Slow decorating is an intentional design approach that values timelessness, encouraging you to prioritise meaningful elements and lets your home decor evolve naturally. Embracing, slow decor transcends completing the interiors in one go and avoids hurried decisions, stress, and self-imposed deadlines, facilitating the exploration of personal preferences. Though not new, this decorating technique is trending as many rediscover the joy of leisurely selecting decor to personalise their space.

What are the Principles of Slow Decorating?

-- Design with Intention

The intention of the decor takes centre stage, emphasising timeless interior design, and paying attention to the purpose of every decor choice. Often, the cosiest and most comfortable homes are those that evolve naturally over time, with each piece of furniture, lighting, or accessory carefully chosen to reflect the individual's design aesthetic and lifestyle.

-- Focus on Quality, Not Quantity

In slow interior design, the transition is from impulse buying to investing in enduring, high-quality pieces that withstand the test of time. For example, investing in crafts that can serve as heirlooms allows for the passing down through generations.

Lunette Marble Dining Table by Alex Mint

Embodying the ethos of slow decor, where quality surpasses quantity, the Lunette marble dining table by Alex Mint, featuring a perforated brushed bronze base, commands attention as a refined centrepiece. Crafted from a single slab of Patagonia Natural marble, its bold grey and rust veins create a mesmerising tableau upon the light surface, highlighting the meticulous artistry of artisanal design.

-- Take your Time

The slow decor trend embraces a thoughtful approach to sustainable interior design, prioritising personal and family preferences over fleeting trends and instant makeovers, transforming the process into a delightful journey.

-- Expands the Budget

When planning your home design, purchasing all your furniture, soft furnishings, and accessories simultaneously can strain your finances. The beauty of slow interior design lies in its ability to accommodate a more flexible budget, allowing for gradual investment in high-quality, artisan pieces and ensuring thoughtful decisions over time.

The Depth by Unit 89

The Depth by Unit 89 is a luxurious lighting fixture by artist Ula Saniawa, epitomising slow decor. Comprising hundreds of handmade porcelain elements, it explores accumulation through unique, curved, petal-like pieces suspended by delicate micro-wires. Ula creates meticulously crafted designs featuring ultra-thin, translucent elements seamlessly arranged with integrated lighting, resulting in a mesmerising and dynamic effect that exudes luxury.

-- Timeless Décor

The essence of slow decorating lies in timeless interior design, steering clear of passing trends that may quickly lose their charm. This approach enables you to effortlessly create the perfect atmosphere through a careful selection of home decor items that promise lasting joy.

-- Layered Strategy

Additionally, slow interior design adopts a layered approach, refraining from hastily furnishing a space. This design process allows the home decor to unfold gradually as individuals discover new pieces or reimagine existing ones, embodying an eclectic design style.

How to incorporate the slow decorating trend into home design?

1. Begin with Large Pieces of Furniture

Start with large furniture like sofas and beds, then add smaller items like cabinets, tables, chairs, and decorative lighting. Opting for high-quality, statement pieces in line with the principles of slow decorating guarantees lasting choices, offering better value.

Liminal Sofa Bronze by Atelier Ashiesh Shah

For instance, rooted in the essence of slow decor, where substantial pieces define interior spaces, the Liminal sofa by Ashiesh Shah emerges as a captivating blend of comfort and cultural symbolism. Its curved structure, adorned with spherical pillows and arched supports reminiscent of the sacred 'lingam,' pays homage to Hindu traditions.

2. Go for an Eclectic Decor 

Encouraging an eclectic interior design approach, slow decorating promotes the blending of existing pieces with new ones over time, fostering sustainability and cultivating a timeless aesthetic. This mix of styles, like pairing a mid-century sofa with contemporary artwork can create a unique decor.

3. Invest in Premium Materials

It advocates for sustainability by emphasising quality over quantity, selecting furniture, lighting, accessories, and soft furnishings for their superior craftsmanship. This approach encourages purchasing high-quality products instead of quickly discarded, mass-produced items for home styling.

4. Functional Design

Paying attention to practicality and functionality, slow decor ensures that the interiors not only looks aesthetically pleasing but also serves a purpose, emphasising convenience and ease of use. Natural materials such as wood for furniture, wool or silk rugs, and upholstery materials like leather, cotton, and linen are preferred for their breathability and durability.

5. Opt for Assembled Furniture

Unlike new-age, factory-made modular furniture, which is assembled on-site, quality furniture is always fully built, making it perfect for everyday wear and tear and ensuring longevity for generations to come.

6. Create a Cosy Ambience

Incorporating hygge principles into slow decor adds layers of warmth and comfort, drawing inspiration from Danish concepts of relaxation. Achieved through cosy textures, soft lighting, and plush fabrics, this design style is also crafted to prioritise comfort and relaxation.

Aram Coral Rug by Hands

The Aram rug by Hands not only adds visual interest with its distinctive shape and layered pattern reminiscent of sandstone formations but also enhances comfort and cosiness, aligning perfectly with the principles of hygge in slow decor design. Crafted using traditional techniques, this rug reflects the natural erosion of sedimentary rocks, inviting warmth and relaxation into your living space.

7. Truly Understand your Space

Another aspect of slow decorating is that it urges you to live in your space, understanding its purpose and selecting furnishings deliberately. This approach not only slows down the decorating process but also ensures that every piece fits seamlessly into your home, becoming cherished treasures.

8. Celebrates Imperfections

Slow décor allows you to embrace the beauty of wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that celebrates imperfection in handmade objects and vintage finds. This approach ensures each piece holds sentimental value, tells a unique story, and creates a warm, lived-in look.

Broken Things 2E by Livia Marin

Rooted in the ethos of wabi sabi, Broken Things reveres imperfection through the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi. Livia Marin's mixed-media creations, juxtaposing discarded ceramics with intricate gold thread stitching, eloquently capture the beauty of impermanence and repair, prompting reflection on waste and consumerism while advocating for the embrace of life's gradual pace.

9. Support Local Makers and Craftsmen 

Invest in statement pieces by local makers and craftsmen or souvenirs from your travels that tell a story, ensuring lasting memories and joy. Opt for easy-to-maintain furniture and accessories to ensure longevity and effortless upkeep.

Ionian Iris Mirror by Tom Palmer Studio

Choosing pieces like the Ionian Iris Mirror by Tom Palmer supports dedicated craftsmen and local artists, bringing timeless beauty to your home. Featuring layers of translucent resin, each unique mirror creates multi-layered reflections with a convex lens over a hand-silvered mirror disc, all within a custom steel frame. Inspired by the vivid blue of the Greek Ionian Sea, the mirror amplifies light, creating captivating reflections that shift as the viewer moves.

10. Celebrates Nature

Additionally, in line with the principles of slow interior design, incorporating natural materials like wood, cotton, and natural stone fosters a sense of harmony with the environment. By complementing these elements with ample greenery through potted plants and maximising natural light, a comfortable and tranquil ambience is curated, encouraging a mindful and unhurried approach to living spaces.

How is Slow Decorating a sustainable interior design trend?

In today's fast-paced world, where trends come and go quickly, slow decorating emerges as a sustainable interior design trend. It encourages the discovery of antiques, investing in premium quality items, and prioritising products made from sustainable materials. This approach focuses on high-quality, sustainable products and environmentally friendly processes, supporting eco-conscious practices by reducing waste.

Why is sustainability important in interior design?

Sustainable decor enables the development of eco-friendly spaces through energy-saving techniques and the use of recycled materials, effectively mitigating environmental impact, waste, and resource consumption. Also, referred to as green interior design, this approach incorporates elements like reclaimed wood furniture, bamboo, cotton, prioritising efficiency and minimal upkeep. Therefore, better sustainable practices foster a healthier indoor environment and reduce ecological footprints, reflecting a commitment to social responsibility and a better world for future generations.

What are sustainable design strategies?

Some of the sustainable interior design practices include using energy-efficient lighting and appliances, maximising natural light, incorporating recycled or upcycled products, and employing green building techniques. The use of sustainable materials like reclaimed wood and organic cotton, opting for non-toxic, low-VOC materials to minimise emissions, utilising renewable energy sources like solar panels, and implementing recycling and composting systems to reduce the carbon footprint.

Slow interior design style revolves around mindfulness, creativity, and connection, nurturing a home environment that enhances the overall well-being of its occupants. So take the time to curate your house, relishing the journey of crafting a sustainable decor that truly embodies your values.