Renowned interior designers Colin and Justin are championing a new, soothing design movement emerging from London, England. Having just returned from a buying trip, they report a significant shift towards quiet, natural decorative components that prioritize calm over clamour.
The Rise of the 'Hush Home'
Dubbed the 'hush home' aesthetic, this trend turns down the visual volume and amplifies the soothe factor. It moves away from the high-impact colour schemes that previously dominated the international high street. Instead, the focus is on creating spaces that feel like calming sanctuaries of comfortable bliss through tone-on-tone layers and relaxed inventories of elements.
The designers observed this shift in revered London retail outposts like Andrew Martin, Soho House Living, and the Conran Store. The emerging philosophy replaces wild contrasts with a decidedly quiet oeuvre, both visually and ergonomically.
Key Elements for a Calmer Space
To achieve the hushed home look, Colin and Justin recommend several key strategies. First, colouring space using gentle tones is essential to suffuse a sense of calm. They advise keeping backdrop choices light and adding personality through warm or cool-toned accessories and textiles.
Painting trim the same colour as walls helps visually de-clutter a room. They specifically recommend Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments 1563 as a compendium of tones that import a feeling of unbridled silence.
Incorporating natural materials is another cornerstone of this trend. Antique stone and clay pots, rustic benches, and worn timber accessories add a sense of curated calm. For such items, they point to Rejuvenation as a source for a relaxed collection with an emphasis on 'hush'.
Textiles, Texture, and Concrete
The designers emphasize the importance of decorative succour through textiles. They highlight Crate and Barrel's Organic Cotton collection, certified for earth-friendly sleep, as an excellent option for creating a restful bedroom environment.
Surprisingly, concrete also plays a role in this soft aesthetic. While historically associated with brutalist architecture, concrete is now being appreciated for its ability to make rooms feel womblike and comforting when used imaginatively. For those not undertaking major renovations, they suggest seeking out concrete accessories from Canada’s artisan community on Etsy.
Finally, texture is paramount. A hushed space should be a feast for the fingers, where gentle texture and restrained pattern provide contrast without overpowering the environment. They recommend items like the Jute Geo Pillow Cover from West Elm and bamboo cotton throws from Homesense to awaken the quiet vibe.
Colin and Justin conclude that the most successful aesthetics are those that don't feel forced. The 'hush home' vibe should appear curated over time, as if it resulted from travel and adventure, rather than looking rushed or shop-bought. The fundamental rule remains simple: keep your schematic volume down.
