Handmade products are particularly popular nowadays, and alongside natural products such as wood floors, are increasingly dominating home furnishing styles. But why exactly is nature becoming an ever more frequent feature in living spaces, and where has this newly discovered love for homemade furnishings come from? Is it all just a coincidence, or is there more to it than that?
Whether it’s industrial style, minimalism or Shabby Chic, interior design styles are as diverse as the tastes of the residents who favour one look over another for their own homes. But a quick glance at the furnishing styles that are currently all the rage soon makes one thing clear: with solid wood furniture, real wood flooring with grain, decor elements made from natural materials, and much more, mother nature has really made itself comfortable in many people’s homes. But where has this trend come from?
The age of the internet and digitality has changed our lives significantly. We google, post and like at lightning speed using fibre-optic networks. It’s as if the laws of nature no longer set a limit for the tempo of our information speed. We are constantly online and always anticipating the next ‘ping’ on our smartphone – this fast pace has reached a new dimension in today’s world. What’s more, many things in the virtual world appear to be lifted and almost unreal, even if they imitate the real things with astonishing similarity. An example of this is virtual reality. Games console and VR headset on, and immediately you feel like you’re standing in the middle of a forest – you even believe you can smell it. But one thing remains certain: ‘None of it is real.’
With that in mind, many people long for a place of retreat that radiates calm, slowing down and naturalness. Plus they want to have, see, smell and feel something real around them. That feeling of walking barefoot across a floor and being able to feel its structure, or enjoying the warm atmosphere that dark real wood furniture brings to a room. That is why more and more people are bringing nature into their homes – with accessories made from natural materials and furniture as well as flooring made from wood.
The issue of sustainability is a top priority right now. More and more people are developing a sense of responsibility towards handling nature in a resource-saving way – not just in business settings, but also in private settings. This change in thinking finds expression in many aspects of life. Environmentally conscious action emerges in things including people’s natural furnishing style – for such people, both sustainable products and style and design are important. From the sofa to the dining table down to the floor, one thing is becoming increasingly evident: people are moving away from furnishing their homes with cheap, mass-produced products with comparatively short life spans. Instead, timeless designs and the durability of handmade, quality products are gaining more and more importance, to avoid having to constantly buy new home furnishings. The motto for a sustainable yet pleasant living atmosphere is ‘quality over quantity’. For many people, handmade products have thus become a hallmark for both high-quality and environmentally conscious living.
Handmade products boast yet more importance for residents. Especially against a backdrop of mass-produced products, the desire for individuality and to express personality in your own four walls is ever-growing. That’s why the do it yourself (DIY) trend has long since spread into living spaces, giving them a personal touch. Whether it’s your very own paintings, self-built furniture or lovingly designed decorative pieces, there are no limits when it comes to the handmade expression of individuality in your own home.
Do it yourself is a synonym for the hands-on mentality of handymen who enjoy designing custom items for their own homes. But what ignited this fire? The expression of individuality. The search for furnishings that even partly fulfil your visions may often be futile – but there are real treasures hiding in many a workshop or garage, just waiting to be found and transformed by creative DIY enthusiasts. Leftover parquet flooring from laying a floor, a wooden euro palette and perhaps a few antiquated metal wheels and fittings. To the trained do-it-yourselfer’s eye, this isn’t junk, but rather material for their new custom sofa. The upcycling motto is ‘in with the new, made from the old.’ With the idea in mind, it’s now brought to life – the materials are sanded, varnished, oiled, measured, trimmed, edged, studded and fine tuned. The result after a few hours of careful craftsmanship is a unique coffee table that perfectly matches the modern interior design style ‘industrial style’.
