Interior design is more than a way of decorating you surroundings. It is a way of constructing a desired environment around you, an environment to live in. Similar to how people use clothing as a form of self expression, naturally interior design is the same way. People decorate the insides of their homes, offices or apartments with a specific style that will define them. The inherent question is that regardless of your type of design, you are consistently confined to work within a limited amount of space. If you are designing a wall you may have a 10 foot by 20 foot space, if you a doing a room you may have a 10 foot by 15 foot by 12 foot 3 dimensional space to work within, and if you are doing a home, well then the possibilities are endless. The truth is that despite whatever you are designing, you are limited to some degree. So the trick then becomes not what just creating something, but rather creating a desired environment within constraints.
Self definition is one of the current core’s of hip, this is the conclusion I have drawn after having spent a semester trying to identify what our society values as hip. It seems that there is no better way to define yourself rather than designing the realm you inhabit. I decided then that researching what our today’s trendiest ways to decorate would be a way to further explore what truly is hip in America.
Although there are numerous ways you can break down categories of “interior design”, a term which has become an umbrella for describing a very vast field of work. I decided I would evaluate some of the most popular styles that consumers are designing their homes in.

Shabby Chic

Shabby Chic is a comfortable, casual look using vintage accessories, pastels, and comfortable furniture. While people have been living with old lace tablecloths, dreamy soft floral fabrics, light painted furniture furniture, and wrought iron curtain rods with filmy sheer curtains, this hip look allows people to change old and threadbare items into a stylish interior. Similar to Retro Metro, Shabby Chic excels in the combination of two looks. Shabby Chic puts a higher value on quality rather than age or newness, enabling Shabby Chic furniture to look oldor worn in. This look is often obtained by rummaging through garage sales, flea markets or even your attic. Easy ways to identify the Shabby Chic look are soft pastel colors, vintage looking furniture and fabrics, Cotton and linen, a combination of stripes, checks and floral patterns, and most noticeably white painted furniture.

Many credit Rachel Ashwell for coining the term "shabby chic" when she began her voyage into the interior decorating world in the late 1980's. As mentioned earlier,
the style began when Rachel was searching for furniture at garage sales and flea markets. In an interview, Rachel says she picked furniture that had "good bones and nice lines." Originally she began just decorating for her family and her own home but soon expanded to others, and now writes her own books, opening shabby chic stores and even has a spot on TV.

Like Retro Metro, Shabby Chic strives on the combination of an new and old look. The style rests on the relaxing Aura it provides with relaxing colors and elegance. The hipness surrounding this look, which is also tied to it's popularity is the fact that while Shabby Chic revels in the vintage look, consumers enjoy the beauty of knowing that the image created is a mere illusion. The look today is commonly found in living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.


Shabby Chic is not however a complete invention. While Rachel Ashwell is credited with naming the shabby chic look and pattoning it, the look was not created by her. Shabby Chic is originated from Europe, similar to most other interior design styles, and more specifically is derived from traditional British decorating that is similar to what we know as he cottage look. Over time the look has taken on is own distinct characteristics and themes, and now has concretely defined itself as its own style.

According to an interior design artist, the Shabby Chic look has evolved into a timeless one that has found its niche customers and despite loosing popularity recently will not fade out.


http://interiordec.about.com/cs/stylesofdecor/a/shabbychic_2.htm
http://interiordec.about.com/od/cottagestyle/a/a_shabchicstyle.htm
http://www.lavenderfieldsonline.com/
Interview Conducted With Cynthia Loiacono on 4/27/07
Interview Conducted with Sandy McRae on 4/28/07

Retro Metro

Like many other trends in America, the hottest and newest looks have been appropriated from overseas. Now, yet again America's newest look in interior design has followed in the footsteps of European designers- Retro - Metro. Retro Metro is a look that utilizes a combination of older styles and patterns with new color blends, materials and fabrics. Originating in the U.K., Metro Retro primarily focus's on post-war to 1970's styles. By combining old and new it allows people to explore a post modern feel to their living spaces.

The look is defined by bolder lines and colors than traditionally used, or a combination of different materials used. For example a Retro Metro coffee table may not be solely constructed of wood or metal but a combination of timbers legs and a steel face or vice verse. “Modernism” as a style concept began in the 1950s, when the emphasis on furniture shifted away from tradition and history, to function, accessibility and innovation. Furniture that seemed to "weigh down a room was replaced by pieces that conveyed a visual lightness." Clean, sleek lines replaced carved wood, and geometric shapes formed by metal and glass pushed richly patterned fabrics and accessories aside.

Modernism later branched out into Retro and Contemporary design. It is a nostalgic and campy styles that hearken back to ’50s sitcoms, and it’s a design style that also has seen a resurgence in the past several years. The latter is often confused with Modern design, but offers more relaxed and livable lines, and classic pieces that generally defy trends.



The design scheme of Retro Metro is generally regarded as a style that is highly popular but many foresee it fading out in the near future. Currently, Retro Metro is highly popular amongst younger to middle aged adults but as this group gets older many feel it will not be passed on to the next younger generation. According to one interview, Retro Metro's attractiveness is esteemed with those who lived int he era that this is a throwback too-the 1950's, 60's and 70's. Like many other hip innovations we see, the Retro Metro design scheme is only a product of copying what was popular many years before.


http://martinklasch.blogspot.com/search/label/interior%20design
Interview Conducted with Cynthia Loiacono on 4/27/07
http://www.metroretro.co.uk/home.html
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/061604/news/jonathan-adler-gets-a-room-000472

Eclectic

Eclectic interior design is all rage currently in the interior design world. Just as it sounds, eclectic interior design is a mixture of different cultures, time periods, and design styles. The goal is that despite the "eclectic" mixture, and interior will appear as a perfectly integrated decorating scheme.

In a well designed eclectic style room, there may be a vast variety of furnishings however there usually theme running throughout the room unifying all the elements. The idea in eclectic design is that it allows its consumers to customize their own look by combining many different looks and styles. Unlike former designers, you could not find eclectic design in a catalogue or showroom. While various items may be used in decorating for an eclectic look, there is no pre-packaged or pre-desgined eclectic schemes.

The rapidly rising popularity of eclectic design lies in its versatility. As alluded to earlier the core of hip is linked to self-definition. By designing space with specific items that fit ones personal tatses it allows for alot of room for self definition and custimization.
This new style which has recently emerged all over America, is tied to the social changes in our society. With the "we want it our way and we want it now" outlook becoming vastly popular across the US, eclectic interior design fits perfectly.

Many people feel that this look is here to stay because of its ability to constantly evolve and change with its customers tastes ad preferences. Due to this, it is unlikely that eclectic design will fade out or fizzle away but rather constantly evolve with the change in desires of America.


http://www.interiordesignschoolreview.com/news/2007/03/eclectic_interior_design.html
http://www.eclecticdesignconcepts.com/
Interview Conducted with Cynthia Loiacono on 4/27/07
Interview Conducted with Sandy Mcrae on 4/28/07