paper-fiber envelope that used come along with it. Bioplastic has proven a very sensible choice. So it has opened the door again to all those colors and shapes that were, for a little while, associated with mass produced artificial or even toxic industries.
Now, nevertheless, object designers seem to be choosing to resemble nature in different ways. Organic patterns, undulating lines, waves, grain, ribbed, corrugated and plaid textures, more so than just color, are the traits of nature to imitate. Therefore, the so called Biophilic or Biomimic trend has been born. Some have even gone as far as to call such style “Joy”. And they might be just right, as bright palettes and whimsical lines, can be uplifting after all. The opposite: smooth, dark, sleek, might be elegant indeed. But elegance does not seem to be the most relevant attribute nowadays.
Maximalism VS Minimalism
Due to COVID-19 pandemic consumers have been forced to spend an unprecedented amount of time at home. And they have had more than enough time to experience how suffocating minimalism or overly sleek interiors can be. Some of our clients have referred having homes so pristine, spotless and white they felt the only flaw or stain within them were no other than themselves.
This is rapidly changing, of course. And as it usually happens with trends, these do not evolve slowly into a more moderate version of the previous, but rather clash violently into each other. Maximalism has overthrown Minimalism and aims to conquer every corner of the room with meaningful objects. Some call this trend Decorative Conviction.
Vintage, antique looking pieces are now welcome in our shelves. So we can use more descriptive terms such as Granny-Chic or Grand Millennial. They are not to be blamed. Decorative feeds on Instagram have suddenly been flooded by baroque, classical and rustic pieces that could have been bought by our grandparents to decorate the family lodge in the woods. That may explain why some critics are announcing the revival of the Rustic-Vogue, the Cottage-Core. Also the new type of Shabby-Chic is mentioned. It stands, again, for distressed pickled and rusty surfaces.
There seems to be room for everything, however, regardless of its style. What´s really important is for all of it to be representative of the owner’s personality, may this be a print of an ancient Greek temple or a Warhol-esque poster.
Trendy colors come in pairs
Trendy colors, on the other hand, don’t seem to come forward alone, or one by one, anymore. They now come in pairs instead. What´s trendy is not so much a certain hue itself, but its combination with another one. Pantone started it all by featuring the grey-yellow combination, but other color prescription companies or websites have ventured alternative eye-catching tandems: Green & Plum, Brave Ground/mushroom and Blue, Mustard & Naval. Naval, alone (or dark blue or good old navy) seems to be supertrendy everywhere and on its own.