There’s a trend in interior design and decorating happening right now that has taken some designers and industry insiders by surprise. Gone is the appeal for stainless steel and shiny chrome. Gone are the calls for sleek and modern. They’ve been replaced with a clamoring for the homey, the cozy, the old fashioned. And while the swing from urban and edgy to down home and cozy has taken experts by surprise, they have happened for good reason. Let’s take a look at some old-fashioned lifestyle habits that are coming back in a big way.
1. Folks are more family focused. Whether you’re a young couple with children, an older couple with an adult child once again living at home, or a family with multiple generations—kids, parents, and grandparents—sharing the same roof, we’ve become more family-centric. And with that focus on family, we focus on the little things that make our families special, including each other’s meaningful belongings. Grandpa’s prized Black Forest cuckoo clocks, Grandma’s handmade quilts, and the many other keepsakes collected by the people of the house over the years are more important to showcase than some new flashy décor.
2. Folks are spending more time at home. Be it the economy, family dynamics, or just a return to a simpler lifestyle with less eating out and running hither, thither, and yon, many people are going out less. Many times, going out often means visiting friends and family in their homes. All this staying in is renewing a call for comfort and coziness. We want our homes to be warm and inviting, not cold and sterile. The kitchen is becoming the “heart” of the home again. Dinner parties are once again popular. Family game night and movie marathons are replacing trips to the mall or cinema. We don’t want to spend our evenings surrounded by delicate objet d’art we’re afraid the kids will break. We don’t want our weekends spent in the cold, modern climate of chrome, glass, and steel. We’d rather have things that we can use as well as cherish, enjoy as well as admire.
3. Life is getting simpler. It might be a backlash against all the high-tech gadgetry and communications that surround us every day, or it could just be the necessities of a not-so-great economy, but whatever it is, Americans are downsizing and simplifying all across the country. There is a migration of sorts moving back into smaller homes and flats in more urban areas, and out of the larger, sprawling houses of the suburbs. There is also a nationwide trend in downsizing as Boomers retire and give up their larger, older family homes for smaller, easier-to-care-for apartments and “starting over” homes. All this simplification and going from big to small is causing people to make decisions about just what is essential and what they can live without.
What does all this mean, really? It means that, at least to some degree, we’re collectively recognizing that generations before us had it right. That spending time with family, cherishing special mementos instead of over-consuming needless gadgets, and simplifying our homes and lives can bring more meaning to life. With what’s really valuable in mind, we can reflect on our lifestyles and decide what brings true happiness. Maybe it’s not so bad being old fashioned after all.