a design war

Two days ago, I released a video that generated a lot of positive responses as well as criticism. It's about the return of cozy traditional eclectic design, and as a few folks pointed out, what I am visually portraying in the video is similar to Ralph Lauren's version of ideal Americana design.

Things like oil paintings, decor for decor's sake (model ships), color, stripes, stacks of books & bookshelves, florals, pleated lampshades, dark woods, and carved furniture.

Part of the problem is I used a polarizing hook: "Why everyone is ditching sleek and going cozy."

Is everyone ditching sleek? It's hyperbole, but directionally, at least regarding the design industry and trends, I'm confident I'm right.

Many of the positive responses said, "I'm so glad minimalism is dead."

But minimalism is not dead. It has taken a while for me to understand what minimalism means.

I want to take the time in this newsletter to talk a little about traditional style, minimalism, and where they might overlap.

Let's attempt.

traditional design, as i see it

Part of what drives traditional design today is a hunger for the analog world and the past digital age. It's nostalgia. It's a cousin of the same force that drove the popularity of MCM & 70s design over the last 15 years.

It's that feeling of "getting back to the land" or "the good old days." Cracking a book, turning on an incandescent bulb-outfitted floor lamp, and cozying into a comfortable chair, surrounded by curated imagery and perhaps a wood-burning fireplace.

John Stefandis Patmos House - great example of this style

It's also part of a backlash against what has been recently termed "millennial gray." It's the same thing I've described as the "Apple Store Aesthetic." A totally sleek, smooth white and gray environment with bright, efficient lighting everywhere.

Traditional design is the opposite of this. It tells a story through antique pieces, patina, and a collection of items on display. In the comments on my video, many people refer to decorative items on display as "clutter." I agree; you need to watch the sheer amount of stuff.

via Cosmos

But as a kid, I remember the specific interesting items and the overall vibe when I think back to places I visited. That vintage oil lantern, that rug on the wall, the candelabras, the cozy feel in the dark wood-paneled basement, that nativity set, the enveloping feel of a well stocked office library - it made an imprint. I still remember it vividly.

Traditional design serves as a respite from the synthetic efficient digital world through harmony with history and telling a story through a collection of pieces.

Never fully in style and never fully out, it will always be with us.

And right now, this is having a moment.

minimalist design

I remember minimalism's appeal so strongly the first time I experienced it.

I walked through a large home that was being renovated. All the floors were a slightly ambered blonde (not gray).

All the walls were white; everything was white. The floor plan was totally open. In the middle, cascading down from the ceiling, was a floating staircase.

There was also nothing in there because it was still being completed. No furniture or personal items.

It felt so new and so fresh and clean. I loved it.

And then within about 2 years, it went absolutely everywhere, into every new construction home, every retail store, and it lost it's amber floors and traded them for gray.

Its evolution into millennial gray is bemoaned by many.

But minimalism is much bigger than this, and it's not going anywhere.

The great thing about minimalism is that it dials down the sheer amount of stuff in a room so that certain items can really be emphasized. It makes things pop.

The photo below is from Nordic Knots. I love their stuff. The simplicity and starkness of the room allow that fireplace to explode.

Park 03 by Nordic Knots

There's also been a noticeable increase in Warm Minimalism over the last 2-3 years.

Lull Bed - Design Within Reach

Warm Minimalism has entirely eliminated gray. Stark white has been replaced by orangey, creamy, pinky beige tones. Terracotta is at home here.

Again, the strength of this style is to pop whatever specific items are in the room; in this case, the bed and side table become very interesting because they are the only things to look at.

Aesop, the Aussie luxe skincare & soap brand, is another great example of minimalism done well. All of their stores are different but super restricted in terms of palette and decor. They are all striking.

​
Aesop Yorkville for Azure, photo by John Alunan

Aesop Stockbridge / Studio Prototype

where do we go from here?

Minimalism as it relates to homes is going to continue to evolve and incorporate more character and color.

Traditional design is going to continue to get more popular just as more traditional home architecture is becoming much more popular.

Design, in general, will continue to get cozier, whatever the underlying style, as we move on from the Apple Store Aesthetic

You, like me, may very much like elements of both. A hybrid style, incorporating new and old, use of decor and use of starkness.

Soho Home is a great pioneer of this

A bedroom from Soho Home

What is this style? It's somewhere in the middle. It's modern, it's symmetrical, and it has nods to traditional; it's unquestionably cozy.

More Soho Home

Anthropologie is another interesting case study. They recently released a spring catalog of three different looks.

The below would have been called modern in 1960, but today? Feels kind of classic and definitely a little Milan-inspired.

Anthropologie - Artful Aesthete from their Spring Tour

At the end of the day, trends are interesting because they reflect where we are as a culture and what people long for.

I fully advocate developing a hearty personal style and not just redoing everything every few years. You should be yourself and do what is a reflection of your love.

I like stories, objects, and antiques, so I'll always have at least one foot permanently planted in the traditional camp.

As we trade sleek for soul and gray for glow, traditional and minimalism aren’t warring—they’re weaving a new cozy, one story, one object, one room at a time.