Interior design trends change with the seasons...
Yet somehow the Simpsons family home has remained almost unchanged for the past three decades. So, why not imagine what would happen if the first family of Springfield were to give their famous home a makeover?
We’ve worked with interior design consultant Pat McNulty to choose the decorating trends you need to know about – and applied them to 742 Evergreen Terrace using a little digital wizardry. Woo-hoo!
Your first impression of all the Simpson’s new kitchen will be how cool it looks with all that dayglo color removed. The black and white checked floor is still there – that’s a design classic. But nowadays, it’s the ‘smart’-factor that gives a kitchen its color.
The digital backsplash can relay a video feed of who’s at the front door (you don’t want answer to Flanders by mistake), take down your shopping list, or even play you a cookery show from YouTube. Plus, of course, you can pick an appropriate screensaver to brighten up rainy school-mornings or set the mood for a late-night snack before snuggling time.
Homer probably won’t mind that the telephone table has been replaced by a drinks trolley. As well as being this year’s ‘signature piece,’ the Simpsons’ drinks trolley reflects a couple of other modern trends: rounded furniture and brass. The brass element runs through the new coffee table and lamp, too, and crowns the room in the form of a glitzy chandelier (no room for Spider-Pig to do whatever a Spider-Pig does up there anymore).
The original show was prescient in its use of the now-fashionable ‘dusty rose’-colored walls, but we’ve replaced the battered leather sofa with a sharp blue velvet number, completing the living room’s trendy art deco feel.
Cool, neutral tones and industrial chic bring Marge and Homer’s boudoir up to date. After all, the cartoon version was hardly conducive to either restfulness or sensuality. Red brick and concrete walls and a headboard of reclaimed wood give the feel of authenticity, and are softened by the fuzzy warmth of Edison-style bulbs.
Not sure that Marge will be so happy to discover that Homer’s installed a widescreen TV in the room so he doesn't even have to leave bed to binge his favourite shows. Abstract art adds a human touch while house plants create calmness and freshen the air after Homer’s post-snack belching.
As cute as the Simpsons’ bathroom is, cute doesn’t cut it in this day and age: the Scandinavian spa feel is what it’s all about. So it’s ‘smell ya later’ to brightly-colored toilet seats and other fittings, which are pared-back to natural textures in relaxing whites and stone-grays to reflect the daylight.
And where did all that 80s/90s-style clutter go? Scandi-style baskets, of course: sculptural forms of rattan and wicker. And how about eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes for the kids?
Remember when we asked real-life children to design their dream bedroom, and the results were astonishing? Well, Lisa’s design may be far more sensible than the kids who took part, but it’s just as radical as you would expect from the “first straight female President of the United States.”
Springfield’s answer to Greta Thunberg has picked out a biophilia-themed bedroom/study: Lisa’s desk and chair are made from reclaimed wood, ‘green walls’ of living moss and plants clear the air, and big windows encourage the natural flow of light and a connection to the outdoors. Oh yeah, and there will be no more sitting up all night worrying, as biophilic design may actually help you sleep.
Pink for a girl is not a ‘woke’ option, so neutral colors will encourage baby Maggie to make her own choices about what gets the pacifier-suck of approval. We do know, however, that Maggie likes to get about, so an adventure theme to the room will encourage her passions and feed her dreams.
Maggie’s toys (made from natural fabrics of course) add a splash of imagination to her classic-style nursery with a contemporary twist.
With typical deadpan sarcasm, Bart has updated his 1989 bedroom with… a retro ‘80s look. The ‘Memphis design style’ originates with an Italian design and architecture group whose post-modern use of colorful plastic laminate and abstract patterns was highly influential in the decade in which The Simpsons debuted.
Today that means Bart’s random movie posters are replaced with Pop Art prints, his wishy-washy pastel shades are replaced with a bold Memphis palette balanced against space-age black and gray geometrics, and snazzy, angular furniture makes even homework feel kinda dangerous.
The best interior design trends of our time take a hint of the zeitgeist and mix it with the timeless, so that smart home decorators can create an original look that will last. If The Simpsons can do it, why can’t you?
Sources
Adlawan, A. H. (2018). The Paint Palette for Industrial Interior Design. myboysen.com
Architecture Art Designs (2019). 17 Stunning Scandinavian Bathroom Designs You’re Going To Love. architectureartdesigns.com
Arthitectural (2019). Maxim Winkelaar Architects | Home Spa Wellness Zeist. arthitectural.com
Article (2019). Cado lamp. article.com
Article (2019). Sven sofa. article.com
Bardscove (2019). Have you considered incorporating a sauna to your basement. bardscove.com
Benjamin Rugs & Furniture (2019). Global Views Plaza Bar Trolley - Brass. benjaminrugsandfurniture.com
Blott, U. (2019). Decluttering guru Marie Kondo [...]. dailymail.co.uk
Bossini (2019). Spa-Home-Wellness. bossini.it
Campbell, M. (2017). Gender Neutral Baby Colors. oureverydaylife.com
Chef Steps (2019). Joule: Now Even Smarter With Amazon Alexa. chefsteps.com
Color-hex (2019). Colorful Memphis Color Palette. color-hex.com
Comfy Dwelling (2017). 66 Serene Scandinavian Bathroom Designs. comfydwelling.com
Corley, L. (2019). Furniture. heartpine.com
Decoratorist (2019). Trend Alert 1980s Memphis Design Creative Market Blog. decoratorist.com
Delish (2015). This Couple Made Over Their Kitchen To Look Exactly Like 'The Simpson's". delish.com
Dgit (2018). Best smart kitchen tech. dgit.com
DiClerico, D. (2019). 5 Smart Home Trends Straight from CES 2019. homeadvisor.com
DIY Passion (2015). Garage and Shed Organization with the Konmuri Method. diypassion.com
Do It Yourself (2019). How to Build a Basement Sauna. doityourself.com
Elle Decor (2018). 40 Living Room Rugs To Instantly Transform Your Space. elledecor.com
Finished Basement (2019). Home Spa in Basement. finishedbasement.ca
Flanagan, L. (2019). An Art Deco Interior Design Guide. thespruce.com
Fromy Love Design (2019). White Gender Neutral Crib Bedding. fromyosunewithlove.com
Home Designing (2019). Industrial Style Bedroom Design: The Essential Guide. home-designing.com
Home Designing (2019). Wooden Wall Designs: 30 Striking Bedrooms That Use The Wood Finish Artfully. home-designing.com
House Beautiful (2018). The 12 Coolest Smart Kitchen Appliances. housebeautiful.com
Ideal Home (2019). Home decor trends for 2019. idealhome.co.uk
Imagine (2019). Organizing and maintaining your garage. imaginehomeorganization.com
Inhabitat (2007). Green Your Walls. inhabitat.com
Inhabitat (2019). NYC’s plant-filled Greenery Unlimited is “world’s first Biophilic Design Store”. inhabitat.com
Key, C. (2019). 5 Sweet Gender-Neutral Nursery Themes. familyeducation.com
Knierim, A. (2018). 21 Industrial Bedroom Design Ideas. thespruce.com
Knott, J (2019). Smart Digital Backsplash: The Coolest Thing I Saw at CES 2019. cepro.com
luxe daily (2017). 17 Perfectly Posh Homes With Art Deco Influences. luxedaily.luxesource.com
McGrath, J. (2019). GHSP makes a (back)splash with its touchscreen concept kitchen. digitaltrends.com
Medium (2016). 3 Simple Ways to Design a Biophilic Home. medium.com
Mocha (2015). 10 Beautiful Bedroom Ideas Inspired By Nature That Will Boost Your Mood. mochasa.com
Mocha (2015). How biophilic design could help you sleep better. mochasa.com
Mugrabi, C. (2018). Karl Lagerfeld’s Apartment. minniemuse.com
Nine (2018). The Simpsons’ iconic living room gets six stylish makeovers. homes.nine.com.au
No Homers (2012). Best gag from each episode. nohomers.net
ODS (2012). Green Walls. outdoordesign.com.au
Postscapes (2019). Connected Smart Kitchen. postscapes.com
Samsung (2019). Find what you need, faster. samsung.com
Self Storage Finders (2013). The Simpsons Need a Self Storage Unit. selfstoragefinders.com
Simply Basement (2019). Basement Spa Conversion. simplybasement.co.uk
Staging Studio (2018). Why Terrazzo and Memphis Style Are the Latest in Home Decor Trends... And How To Use Them. stagingstudio.com
Tech Zulu (2017). 5 Ways Smart Homes Make Your Life Easier. techzulu.com
Tenor (2019). Buff Homer - The Simpsons GIF. tenor.com
Today (2018). See 'The Simpsons' living room decked out in 6 modern decor styles. today.com
TVLine (2016). The Simpsons: The Whole Family Dies (Except Bart) in Grim New Opening. tvline.com
Ullman, M. (2019). 10 Ideas for Decorating a Gender-Neutral Kid's Bedroom. thespruce.com
XO Private (2019). Torre De Palma. xoprivate.com
Yredian (2019). Bart Simpson Bedroom. yredian.com
