Who sets the trends for home decoration?

[whataboutbob]

Any interior decorators out there? I've been thinking about this lately as there are clearly fashions which, as with clothing, can make colours and styles seem suddenly desirable , whereas before they were in fashion no one would have thought of them. The case in point is grey, which everyone seems to be doing. It's in all the magazines, my colleagues are painting their new kitchen extensions in it, my BF is using it in the house she's just bought. I remember in the early 90s everyone was doing a combo of blue and yellow and so I thought it was really nice. If i saw it now I'd think how tragically 1990's. And so on. Who sets these trends? And how do they have the power to make us think something is nice and so want it?

I'm not sure but like you I find it interesting - I've got a real thing for grey at the moment yet a few years ago I wouldn't even have thought about using it.

Are you old enough to remember the first time you saw skinny jeans?
(but still young enough that you didn't wear them when they were called "drainpipes")
Yet somehow we grew to think they looked good.

I'm in the process of buying a quite blank-canvas flat and I do wonder what I'll do with it!

Following as I'd be interested too....I'm obsessed with grey currently and like to think it's not because of the trend but of course it is and I've been unknowingly manipulated into it and brainwashed.

I really like distressed furniture.

Not inside, but my garden furniture has been painted, sanded and waxed to death...

I'm ahead of the trends, I had grey and various shades a number of years before it became trendy. I'm just re-doing the hall, stairs and landing at the mo, have gone for green with white woodwork with oak flooring, absolutely love having some colour again. inspired by pinterest

Trend forecasting agencies such as Scarlet Opus/Pantone & many others research upcoming global events/cultural & tech advances/what artists are producing. They start the process approx 2 years before , distill what they think into approx 5 main trends. Companies then consult the agency of their choice so buyers know what to buy/instruct the manufacture of. So companies using same forecasting agencies tend to have similar themes/colours.

8 years ago I used an interior designer when we were redoing our living room. The new JL brochure was out and was full of white/grey/wooden floors. The designer said grey was over already and to go green! More confidence now and this time round we're going grey/blue.

Thanks for these insights. Member interesting to hear about the trend forecasting companies. Trills I remember the 1st time I saw skinny jeans, I thought "not for me" but now it's all I wear.
12 yrs ago I painted my flat in F&B's cream palette. My cousin popped round and said he'd done the same thing in his flat and I felt validated.
What interests me is the tension between wanting individuality, but also feeling good when one chooses things that coincide with current trends. I think it's hard to be genuinely original.