Trends Start Somewhere

If I had a dime for every time someone said, "But Hanna, what if this goes out of style?" I'd at least have enough to buy an enormous fancy cup of coffee. I completely understand the human need to fit in, and I've been the victim of this train of thought on more than one occasion, but for a moment may I challenge you to explore the what if of being a trend setter over a trend follower?

Have you seen this kitchen before? Probably not because it's one of a kind just like my client.

Consider the story of my wedding dress. I knew my vintage inspired theme needed a lace dress. I was drawn to them, I longed for one, and in my minds eye I saw it perfectly.

Here is the deal, Jon didn't like lace, and far be it from me to not look stunning for my husband to be. To make it even more confusing I took 7 lovely ladies with me dress shopping, all of whose opinion's I deeply cared for and they all had their own vision for how I was to look on that special day.

“Anything and everything you do in your home should be for you and your friends and family.”

I ended up picking a simple A-line with lovely details but no lace whatsoever. It was a hybrid of the one that made my mom cry and the others that everyone else liked, but at the end of the day the dress was "okay". I say this knowing my parents blessed me with a LOVELY gown, but after the fact I found out that Jon didn't like a lace collar and sleeves, but was fine with a lace overlay... lesson learned. Not going with your gut, trying to please everyone, and misinterpreting other's desires makes compromise the safe but often boring and even wrong choice.

Me on my wedding day being OK in my dress!

So what does any of this mean for your interior? Consider this your push into your own skin where you feel joy, comfort, love, and laughter. Unless you plan to resell your home in the next 2 years, anything and everything you do in your home should be for you and your friends and family.

5 reasons why you need to go with your gut when making bold design choices

1. Be the Trend Setter: Anyone can go on Pinterest, copy the ideas of others and recreate the same neutral pallet that values safety over originality. Can you imagine your pictured room spreading like wild fire on Pinterest because you went with the deep emerald green bookcases you've always dreamed of in your minds eye? Hey, everyone needs something to tell their grand kids!

2. Things get Old: Materials wear out and will need to be replaced at some point regardless! Definitely don't play it safe with easy to change things like paint, and carpets. Maybe take some time on things like countertops and cabinets that are expensive to replace, but even then, hiring a good designer can help you stretch your comfort zone with the security of consistent design principles.

3. Personality is Posh: It's not backed up by science, but from my experience people love honesty and when you design based on you, and not for the mass-appeal, people can't help but want to be near you and your super cool space. Let's face it, the good, the bad, and the ugly are much more appealing than the covered up instagram worthy life we aim for. You be you because trust me, you are interesting!

4. Timelessness is a Myth: I get it, there are things that are always beautiful but design and art are subjective. Just because something is seemingly "timeless" doesn't mean it's for everyone, so even in your best attempt to design a timeless beauty, we live in a world of constant change and it's simply not something that is attainable in full. You can get close on the timeless spectrum but nothing is time proof so don't focus all your energy on trying to achieve it.

5. The Cycle of Life: All design pallets, styles, and trends are on a cycle. Whether you are on the coast or are part of the marvelous midwest, nothing will last forever, but it will be back, and back again, most likely on a 10 year minimum cycle. Everyone thought brass and wall paper were dead, but guess what, it's 2019 and they are very much alive. If you wait long enough anything can come and go out of style, so why be slaved to such a finicky, ever changing industry?

Compromising for the sake of pleasing others, and constantly playing it safe in interiors will lead to so much gray and white. These are great colors and I use them all the time, but what I want is to see YOU in your spaces. I know you are not all gray. I've seen the color of life in my friends, family, and clients and it's screaming for a chance to get out so stop quieting the call, inspire trends, and above all, make space.

All my love, Hanna Shiplett

Interior Designer

Wife & Mom

Wanna be ballerina

Lover of interesting people and things