In the boom, beige ruled the roost in interior decor style. When property prices subsided, retailers noticed a change in homeowners’ tastes.
Suddenly shoppers were opting for colourful homewares, pleasing themselves rather than appealing to potential purchasers of their homes, who were thought to prefer neutral tones.
Prices may now be starting to recover but the taste for the exuberant is gaining new enthusiasts. In response to the demand for bright shades, green will be a key colour in Marks & Spencer’s autumn home collection.
Meanwhile, Toast, the catalogue associated with faded boho looks, is offering a striped neon-pink cushion.
If you are suddenly feeling drawn towards a vibrant piece with either an Op Art influence or a digital 1990s theme, you may be interested to know that this new style movement has a name.
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Well, actually, several names — such as “pound shop decor”. The Future Laboratory, the consultancy that researches trends for multinationals, such as Gap and Unilever, calls the look “mash-up”, a mish-mash of styles from different eras, created by a “Rolodex attitude” to the aesthetics of previous generations.
The internet has allowed designers to flick through the styles of the 20th century as if using a Rolodex file, blending them together into an eclectic 21st-century combination.
The question that style commentators must now address is: will beige stage a comeback if property viewings continue to increase?