5 interior design trends that didn’t land in 2019

Ah, interior design trends; always forecasted, but so rarely adopted. In 2019, there were a few trends that were set to be big that were honestly anything but.

The reason for this? Well, so many forecasts come in from overseas and they just don’t appeal to our Aussie sensibilities. Like an otterhound or the people who sign up for MAFS, we’re a special, unique breed.

Other trends were just plain silly or impractical. So allow me to drop some truth bombs on the interior design trends that none of us were quite ready to get on board within 2019.

1. Coloured terrazzo

Back up, Becky! We’re barely ready to embrace terrazzo in black or white, let alone having the guts to rock it in red or green. For many of us, terrazzo still gives off school toilet vibes.

The truth is, we’ll rock marble furniture and decor for a few more years and finally embrace terrazzo when our overseas counterparts are moving onto something else. It’s OK; we’re slow to adopt a trend.

Few of us were bold enough to try coloured terrazzo. Picture: Getty

2. Peach and apricot

Both colour forecasters from overseas and local paint brands encouraged us to put pastels on our walls. But sorry to be the bearer of bad news – we’re just not ready. In fact, our open plan, indoor-meets-out homes rarely leave us wanting anything but white.

Or an off white. A slight shade of something close to white. And for the most daring among us, light grey. But an apricot bathroom? It’s a hard no.

Peach and apricot tones went the same way as millennial pink in 2019: Out of style. Picture: Getty

3. Vintage vibes

Everything old is new again, except when it comes to rocking grandma’s spoon collection. Sure, things are moving in a more sustainable direction. Aussies are looking to buy less mass-produced furniture and decor. And there’s also a lean toward custom-made, buy-once furniture.

However, the idea that we’re out at second-hand stores hunting down old lampshades and record players just isn’t happening.

Proof that a vintage space doesn’t need to be grandma-infused. Picture: Ross Cameron

4. Soft bathrooms

The idea of the bathroom becoming more than just a functional zone is where this idea started.

It’s a place to escape, trend forecasters were telling us. We want bathrooms to become day spas; a place to recharge.

And so someone suggested that padded seats in bathrooms and adorning furniture with cushions was the next big thing. I don’t know how big their bathrooms are, but if I tried to fit a chair in my bathroom the only place it’d be sitting is inside the shower.

The bathroom is not the place for cushions. Picture: realestate.com.au

5. Loud walls

You see it in celebrity homes overseas all the time: loud wallpaper adorned with leopard print or zebra stripes. But let’s be real; you rarely see this sort of design courage executed locally.

Wallpaper is definitely gaining momentum in Aussie homes, it’s true. But the colours are muted, patterns are subtle, and often softly textured – to give interest rather than invigoration.

Like babies on an aeroplane, we want our wallpaper to whisper, not yell.

Loud wallpaper is not for the faint-hearted. Picture: Tamara Graham

Originally published as 5 interior design trends that didn’t land in 2019 by Chris Carroll.