trendey

…is what Ben Brougham calles his style. With the reservation ”I’m still not sure if that exactly defines it”. Whatever the definition – it surely is difficult to label personal style – this is an interesting style! As featured in the superb e-magazine Lonny. Seeing that Mr Brougham also contributed with some interesting comments and advice we pick up this track with some hightlights.

The wall in this room is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Surf Blue. This strong teal colour could have been overwhelming, but the collection of pictures and heirlooms break up the colour and prevents that. A very clever – and inspirational – move is that he left the opposite wall white and hanged some mid-century vintage mirrors (collected from car-boot sales) on it. This makes the mirrors pick up the teal and the collection from the wall opposite.

As for collections, Ben’s advice is to only collect things you love. Base a collection on a common theme – this can be anything from colour to material to subject matter. Play with scale; group objects of varying size and scale. His choice collections includes e.g. portraiture: old pictures of people, old family objects, and he also has a passion for vintage photographs of sailors.

Full story of An Eclectic Collection can be read here, at Lonny mag. To close this, let’s hear Ben Brougham’s advice on mixing patterns: be brave. People worry about things matching too much, but design never advances if it’s not pushed. This is entirely consistent with my decor philosophy. Don’t worry, push it if you are a push-it-person, and always surround yourself with things you love and feel at home and happy with. And of course this last inspirational advice:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it right over again again again:.. the decor heros of our times are Granny and Grandpa! They knew how to do it :) Some of the most beloved items in our home were given or inherited from our grandparents. Here’s another tour at Mia’s! First up, the dining area rug – from Mike’s Grandpa. Grandpa Birger in his turn got it from his sister Elin, who was actually born and raised in the neighborhood we live in right now. In other words, this rug has been on a voyage and now, in its old days, come back home.

Next, below, my beloved pendulum clock I got from late Grandpa Sven. He got this clock when he quit his job as a private chauffeur in the 50s. I think it’s the most beautiful vintage clock there is. To the right, ceramic art signed Grandma Tora. She was a ceramic artist, who amongst other things had owls in her repertoire. This artistry is now contined through the trendey-mum (more about her works later)).

In his new book Let’s Decorate, the intrepid British interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen sets out his recommendations for how to best go about being your own interior designer. The place to start when designing a room, he advises, is with a cold glass of Chardonnay. This – my favourite tip in the book! – is intended to illustrate that it’s important that you are as relaxed and unconstrained as possible as you start to build up a mental picture of what your dream room might look like (if you’re a teetotaler, I’m sure it works equally well with a cup of tea and a sit-down!). Said and done, halfway through a glass of wine (in my case Merlot), the decision was made! As the first project of our new house - the main bedroom – already looks rather Swedish (pine floor, pine windows, pine most things), we decided to go for a modern Scandinavian look (think pale wood floors, grey, white, bright and uncluttered).

So, on to the second step as advised by Laurence – seek inspiration pictures and visualise colours and type of furniture. I was surprised to discover that the photos that best seemed to contain my image of a modern Scandinavian look did not come from Sweden, or even Scandinavia, but from Australia! More precisely from an alpine retreat called “Fjall” in Falls Creek, an Australian ski resort.

I would like to inject a few more bold colours somewhere, go easy on the wood on the walls and add some more quirky touches, but overall here’s some excellent inspiration pics on Scandinavian style courtesy of Australian Fjall! Go figure!

Every now and then, I slip into the subject ‘Prevailing trends in styling and decor in Stockholm’. I find it interesting and therefore we certainly have *quite a few* mentions of “Stockholm-White” and entries on this city’s homogen real estate ads here at Trendey. Then again, we are 50 % Stockholm-based.

A very welcome feature in the Stockholm home style department is Fantastic Frank – a new real estate agent. Fantastic Frank deals with homes with character, in a new way. Fantastic Frank looks at the character of the home or house in question, and takes that as a starting point. Only then you can see who will stay there next. Therefore, their aim in managing property sales is to reach the few who loves the place, rather than to reach the very many who likes it.

Fantastic Frank works with renowned fashion photographer Anders Lindén and stylists in their concept and offers the seller six different themed packages to choose from (i.e. including styling, brochures, ads, etc). Emma’s design blog featured one of these themes the other day, Fantastic Frank’s first object on the market which was Wallstreet – themed: quiet, elitist and designed. Another theme or interior design profile is Scandinavia; below is a few photos from the very first apartment for sale within this theme.

I love the carrots and the dala horse! Other themes are the Newyorkish and sleek The Loft, the traditional and academic Boston, the classic noble Gustaf - think period features and herringbone parquet – and lastly the creative and warm Boheme. Oh, and did I mention Fantastic Frank also has a blog.

Now why is Frank Fantastic? I think these (freely translated) words from Founder and Creative Director Tomas Backman says it all:

I have always admired my grandparents for their careful concerns of their homes. A curtain change to cooling white for the summer, or bright red for Christmas changed the mood of the whole apartment and made the home change character several times a year. A home is more than the size and space between the apartment walls. Our minds are more affected by the light and colours, the sounds and structures, than of a design chair.

We feel good when we are inspired, when we know that there is a purpose with what we surround ourselves with. Once a home has character we can have a relationship to it.

Although I like the layout of this room, I have a tangible feel something is missing. Question is: what would you do to this room? How would you furnish and decorate?

I think I would either want it to be a faded glamourous, granny-esque bedroom (with a French headboard of course). Or, and I’m leaning towards this one, I’d have a go with colours. I’d want to make it a cozy attic with an artistic eclectic vibe. Carefree, with lots of warming, overlapping rugs, comfy seating, interesting lamps here and there and a mishmash of things I like. One could always ask oneself what Pippi would do. Ms Longstocking wants you to do things differently. There’s lots of room for that. No rules apply.

| pic by photographer Andrea Ferrari |

Ever pondered why Swedish homes are featured at every turn? Why Swedish and Scandinavian style has a such a strong foothold in interior design? This new floor show, Light and Fresh, pinpoints the reasons. It’s a show with two of Sweden’s most popular comedians and entertainers, Fredrik Lindström and Henrik Schyffert. Topic is home decor hysteria. The Swedes are probably the world’s most trend anxious people. We Swedes spend ridiculous amounts of time to think about how our homes should look like and have a quest for the perfect place. We devote more time to choose a white hue for our walls than to reflect on the crisis in geriatric care.

- We are two men who dare to stand up and say we are interested in interior design, the performers say. And their theory is that Swedes decorate all the more because it’s easier to knock out a wall at home than to take hold of other things in life; it gives a sense of control. At the same time, due to the anxiety we dare soon not even buy a cushion without consulting a expert. The serious undertone is that our quest for the perfect home really stems from feelings of insecurity. The show premieres Jan 28, 2011, at Berns Salonger.

Words are really superfluous…..but: trendey not only care about styling and trends, we’re on a gender mission! Nah, not really. But home decor / interior design is gender-relevant. It’s not only women who like it. Not just women who have taste… Not only women live in homes (!) Not only women are parents. Not only girls helps to set the table. IKEA catalogue 2011 – you are hereby gender approved.

…together with something new, something old and something borrowed. An excellent interior design formula!

| images: The world of interiors, August 2010 issue |

The ‘borrowed’-part might have several translations in terms of decor, e.g borrowed from another style…borrowed from a friend…Bottom line is though, I’m crazy for blue. Hit the tag blue you’ll find a dozen posts I’ve written about this colour. It keeps coming back! And, I am completely on the mix-track. Take stuff you love, whether they are new, old, inherited, found at the dump or borrowed. Let the elements play together. Add blue :)

| image: Living Etc, September 2010 issue |

It is now only minutes before HRH Crown Princess Victoria and her Mr Daniel Westling will give their wedding vows in Stockholm Cathedral. Trendey ™ wish the bridal couple the very utterly best of luck and love with many joyous years to come at beautiful Haga Castle.

…and since the decorating of Haga Castle is our foremost concern, we attach to our best wishes some trendey advice: Make something sparkling our of Haga Castle. Spring from traditions, but create something contemporary with your personal interior edge. Surround yourselves with lots of love and items dear to you. The decor is your unique mix. Let the interiors be as glamorous as your dresses, Princess! Let the interiors be as earthy as yourself, Prince Daniel!

Now, returning to the eclectic decor style. What determines whether the decorator has mastered this style?

Maybe we can apply law here! In copyright law, the term ‘threshold of originality‘ (Sw. verkshöjd) determines when a creator of a work has certain exclusive rights. Threshold of originality means that something reaches a level of artistry – it is a measure of originality, individuality and independence. The threshold of originality does not include the ideas, the subject or contents of a work, but its unique shape, expression and interpretation. Originality has to do with a reflection of the author’s/creator’s personality. You see where I’m going with this..? :)

The main characteristics of the eclectic decor style is that it radiates authenticity and originality. It is telling of its creator. Furthermore, the eclectic style has been associated some benchmarks: a mix of several styles; design elements should coordinate or have a unifying component; main decor principles should be followed; harmony created. I’m a qualified lawyer but I am no judge. So I’m turning to you: what do you say about the level of artistry in these decors, 1-5? (more…)

In a column in the latest issue of Swedish Residence Kjell Häglund says Swedes have become trend-bulimics. We are compulsory eaters of home decor trends. Chew and spit, spit and chew. In a furious speed. Before the “right” lamp or furniture piece is for sale, we have bought it.

Worse still, we put ourselves on high horses with our “knowledge”. You can see it in the evening newspapers. They have started to let people send in pictures of their homes and comment on others’ home pictures. Result? Many disparaging remarks. Mean notes and remarks on almost everything from fellow readers who know exactly how the decor should be. Swedes are anxious, believe me, and our resistance to supreme trends is weak.

In view of this, let’s strike a blow for a narrow – almost no trend at all- trend: again; the Swedish folk style. Something old, reliable and genuine. No fuzz. One can not write about Swedish folk decor without mentioning Carl Larsson (1853-1919).

photo: Carl Larsson Garden

The home – the interior ideal – created by artist couple Carl and Karin Larsson in Sundborn more than 100 years ago, has been given standing as the archetype of Swedishness. Sweden’s first interior design book A home by Carl Larsson, with 24 paintings from Little Hyttnäs in Sundborn, came out in 1889. In this book Carl Larsson describes how a nice home can be created with simple means. He writes:

Therefore, o, Swede, save yourself in time, again become simple and dignified, be rather clumsy than elegant, dress up in leather, fur and wool, make yourself furniture that fit your heavy body, and way in strong colours in everything, yes, the so-called gaudy, which are necessary as contrasts to the deep green pine forests and the cold white snow, and let your hand freely cut or paint the meandering he is willing and able to on your furniture. Then you will become happy in the feeling of being yourself, it will go well, and you shall live long upon the earth. Amen.

The painting “Skamvrån” (‘The Shame Corner’) by Carl Larsson

We have a special eye to trends here @trend-ey. It has been suggested that the main interior trend of 2010 is not to follow any trends. The trend is anti-trend. Key words are personality, freedom of choice, individuality and creativity. To celebrate diversity and imperfection. Or perfection. You choose: Individuality rules!

So, how is this expressed? So far we have seen a strong mix-trend. To mix and match, or actually: mix and consciously miss-match. Preferably, you mix new sustainable design with old furniture and fittings from flea markets and auctions. You mix shabby industrial parts with soft delicate fabrics and fine arts. Re-paint, re-use, and return to your (great) grandmother’s caches. Create your own unique design and decor by putting together spare pieces from today and yesteryear.

| photo: freshome |

Ideally, in this trend, you pretend not to pretend. You are above and beyond trends; you do as you like. Your newborn obsession with heirlooms and flea market finds is just You, it’s your personality. Now who’s fooling who. This isn’t follow no trends, is it?

So what is and what will be the expression and direction of the anti-trend trend? It is not the parisian rock chic, crazy colourful, eco, folklore or country chic; they are all trends… An anti-trend is an aversion to something that is usually chosen. So this need to work behind always-closed doors, otherwise people will ape after each other right? And there, we have the seeds of a trend.

As a first option I boldly say:

There is no such thing as an anti-trend trend. You can not escape.

Option two:

The supply will be wide and diverse, in interior design magazines and blogs and in every conceivable kind of shop. Personal style rules. The world is our interior design oyster.

Option three:

Back to basics. The prevailing perception is that you should own as few things as ever possible. Eco-thinking and consequences of the consumer society makes us want to live organically and be self-sufficient as far as possible. We really don’t care about glossy magazines and expensive design products. Mother Earth is our interior design oyster.