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Design Dilemma: A Back to Basics Moment

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We’re having a back to basics moment. Again and again, at furniture and design fairs and between the covers of glossy shelter magazines, we are noting that one thing rings true for 2017: designers are pushing simple, streamlined styles that are mature and timeless rather than radical or wild. Perhaps it is in reaction to the political and social tenor or our time. What we are looking for these days can be boiled down to no excitement.

Reports from the Salone del Mobile in Milan this year seemed to support this theme. Sober and calm, for example, pretty much sums up what was on view earlier this year, in the form of were luxurious minimal pieces and very large, comfortable sofas where the entire family can cocoon together. Sofas were not avant garde, but safe. And while large, they were not bulky.  The rule of thumb was simple lines, rounded forms and neutral colors, finished in high quality materials with lots of attention to detail. Gray, beige and tweed made a big appearance in this mature, sober environment.

So what does this look translate to at home? Let’s take a look.

Below, the sofa “Vuelta”, by Jaime Hayon for Austrian company Wittman, seems to exemplify the spirit of 2017. The design is simple and classic. The material is a tweedy gray. The couch is a large one, but it is not bulky in any way, perched as it is on dainty black legs that eliminate a bulky feel.

And here is yet another interior direct from the Salone Del Mobile. It’s the Tama Living sofa amd Mwamba carpet by Eoos Design, for German manufacturer Walter Knoll.

The Manhattan living room below seems to pick up on a few of the trend to sober calm. The colors are neutral and feel tranquil. The room feels timeless, embracing a mix of furniture styles, both modern and traditional. A few dramatic elements like large art add some spice.

And here, a farmhouse feels modern and fun, but calming, thanks to sculptural furniture in rounded and organic shapes in soft neutral colors.

Here’s another relaxing space:

And here:

And here:

And here:

So what should you keep in mind if you want to go back to basics?

• Don’t overstuff your rooms with furniture. Pare back. In most instances, just a couch and coffee table are enough for a living room.
• Choose less furniture, but very comfortable furniture. Make sure that couches are big enough to really stretch out on. Your rooms should invite relaxation.
• Glory in neutrals. Avoid brighter colors, and stick with either grays, beiges or softer almost pastel-like colors.
• Choose rounded furniture pieces with organic shapes.
• Embrace tweed — on upholstery and carpets.
• Celebrate natural light. Let the light take the center stage, rather than the furniture.

In unpredictable times, nothing calls like the lure of predictability!