Should you follow current interior design trends?

Do interior design trends create a stylish home, or do they risk dating your space too quickly?

If you have ever walked into a home or a hotel, a café or any space and immediately felt the warmth and character radiating from every surface, you’re likely to remember it for a long time. It can be hard to put our finger on what “good” design is, but there’s a fair chance it’s not centred around interior design trends and fad items. Creating a home that is a true reflection of yourself while feeling current is certainly a balancing act, particularly when we’re bombarded with trends everywhere. Working to find your own personal style  will help you achieve this balance, allow you to enjoy some trends and ensure your home won’t date at the speed of fast fashion. I want your home to feel fresh without becoming fleeting.

How trends work

It’s easy to be influenced by trends, especially with social media constantly showcasing the latest styles. They entice us with their fun new offerings, styled beautifully in homes online and often made temptingly affordable across homewares retail chains. Trends draw on current events, social movements, technology and economics. They’re often spread by influential people or organisations too.

Trends may be unavoidable, but the most meaningful interiors are those that reflect your personality, how you live, and how you want to feel in your home. These considerations should guide every design decision, creating a space that truly feels like your own. At the moment, scalloped edges can be found everywhere from cushion trims to tray edges, mirrors and ceramics. I love the whimsy of this design feature- but I’m also careful not to overdo it. After all, we want to love our home for many years to come, not just this summer.  

Palette Play Project, Paddington, Brisbane. Photographer Francoise Baudet.

This sweet bedroom in our Palette Play Project, designed for a seven-year-old girl, blends styles to create a timeless space that grows with her. We incorporated our client’s vintage-style iron bed, paired with a modern Australian-made bedside table from Grazia and Co and a classic lamp with a custom shade. Playful artworks, framed in bobbin frames, add a pop of colour and tie the room’s palette together. There are elements of this space that may lean into current trends, but they’re carefully layered with objects, colours and styles that are classic in appeal.

My Design Ethos

My approach to design is all about creating homes that reflect the individuality and lifestyle of my clients. Style should tell your story, highlighting what you love and value most in a home. It’s a blend of influences, but ultimately, your space should feel like it belongs to you. This is why discovering and defining your personal style is important, so you can make beautiful design decisions! My aim is to design timeless, joyful homes that feel personal, lived-in, and not just ‘on trend’.

Interior Design Tips

Before jumping on the latest trend—whether it’s embracing minimalism or filling your home with mid-century modern interior design—consider how you want your space to feel and function. Here are some tips for ensuring you will love something as much tomorrow as you will in a few years.

• It’s ok to fall in love with some interior design trends! It’s all about finding balance.

• Think about whether the trend or style fits your long-term vision and if it will still excite you in a year.

• The most important thing to establish is how you want your home to feel. Once you know this, it can help with your decision-making process when designing or buying things for your home.

• What resonates with you and feels authentic to your family, lifestyle, and personality?

• Is this trend-focused item good quality? Well-constructed enough to be updated, reupholstered or re-painted in years to come?

• It can help to consider objects as forever pieces or heirlooms, particularly big-ticket items like art and furniture. Could you pass this item on?

My client, Kristen enjoying the classic La Mamma chair, Modern Muse Project, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. Photographer Francoise Baudet

Our Modern Muse  Project is a good example of the above points. The home is architecturally designed and contemporary in look and feel. How to achieve an appearance of modernity while offering longevity was the biggest task when choosing furniture and décor.  A contemporary dining table paired with a sisal rug for warmth and texture and classic Thonet chairs —furniture that can be passed down for generations. Some of the pieces in this home such as the La Mamma chair and Gubi lamp were designed many decades ago but still offer appeal- this is due to their thoughtful design and quality manufacturing. Buy once and buy well, as the old adage goes.

How to Invest in Good Design

Are trends good or bad? Well, constantly updating your home to keep up with trends can be costly, unsustainable, and result in what’s known as "footpath furniture"—pieces that don’t stand the test of time. Instead, I recommend investing in well-crafted, timeless pieces—like locally made, classic, or vintage and antique furniture. Not only does this create a beautiful, lasting home, but it also supports sustainability. Consider implementing trends you love in ways that are not too impactful. Items that can be updated but not thrown out completely, for example.

Rather than following a single trend or interior design style, I design with a mix of influences that reflect my client’s lifestyle. In both my own home and client projects, I love blending colour, pattern, and texture with a combination of new and antique furniture, contemporary art, and personal pieces with history or nostalgia. Whether it’s pairing a vintage rug with a modern low sofa and a Mid-Century lamp or combining a modern timber dining table with timeless Wishbone chairs beneath an oversized Japanese-style paper pendant, mixing styles creates a space that feels personal, authentic, and timeless—one that stands the test of time and reflects who you are, not just what’s trending.

California Soul Project, Holland Park Brisbane. Photographer Hannah Puechmarin

How do you know what your personal style is?
If you’re ready to discover what you truly love and how you want your home to feel, download my Define Your Personal Style Workbook. Grab a coffee and have some fun defining your style and making confident, timeless design decisions—without the costly mistakes.