In the '80s, brown was the hottest color in interior design. By the '90s and 2000s, we got bored, and the look faded in favor of cooler neutrals. Now, in 2024, brown interiors are back. Cynthia Nixon's home demonstrates just how chic the natural shade can be.
The Sex and the City actress shared her living room on Instagram and it's a timeless nod to classic '80s design. Nixon's dark wood floors, wood paneling, and dark wood built-in sideboard fill her space with chocolate brown. Her rounded lighting and patterned carpets also reference the period.
Though these looks are grounded in an era-past, all signs show this look is coming into the zeitgeist as a 2024 interior design trend. Jennifer Ebert, color expert and digital editor at Homes & Gardens states: 'Design trends tend to oscillate between minimalism and maximalism. The 2010s were a minimalist period, and the 2020s are heralding in a new maximalism inspired by this "more is more" period.'
She continues, 'With the resurgence of trends from the period, decorating with brown is back in a big way. The scheme's connection to nature, warmth, and coziness has timeless appeal. Furthermore, the way that Cynthia Nixon brings the color into her home using natural wood brings texture and classic style into her space.'
The most stylish parts of Nixon's spare are in the details. Ebert says, 'The 80s championed maximalist decor ideas with pattern everywhere. Though Nixon's living room isn't full-on maximalist, the oriental rug brings in a strong dose of a busy pattern. The red carpet is covered in shapes and lines that add visual interest and appeal to her otherwise minimalist space. This is the perfect example of how to bring some of the best parts of '80s decor into the 2020s without going overboard into some of the more dated elements of design in the period.'
Jen is the Editor (Digital) of Homes & Gardens. Before starting this position, she had completed various interior design courses at KLC Design School, as well as working across Ideal Home, LivingEtc, 25 Beautiful Homes and Country Homes & Interiors as an interiors writer.
Nixon's living room lighting is another throwback in the space. 'Sphere lighting is very of that period,' Ebert says. 'Cynthia Nixon's mid-century modern, rounded ceiling light again calls to this history in a stylish and grounded manner. It matches perfectly with the rest of her decor, and I predict we will be seeing more of this style over the next year or so.'
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