In Through the Outdoors, Part II: Outside In Examples
Moooi’s Menagerie of Extinct Animals features wall coverings and textiles with 10 extinct animals hidden within a fantastic floral landscape.
No doubt you have noticed the current trend for outdoor living. But how long can we expect this trend to last? With climate change forcing us indoors more and more, people are starting to look for ways to recreate the outdoor experience without all its headaches. While Outside In is tied to the Romanticism macro trend it is still relatively new on the trend curve. Early signals can be spotted in 2018, but of course the trend has been given a bit push by the pandemic and climate change. Here are three ways it’s making its presence known.
Flora and Fauna Fantasia
With the world feeling so chaotic, escapism is a prevalent theme throughout the lifestyle sector. While metaverse experiences are helping some disconnect from reality, others are finding ways for reality to disconnect from them. Looming oversize florals lend an ant-size perspective while mystic landscapes and fantasy creatures let us explore new worlds without leaving our homes.
Flattened Perspectives
Just as the Impressionists took liberties in how to define the land around them, so too have Outside In interiors. Muraled walls with photo-perfect landscapes are too literal an interpretation. Instead, designers are reimagining nature through abstraction and flattening, often zooming in on details until only the color and pattern are discernible.
Faux-Naturale
While marble is certainly in vogue, it's not the only mineral vying for attention. And in true Outside In form, natural rocks and crystals are only the starting point for creative interiors. More and more we are seeing stones and crystals as the sources for shapes and patterns. Mock rocks appear as faceted angles, marbled moirés, layered strata, and gradating geodes. This aspect of the Outside In trend can also include the use of new eco-friendly materials that replicate the look of natural minerals—Afterall, if natural materials won’t do what you want, why not remake them from something else?
