Hipster: the subculture that is overtaking the design world around the globe. The hipster crowd are independent thinkers with a keen appreciation for everything and anything artistic, thrift, vintage and anti-mainstream. Most of us have a hipster friend who effortlessly blends their brand new iPhone 6 Plus with their gran’s antique Victorian floral micro beaded evening bag with original attached mirror.
‘Hipsterism’ has infiltrated home design too and the style can be found in many young families’ homes. The never-ending debate is really about whether this could be considered a kitsch or cool home design style.
Why hipster home design is kitsch:
Hipster home design embraces the melodramatic and a lot of overly sentimental décor pieces in the home. It often appears to have a feeling of ‘anything goes’. Gaudy, tacky pieces such as porcelain animals in dirty pinks and aquamarine are not out of place.
With just about every item of furniture or décor allowed to be second-hand and repurposed, you don’t often enjoy the pleasure of a new purchase. Many of these items may be considered in poor taste because they are garish, unless you get the irony of it all. In other words, think carefully about the placement of the lava lamp and don’t let the terrarium take over the lounge or you may end up with an Austin Powers look, which is not ironic but very kitsch.
Hipster home design embraces the use of knock-off art or homemade art pieces. This idea can easily flop if the artists in your home lack suitable skills or tatty posters of famous art are peeling off the walls (resembling a teenager’s room). These pieces of knock-off or homemade art must be framed and preserved to make the correct impact. If you have a great poster of Monet’s Water Lily Pond you need to have it professionally framed and kept in perfect condition in order to display it in your home.
Why hipster home design is cool:
You can make a big design statement in the home and get away with it, without having to force harmony and flow amongst your featured pieces. Many hipster home design styles support the idea of uncluttered space. While the pieces are ‘loud’, they are most often utilitarian and not overcrowded by unnecessary décor items. Even if you are interested in those porcelain animals, to be truly hipster in your home design, you should place them in a contained display area and not scatter them around the home. Even your repurposed items should adhere to the idea of utility over clutter.
If you enjoy the hipster home design style, you might find yourself partaking in a lot of DIY, which is hard work. The good news is that you can consider leaving many pieces unfinished, which adds to an industrial look and feel and an attitude of ‘who cares?’ You may consider lifting your carpets and leaving the floors as exposed concrete. You will need to use a concrete floor finish treatment, but that’s where the work ends.
With hipster home design you can really get personal in your home. Provocative messages on signs or chalkboard walls are completely acceptable and items such as toy collections, model cars or figurines are allowed to be displayed and your favourite vinyl records can be hung up on a feature wall, giving your home a real personal touch.
Window Art can deliver on your hipster home design needs.
Frosted window vinyl decals are an easy and affordable way to include a show-stopping design element into your home. No matter your style palette, decals can be custom-made to suit, including the hipster home design style. Have a look at our gallery of designs to choose from for some ideas.
