Why This Living Room Nails 8 of Our Favorite Design Trends
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The fireplace, the cleverly upholstered bergère chair, the eclectic mix of styles—this dreamy living room from India Hicks’s Harbour Island home may have been shot by Arthur Elgort for Vogue almost 20 years ago, but it looks like it could have been photographed yesterday. Why? Below, the eight timeless design trends that explain why it is (still) so irresistible.
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros.1/8The White Marble Fireplace . . .
These days, a remodeled Brooklyn townhouse seems to be the ultimate dream home. Articles from The New York Times and Nancy Meyers’s most recent set for The Intern, which ditched California ranches and Hamptons beach houses for just that, are proof enough. And if there is any pièce de résistance of the brownstone category, it’s got to be the white marble fireplace. Minimalist yet detailed, it is the (literal) hearth of any stylish and oh-so-lucky home.
An image from the set of Nancy Meyers’s The Intern
Photographed by Francois Halard, Vogue November 20032/8. . . With a Mirror on Top
We’re not quite sure what it is, but something about this combo is undeniably appealing. Clean yet decorated, this double harbinger of light makes our eyes brighten more than the screen of our Pinterest feeds. We’ve seen it in Vogue and on Vogue.com—this solution to sidestep potentially polarizing art is easy to recommend.
Hugo Guinness’s Brooklyn living room photographed for Vogue by François Halard, November 2003
Photo: (From left) Courtesy of onekingslane.com; Courtesy of chairish.com3/8Antique French Chairs
Blame it on our inner 6-year-old, but for many of us, it’s hard to ultimately shake the enduring soft spot for all things pink and French. However, if you can’t go full tilt and decorate your apartment à la Marie Antoinette (think of your poor boyfriend), a reupholstered Louis XV or bergère chair satisfies cravings while not turning your home into a period piece.
Fuchsia Agatha Bergère chair, $679, onekingslane.com
Photo: Courtesy of onekingslane.com; Louis XV walnut armchair with jaguar spot cowhide, $1,346, chairish.com
Photo: (From left) Courtesy of ikea.com; Courtesy of allmodern.com4/8Mixing in Modern Pieces
We’ve all (foolishly) made the Ikea dash in search of one thing—a piece of furniture that will be “easy” to find but turns out to be the minotaur in the maze. When finally we reach the right section (end tables!), our primal instincts take over. What appeals? Simple. Modern. Clean. White. Luckily, a piece such as this tends to naturally mix into any space and add a certain level of relaxed appeal. Multiple time eras are now in play—without much effort needed.
Ikea lack side table, $10, ikea.com; La Viola Decor Lukens end table, $459, allmodern.com
Photo: Courtesy of @justinablakeney5/8Palm Fronds
There is a certain breed of Los Angeles homegirl (e.g., Justina Blakeney) on our Instagram feeds who seems to have life figured out. These decor bloggers have airy homes that mix in colorful world textiles—and the occasional palm frond floral arrangement. Space-filling and vaguely majestic, with the hint of a tropical breeze, what could set a better mood? They remind us of our dream (imaginary) Southern California abode we’ll never own.