The Generation Gap
Revisiting home fashion from 2000
Think back to December of 1999. As the concern over potential digital chaos resulting from a turn-of-the-century tech quagmire raged, interior designers were busy fashioning home style trends to enter a new phase. It’s considered a full generation from a population timeline perspective, and the evolution of décor has followed along with anticipated changes in taste, as well as a desire to plunge ourselves into fashionable and comfortable living environments. Revisiting and reworking design trends from decades past may be an inspiring event, so let’s take a shot at inviting the year 2000 into the future.
Interior design from the year 2000 is considered by many to be a mix of avoiding the more flamboyant 1970s and throwing a bit of spice into the blasé 1990s. A focus on functionality was a pursuit in the minds of professionals and amateurs looking to improve on the ever-changing aesthetics of where we live and even work.
First up is a reintroduction of color. It’s a basic, classic visual element with no shortage of sensory impact. Interiors in the ‘90s tended to favor neutrality and simplicity. Along comes a new century and a new attitude, moving toward more color, texture, silhouetting, and contrast. Design journalist Eve Smallman brilliantly points out the connection between how we style our abodes and how we cling to our past. Nostalgia is a powerful motive, which is why the terms “vintage” and “retro” are household words.
Smallman cites input from psychologists who say nostalgic elements allow us to re-experience earlier, safer times, and to include favorites from the past in our present settings. They also remind us that there are multiple style aesthetics, and there is no one defining aspect of design in any era.
Here are five trends many are exploring as they bring the Y2K era into the present:
1. Bold wallpaper
2. Space-saving built-in storage and shelving
3. Metallic accents
4. Colorful kitchens
5. Statement rugs
6. Rich, bright carpet and even wood flooring
Your personal taste will drive how you go about creating a space that’s livable, fashionable, and comfortable for you and your family. A broad search of interior design trends from the year 2000 will yield a flood of emotion and a litany of options to make your home setting your own.
Photo by Tanya Prodaan on Unsplash