This year, celebrating its 40th anniversary, the East Coast Radio House & Garden Show is always a great place to find out what’s hot and what’s not in the home and décor industry. Show director Cairey Baxter-Bruce tells us what to look out for.
“From daring accent colours to minimalist interiors. From the wallpaper craze to environmentally conscious interiors … the last four decades have revolutionised our homes and gardens to a point where we have seen it all,” says Cairey.
“Like in fashion, home trends come and go, but there are always a few key elements that we have noticed returning,” she says.
“Stainless steel and rose gold are being replaced with the 1980s favourite brass in hardware, taps and kitchen fittings which bring warmth into an interior space, especially the kitchen and bathroom. After the very minimalist trends of the last couple of years, maximalism is definitely back! Trinkets are coming out of the cupboards and being displayed instead of being hidden away.”
Patiently awaiting the first batch of muffins as the sweet aroma fills the kitchen, we are thrown back into the 80s, where bold colours and excessive decor were all the rage for homemakers around the world.
“The postmodern era known as POMO, reminds us of our parent’s cluttered yet memorable homes where we spent our childhoods and cultivated our first individual spaces. Deep sofa pieces and brass fixtures were some of the key elements within this decade.”
The 1990s saw the movement of minimalism. Families decluttered and moved towards a “less is more” approach.
“From the 1980s, we brought some basic favourites with us to the 1990s like brass accents. Many homes swopped out their colourful linen for white and neutral colours to craft a snug home.”
Enter the new millennium, and Cairey says we saw modern, new-age living emerging with green, flat-pack, and replica design. Concrete flooring, floating staircases and home office sheds were introduced on a more prominent level.
“Homes boasted large entertainment centres to watch the latest shows and subway-tile backsplash in bathrooms. Mason jar décor arrived and many were also using faux fur in most living areas. This decade focused on innovation like open-plan spaces that we have come to know and love.”
Moving into the year of 2010 focused on a bespoke modern outlook more than anything. With climate change in mind, the millennial generation was focused on a clean look that included all white kitchens, accent walls and bold patterns including chevron and florals. Matte black surged in popularity and rose gold found its place in the world amongst décor on coffee tables, desks and even faucets.
“The start of the 2020s saw a major shift in how we lived with the pandemic, inspiring a change in many home spaces.”
Cairey says the SA Property Trends market research conducted by Rainmaker Marketing in 2022 indicates that within the residential housing market in South Africa multifunctional home layouts will now supersede open plan living spaces. “There is a continued appeal and demand for home offices and studies for kids, with broken plan layouts becoming increasingly popular, distinguishing between living and working spaces. According to the study, there is greater emphasis being placed on creating calming, well-ventilated plant-filled environments while increasing connectivity to the natural environment using nature and incorporating organic materials and natural textures into home spaces.”
This year’s show is sure to be a goodie, with celebrity speakers, beautiful displays, food and entertainment for the whole family. There is also, of course, loads of home décor inspo! Running from 24 June to 3 July at the Durban Exhibition Centre.
Details: www.housegardenshow.co.za
