To get the rage about home decor trends...

[catpoooffender]

I've just moved house and have been looking online for style inspiration. But I'm just getting so tired of seeing the same thing everywhere. It's not that it doesn't look good, it's just that it's done to death.

Typically you will have a grey room, with throws artfully draped over the arm of the sofa. The furniture will be all white. There will be a floor lamp, probably tripod style. Candles will adorn the shelves, along with multiple house plants. On the pouffe, there will be a pretty tray, with two more of the following: a candle, a small vase, a book, some pretty cups. Hanging on the wall or on a shelf somewhere will be a framed print of some inspirational saying - possibly 'she said she could, so she did' or just a single word, like 'family' or 'love' or 'home'. Other artwork or mirrors will be placed on shelves and will lean against the wall, rather than being flat against them.

I'm not knocking any of this. I just yearn for something different.

My cousin has 'this kitchen is for dancing' in some sort of large type, scroll font on the wall. It's completely random and I always wonder why she has it given she hates Strictly.

I have all you described, but with led lights, a gallery wall full of gothic art, taxidermy, skulls and bugs on my walls. Photos from our holidays, lots of gold to add warmth. It can be personalized to your own taste.

I have grey things as base items so sofa (dark for any stain issues!) carpet (very light grey but easy to clean) and I do also have white walls. I have a mix of light wood and white wood furniture.

I am terrible at painting and the cutting in and I don’t want to pay someone to do it. I’ve gone for colour in most rooms though, my bedroom is a real mish mash and of things I really like but it’s very light and airy with white walls and I like that. I don’t like heavy dark colours and rooms and I think the trend has been pretty light and airy. I don’t have any grey at all in the kitchen and bathrooms though because I think that would be way too much grey!

Any art I have on my walls downstairs is all hand drawn by my DD and framed or photos. I have a really old vintage pin board (it’s from the 60’s!) which is really heavy. I also have in my room some vintage movie posters.

I have nothing against the grey trend it doesn’t offend me, like I said I do prefer light rooms to dark ones

I love looking at property online and seeing other peoples decor. I agree this is boring.

@phlebasconsidered

I like grey. There are some lovely warm pale greys and I find it really calming with warm colours added to it. It's a much nicer neutral than magnolia. Most of our lower floor is a very pale yellow but upstairs my room is grey and yellow, my sons is grey and red / burgundy, my daughters is grey and green, the landing and study are grey and pearl and the bathroom is grey and blue. It's a lovely silk paint and it looks light and airy - not depressing.

See now I have no problem with this. You have had the insight to add others colours to offset the grey. Something different for each room.

The grey room I have has splashes of navy blue and red With dark wood, So has a completely different look to the Uniform Hinch style grey and white, With absolutely No other colour added.
It would be ok if it was one room but it’s the the fact that the whole house matches the Exact same scheme. Just seems soulless!

I've decorated a house from top to bottom in the last year and think I've hit nearly every Farrow & Ball cliche in the book

Bedroom in Hague Blue? Check.
Navy kitchen with matching blue feature wall at the opposite end of the kitchen/diner? Check.
Stiffkey Blue hall with original wood features left unpainted and William Morris lampshade? Check.
Use of Sulking Room Pink? Check. (I'm not actually that keen on it, but the room has an absolutely enormous - think 6ft wide - monumnetal red brick feature fireplace and SRP makes it disappear a bit!)
Grey bathroom done in Plummet? Check.

The only 'in' colours I haven't managed to shoehorn in are Downpipe and Railings, but when I replace the front door....

(I haven't used real F&B, it's the Johnstones Trade colour-matched stuff. Much nicer to work with and a lot cheaper.)

Anyway, my point was yes, it's cliched, and yes, it'll probably date, but I don't care, I like it and I'm not planning to sell the house for a couple of decades at least, so it really doesn't matter whether it's on trend or not.

I really like Art Deco inspired ornamental crap. It can be a bit love or hate though for visitors!

I generally decorate in a way that makes me happy with the end result. I’m not bothered if other people like it, as it’s my home.

I like using grey as a neutral base in some rooms. Like any colour though, having it as the main colour in every room of the home does seem a bit plain to me. I don’t judge people for it though, as it must make them happy!

I like grey and my whole open plan hall, stairs, landing and dining room are light grey with white woodwork. It's a vaguely Scandi look if anything, and I don't have anything that fits in with the rest of that grey trend - no crushed velvet or stupid phrases on the walls etc! I hate the opulent look and dark or intense colours- I find them oppressive and non-relaxing. Pale neutrals are peaceful!

When I decorate I choose one thing - a piece of furniture, a picture, curtains, whatever - and then choose everything else around it. I love colour and have never liked neutral walls etc. One of my favourite colours when decorating is green as, depending in shade, it goes with anything, so most of my rooms have green somewhere. My current living room would sound very gaudy if I told you the colours, but actually, it is gorgeous, warm and inviting. It was designed around a wallpaper I liked.

Its really hard to develop a cohesive and authentic style from the off. If you have good charity shops try old interior design books and pick what you like from different times. Or, some books show styles from around the world.

Another thing is to take photos of places where you have felt really comfortable and happy and seeing any common style elements apply.

@ VettiyaIruken 2nd answer in has the answer!!

I actually really like grey as a background colour. Am very happy with how our house looks....sorry you feel so enraged!!

I live right by the sea, surrounded by bush, and a long way from civilisation. Most people I know who live near the beach go for the cliche of blue and white and seaside motifs - horrid. I've done grey-green, white tiles, black accents, silver bits, lots of cane/wicker, dark Persian carpets, some wooden cottage-y antiques to give the rooms gravitas and depth, old wooden shelves laden with books, and china from my great-grandfather's house in Exeter. Sounds very formal, but it's not at all. The green /grey reflects the changing colours of sky, sea and bush, and the house, though once an old wooden shack by the sea, is a little haven of calm and family history. Grey is the perfect shade, and I will never change it.

A lot of people seem to feel they have to defend their use of grey, or are offended by the thread. To reiterate, I don't dislike the colour at all and I don't judge those who have it in their house. I was just finding that whenever I searched for inspiration that's all I was getting. I was yearning for variety, which I've now found thanks to some recommendations. There is some grey in our new house which I intend to keep.

The 'all grey' theme is boring and for people with no imagination, I say this as someone with an 80% grey house because I have no imagination/vision.

Would love to have the money to pay an interior designer! (Or magically have an eye for what looks good)

@Annabanana1234

I love a look through Pinterest. My living room has the two short walls with grey brick wallpaper which has a wee touch of sparkle and the other two are pale grey. Brass and black free standing lights That are a bit steampunk esque and mango wood furniture which has slats which have been painted in different colours.

My dining room has retro style wallpaper on 2 walls that has green, purple and grey oblong shapes on it, 2 grey walls (we had to finish off the tin from the living room 😆) and the light is my favourite part. It’s 8 strands each with a vintage style bulb and each strand is a different rainbow colour. We’ve a white Scandinavia table and 6 Eiffel style chairs that match the colours on the light.

We’re just away to do the hallway and stairs and I think we’re doing diagonal black and white stripes up one bit of the wall and the rest in teal, orange and white. That’s the plan so far anyway. We don’t really do plain

I'm really intrigued by your descriptions. Do you have any photos you'd be willing to share? Sounds really unique!

YANBU 😂 and your description was spot on.

Your post made me laugh. You're exactly right. Down to the inspirational quote on the wall.
I love watching makeover videos on YouTube band they all end up looking like this.

I swear grey was a thing 3 or 4 years ago for a brief time but is it really that big now? I don't know anyone with any notable grayscale in their houses, if I had to say anything was trendy at the moment its deep blues/greens, botanical patterns, loads of house plants and plenty of patterns and colour. Which personally I love! Yet every MNer seems to fall over themselves to hate on 'the grey trend'. Maybe its different where I live

I think grey as a base for pops of colour is a really pleasant look.

I’m not as fond of grey on grey. It’s sort of this generation’s version of magnolia walls with beige sofas. (My mother in laws house is lovely, but it’s like falling into a bowl of oatmeal. The grey version of this is like falling into a storm cloud.)

My Mom who i think has always had chic taste, painted her New Orleans French Quarter apartment oyster grey with white trim in the 1960s. It looked elegant with high ceilings and millworker, and was a perfect backdrop for the paintings my parents were buying from local artists.

I think grey with stark white trim can look very elegant, especially in a period home, but it falls flat Uc you keep it monochromatic. It more a foil other beautiful things than the “main event.”

@VeryLittleOwl

I've decorated a house from top to bottom in the last year and think I've hit nearly every Farrow & Ball cliche in the book

Bedroom in Hague Blue? Check.
Navy kitchen with matching blue feature wall at the opposite end of the kitchen/diner? Check.
Stiffkey Blue hall with original wood features left unpainted and William Morris lampshade? Check.
Use of Sulking Room Pink? Check. (I'm not actually that keen on it, but the room has an absolutely enormous - think 6ft wide - monumnetal red brick feature fireplace and SRP makes it disappear a bit!)
Grey bathroom done in Plummet? Check.

The only 'in' colours I haven't managed to shoehorn in are Downpipe and Railings, but when I replace the front door....

(I haven't used real F&B, it's the Johnstones Trade colour-matched stuff. Much nicer to work with and a lot cheaper.)

Anyway, my point was yes, it's cliched, and yes, it'll probably date, but I don't care, I like it and I'm not planning to sell the house for a couple of decades at least, so it really doesn't matter whether it's on trend or not.

@VeryLittleOwl where do you go to get your Johnstone trade paint mixed in F&B colours please? Your house sounds lovely! I love the F&B colours you've mentioned but they're so expensive. Never thought of having them mixed up!

I blame social media & the constant need for content. By the time you see something you like, it's everywhere & then the trend is dead.

@MeepleMe - anywhere that has the Johnstone's trade mixing system will be able to do it, the entire F&B colour chart is programmed into their system, and they can do it in any finish, although some are better than others. I was getting the Covaplus Vinyl Matt and paying £34.50 for a 5l can. It's about a 95% match and for that saving I can put up with the difference! www.johnstonestrade.com/

If I can get some pics to upload - the bedroom is Hague Blue, the stairs Stiffkey Blue and the living room Sulking Room Pink.

I look on pinterest and don't see any of the grey mrs hinch look. It's all navy walls and round mirrors.