Dopamine décor and Pop Baroque celebrate joy and full-colour living

As part of our Microtrends to Watch series, we look back at our experiences and observations during Milan Design Week 2023. Today, we consider our own Trends based on what we observed, focusing on our 'Pop Baroque' trend theme.

What is our Pop Baroque trend?

Drawing on wide-ranging sources from the worlds of design, art, technology, architecture, fashion and more, the Trends Book is an insightful, inspirational exploration of the beating heart of contemporary visual culture and textiles.

Pop Baroque, as a theme, gives us a decorating style that combines the opulence of baroque with an airy, almost whimsical quality.

It's about choosing elements that reflect our personal style and make us feel comfortable in a space we've created. It has a carefree, anything goes quality to it that we love.

Adding things that make you feel good—such as plants, art, or books—or using colours and textures that give you a sense of joy and freedom will help to create an environment in which your creativity can flourish.

It’s all about creating a space that is special to you and brings you joy.

How we’re seeing Pop Baroque play out through accent furniture

We're seeing Pop Baroque especially in the world of accent furniture and decorative accessories.

Here are our top four picks for right now:

Room transformations thanks to glass artists

Uchronia's signature style combines elements of classic Parisian architecture with a trippy twist. They transformed a Haussman apartment with colour and light, creating something like you've never seen before.

Quirky, off the wall pieces with twisting shapes and melting forms

Yasmine Faddal, aka Fayality, is a mirror artist based in Montreal. Fayality's work is an invitation to enter a magical world of reflections; in this world everyone can feel welcome. It's the unique use of mirrors, along with its distinctive forms, that makes Fayality pieces stand out.

Strange ceramics

Using a distinctive approach to ceramic art, Kazuhito Kawai's sculptures emerge like castles or vessels in which the glazing overflows with expressions that hold and trap the artist’s emotions and concepts.

Wild rugs and untamed lamps

Statement rugs and accent lighting are bubbling with Pop Baroque joy everywhere we look. Mestiz's rugs mirror the diversity, richness and variety of Mexico's landscape. Meanwhile, in the 2023 edition of the Salone del Mobile, artist Chris Wolston presented new sculptural lighting crafted from Murano glass for Dolce & Gabbana.

Three approaches to experiment with what makes you happy in your home

How can you bring this dynamic energy into your own home? We have three techniques to harness the vibrant power of our ‘Pop Baroque’ trend that anyone can try:

Tip 1: Play with light and colour

“With colour one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft” – French colour advocate and artist Henri Matisse

• Before you go all-out and commission a stained-glass window, try out some of the design techniques on smaller projects. It's amazing what the shifting tones and colour can do to a room as the day goes by and the light changes.
• Dare to be colourful. You might think it's crazy to decorate a busy restaurant or home with velvet, which has a reputation as being expensive and difficult-to-clean.
• Bring your dreams to life with our plush quilted velvet upholstery fabrics in bright, friendly colours. We dare you to dream in full colour!
  

Tip 2: Decorate for you: buy your favourite things

It turns out the secret to a more joyful life could be much closer to home. In fact, it could lie within your home itself. It's no secret that the way you decorate your home can have a significant impact on your mood, outlook and energy levels.

So why not lean into what makes you feel good?

“How people want to decorate has recently shifted. We’re all craving a better outlook, and part of achieving that is to condition your own brain to think more positively, which you can do by surrounding yourself with things that make you feel happy. Cocktail cabinets that move and rotate, furniture that’s geared towards sitting together and being convivial, anything that is a bit playful and glamorous and dramatic.” – British product designer, Lee Broom - Dopamine decor: how to design a joyful home

Think about what brings you joy and then create a space to reflect this. Oftentimes, we think about how our homes function for the people around us rather than focusing on what makes us happy. And while it's important to keep others in mind when decorating, don't forget yourself!

So, our advice is: if you want that wild rug that raises eyebrows but makes your heart sing, or you're lusting after that amazing melty disco ball egg sculpture, just take the plunge and do it. Your home will be happier!

Tip 3: Create bold statements through accessories

Decorative accessories give you so much freedom to tweak your room design to your liking. They give you the opportunity to mix and match or even just discard what doesn’t make you happy.

• Small pieces, such as art or decorative objects, can create a much more nuanced look in your home than large furniture.
• For example: Custom picture framing can make a huge, playful difference to your gallery walls - check out YVE PRINT CO.
• Or you could go big on texture in an unexpected place, such as small side tables that make a big statement. Find out more on JessicaBoyer_I N T E R I O R S.

High-performance upholstery for vibrant, fiercely personal interiors

Designing joyful interiors is not just about utilising your own personal style and taste, but also about finding ways to make your space feel unique and reflective of who you are. So why not decorate in style and lean into your 'Pop Baroque' side? FibreGuard's easy clean upholstery fabrics make it easy to live life to the fullest.

They're available in a staggering array of colours and textures, so you'll have no problem finding your favourites. They're also easy to clean and incredibly long-lasting, so that you don't have to worry about accidental stains ruining your fabulously joyful home.

Pet friendly upholstery for even the most colourful homes

Speaking of accidental stains, we can't end this article without sharing the most 'Pop Baroque' thing we've seen this year. Let us introduce you to a family of four unspeakably stylish Italian Greyhounds otherwise known as TheIggyFamily.

Did we mention that FibreGuard fabrics are pet-friendly fabrics? Yes, even for ones as sassy and ironically judgemental as these.

They're living their best lives: why not join them?