Neale Whitaker is an interior designer known for his work on The Block and Love It or List It Australia. Before becoming a television presenter, Whitaker was editor of Vogue Living and Belle Magazine. He speaks to Forbes Australia about the aesthetic and individualization trends he observes in interior design.
This article appears in Issue 12 of Forbes Australia – out Monday 12 August. Tap here to secure your copy.
What design trends are you currently observing?
This year’s design and interior design trends point towards individuality.
We have been in an era of standardized, predictable design for several years now. Now we are experiencing the “year of the urban aunt.”
Can you describe the “Urban Aunt” trend?
It seems we all have that urban aunt in our lives – that wonderfully chic, eccentric aunt who lives in the city – and we aspire to everything about her lifestyle and her home. This mythical urban aunt encourages us to mix styles and clash eras, textures and materials, and just generally be more independent and innovative in our approach. Another trend from the US is “dopamine decor,” a bright color palette – a clash of colors not seen since the mid-1980s. The message is, “Be bold.” Take design risks. It’s all about personalization.
What caused this change?
Many of us have been stuck at home for much longer than we would have liked during the COVID-19 years. We’ve had time to get bored in our homes, so we want to do new things. At the same time, many of us have to be very careful financially.
We don’t move as often as we used to, nor do we do major renovations, so we try to transform our homes through decor. For years, the pendulum has swung toward very beige designs that are very neutral and Scandinavian influenced.
The neutral trend at the moment is called “Japandi.” It’s a combination of Scandinavian and Japanese.
a decor trend that combines elements of Scandinavian functionality with Japanese minimalism.
What other trends are you observing?
People are going for things that are more rustic, old-looking and slightly weathered – the whole influence of what we call ‘wabi sabi’ from Japan – that’s still very current. Another term is ‘minimaluxe’ – minimal luxury. The idea of minimalism and functionality but with a certain design twist. ‘Charismatic simplicity’ is a term that fits with this whole idea of individuality and customisation. That’s what’s happening in the automotive industry, you can customise your car to suit you and your mood. I can get in my MINI and customise it to create a different mood to what I would have in my car today.
How do you think design will evolve over the next ten years?
All I can say is that everything takes its course, and I’m old enough to have seen trends come and go and come back into fashion. That’s the nature of design. There is almost nothing “new” in the world. If the pendulum swings towards bright colors now, then you can be sure that it will swing the other way at some point. However, certain things will not change. Our insistence on sustainability and environmental issues is now a constant. It has now become a central part of everything in design. Today, for example, you can’t build a house without being very conscious of it.
of sustainability issues.
What influence does technology have on the individualization trend?
We’ve been able to customise things like wallpaper for a long time. I’ve always seen contestants on The Block enlarge images they liked to make wall coverings. Now you can apply that to furniture too. You can turn images into thin veneers that you can then put on kitchen cabinets, bedroom cupboards and wardrobe doors. You can commission furniture if you have enough money to pay for it. We’re probably not far away from being able to order 3D printed furniture and customise it at a much lower cost.
With all this talk about customization, are there times when buying off the shelf is okay?
It’s OK to buy things off the rack. I’ve bought things off the rack my whole life. It’s what you do with the things you buy off the rack that matters. It’s how you curate those things and how you put them together that makes them unique.
How did you become an interior designer?
I was born and raised in London, but I have lived in Australia for 25 years. I was supposed to come here for a year, maybe two if I was lucky. Here I am, 25 years later. I worked as a magazine editor and moved into the world of interior design in 2006 when I beauty Magazine.
In 2014 I moved to the editorial department Vogue Life. A lot of people think I’m an interior designer because of my TV work, but I’m not. I call myself an interior designer – I earned my stripes as an editor for interior design magazines.
What do you think is special about Berry in southern New South Wales?
It’s this sweet spot between the Southern Highlands and the coast. We live in the country but are only 10 kilometres from the sea. Where I live is very rural. Berry is a cute little town and has a lovely community feel. I also love the fact that it’s only two hours from Sydney.
You grew up in the UK and now live in Australia. Are design trends that different in these markets?
No, they are not. Trends are trends. Every market interprets these trends differently and
we take what is relevant for us. Interestingly, of course, in Great Britain the current trend for individuality is far less relevant because the British have always decorated with colour. The neutral palette is alien to the British. It all depends on the weather – in Northern Europe they use fine fabrics and warm colours.
What is the one individual thing you don’t have but really want?
There is not much in my life that I need. What I would really like is a full-grown Canary Island palm at my house in Berry. At my age, I don’t want to wait until the palm is big enough, so it has to be full-grown and a Canary Island palm, because they are the prettiest.
They are super, super expensive. I will get one someday.
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