Interior Design Junkies

The last two years witnessed people spending an unprecedented amount of time at home.

Many people turned their empty time into an opportunity to revive or re-design their homes, creating spaces that provided them with a haven to escape the instability that permeated all aspects of daily life.

It seems this behaviour, or trend is here to stay. Interior design is not just having its moment, it is taking centre stage.

Brands are leaning into this shift, utilising social media, and physical retail experiences to capture the hearts of interior design junkies.


Argos X Pinterest Hotel

 

Argos teamed up with Pinterest earlier this year to explore the trends that seem to be most popular with people using the latter brand’s platform. The two brands wanted to understand the ways in which people used and enthused in interior design as a way of creating a home that improved their mood.

The two opened ‘The Mood Hotel’ in Bethnal Green, which was inspired by the upcoming interiors trends for 2022. The trends were guided by data drawn from Pinterest’s engagement data and insights, which demonstrated the prevalent appetite from consumers for interior-design related content, and experiences.

The hotel’s name itself was inspired by the phenomenal cultural shift that society has endured in the last couple of years. Globally, people’s relationships with domestic spaces has evolved, giving rise to this new demand from consumers to transform spaces to suit their mood.

Key trends featured in the space were biophilic design, sensory experience, colour-blocking, and practical storage elements.

The immersive experience was fully shoppable, allowing visitors to compare their mood upon entering all the different rooms before buying any products and taking inspiration home with them.

Interior Influencers

 

Those looking for the best scoop on interior design are fantasising over content churned out by interior influencers.

In the last decade, influencers have upped the ante across several sectors. From Fashion to sport and retail – consumers are following those they deem to be most ‘in-the-know’, and it is no different when it comes to the world of interior design.

Instagram influencer Zeena Shah, better known as @heartzeena has amassed an impressive 50k followers on her main feed which is full to the brim with home inspiration alongside fashion, and lifestyle content.

Alongside this account, Zeena has a dedicated interior account @heartzeenahome – here, she shares imagery of her rented apartment which is always updating, or designing in line with the latest trends.

Zeena also empowers smaller homeware brands by promoting them through the interior design of her own flat.



TOO Takeaways

- Data is key for brands, making it possible for them to deepen their insight into the unique preferences of their customer. How could your brand use data to curate a retail environment that appeals to a specific customer group, with a strategy to match?

- Not all the trends that we witnessed and lived through during the pandemic will have an expiration date. It is important to consider which trends or consumer mindsets have endured and might continue to impact your brand.

- The amount of information available across different social media platforms has the power to transform consumers into experts. Following interest-specific influencers with expertise and knowledge enables people to turn their interest in a sector into a passion, or profession. How might you as a brand respond to the growing demands or expectations that might accompany this transformation?