by Patricia Cove

When I started my Interior Design business almost 30 years ago, the world of interiors was much different. Cabbage roses were all the rage, and billowing window treatments complemented all forms of fenestration. Shades of lilac and mauve were the go-to wall colors, and if you were lucky enough to own a Georgian dining table, your interior design dreams were complete.

And who can forget 20 years earlier when harvest gold and avocado green took center stage? Bathrooms were pink and black, and your finished basement was red and white. Aren't we glad those years are gone?

It is really hard to tell when one trend fades away and another one begins. Who exactly determines that cabbage roses are out and gray walls are in? It happens so gradually, but it certainly does happen. And even though trends are exciting and help keep the economy moving, if you're not careful, they can also be way too accessible, becoming way too commonplace and headed straight for way too boring. The good news is, we are currently in transition. The gray clouds that have surrounded us for several years now are starting to break, and we are beginning to see true colors.

The Pantone Company has set color trends for years, but their colors are so saturated it can be hard to buy into them. This year it is number 1546 “Living Coral.” Additionally, for a color like that to really catch on, it should be around for more than one year.

Top New York and Los Angeles designers can also set trends, but they need a cadre of followers to pick up on them and carry them to the masses. Large branding companies can set trends, as well as mega design firms like Gensler. That firm is so on top of trends that they produce a 10" x 15" catalogue each year that names trends in everything from planning and urban design to aviation and transportation.

But where exactly are we now in the world of interiors? If you are of a certain Gen Z or Millennial age, you have been on trend for a while now with your dining room designed a la Pottery Barn and your living room done in Restoration Hardware.

The look is clean, earthy, and bordering on industrial chic. And it is not going the way of cabbage roses any time soon, at least not this year. this year.

If you are a Generation Xer, you may still have one or two of those sleek lacquered pieces popular in the 80s combined with a brass and glass cocktail table or two. And as far as us Baby Boomers go, most of us are still hanging on to our parent’s bedroom “suite,” and that cherished Georgian dining table. (Which brings up the whole “antique” discussion, worthy of a column all its own.)

My design business has never been about trashing cherished treasures or grasping one trend and never letting go. It is all about designing rooms around pieces that you love, creating spaces that are warm, inviting, and reflective of personalities, while all at the same time understanding the elements that make room designs successful: balance, proportion, symmetry (or asymmetry!), color, pattern and texture.

One question still remains: Who really wants to be “trendy” anyhow? Aren’t we all striving to be unique? Don't we want to express our individuality and do so with confidence? So, with that in mind, you Gen Xers and Millennials out there, go call your parents and tell them that you really do want that quirky 1970s sofa. Then reupholster it in a jewel-tone fabric, (or even gray, if you must), and place it with prominence in what used to be called the "living room.” Then sit back and watch what all your neighbors and friends do next.

Happy trendsetting!

Patricia Cove is principal of Architectural Interiors and Design in Chestnut Hill, and lectures on design, preservation, and decorative arts. She can be reached at patricia@patriciacove.com