Decorating
Decorating: How to Channel the ‘Good Taste’ Trend
If your style is all about natural materials, neutral shades and rustic artisan crafting, you could be part of a hip new interiors look
A relaxed blend of industrial, Scandi, rustic and Japanese minimal styles has been emerging in recent years: a modern-rustic look that has been dubbed ‘Good Taste’.
This approach to interiors is about a neutral, muted colour palette and a focus on good-quality, natural, handcrafted or reclaimed materials – wood, metal, concrete, porcelain, stone, wool, cotton, glass – along with unfussy artisan pieces, preferably locally and ethically sourced. Think quiet, solid, functional design and slow, ethical, mindful living. Here are just a few ways to get the Good Taste look.
This approach to interiors is about a neutral, muted colour palette and a focus on good-quality, natural, handcrafted or reclaimed materials – wood, metal, concrete, porcelain, stone, wool, cotton, glass – along with unfussy artisan pieces, preferably locally and ethically sourced. Think quiet, solid, functional design and slow, ethical, mindful living. Here are just a few ways to get the Good Taste look.
Think organic
This look is about the kind of home where there’s a delicious scented candle burning, bikes in the hallway, cacti on the windowsills, a rough-hewn wooden table laid with hand-made pottery, natural textiles – as seen in the sackcloth-style curtains here – vintage silver cutlery and breadboards piled high with artisan sourdough and local cheeses. OK, yes, it might feel a little too perfectly organic, but it’s hard not to be sucked in by its simple appeal.
This look is about the kind of home where there’s a delicious scented candle burning, bikes in the hallway, cacti on the windowsills, a rough-hewn wooden table laid with hand-made pottery, natural textiles – as seen in the sackcloth-style curtains here – vintage silver cutlery and breadboards piled high with artisan sourdough and local cheeses. OK, yes, it might feel a little too perfectly organic, but it’s hard not to be sucked in by its simple appeal.
Focus on your kitchen
This is the room where the slow-living trend really takes shape – it’s all about making a proper cup of coffee (never instant), and cooking something delicious with local, organic ingredients, possibly from your own garden or allotment. In this Scandi-style space, a traditional range cooker takes pride of place, while the white-painted brickwork adds to the modern-rustic atmosphere.
This is the room where the slow-living trend really takes shape – it’s all about making a proper cup of coffee (never instant), and cooking something delicious with local, organic ingredients, possibly from your own garden or allotment. In this Scandi-style space, a traditional range cooker takes pride of place, while the white-painted brickwork adds to the modern-rustic atmosphere.
Choose unfussy lighting
Well-designed, stylish lighting is central to the Good Taste home, so it’s worth spending some serious time planning and sourcing it. The bare bulb with exposed filament fitting has become increasingly popular, and is a mainstay of this functional look.
Hunt for angled metal lamps, reclaimed vintage fittings, like this unusual number here, hefty industrial pendants and simple porcelain shades. Get it right and lighting will totally transform the look and feel of your home. Loving the green blackboard and vintage clock, too.
Well-designed, stylish lighting is central to the Good Taste home, so it’s worth spending some serious time planning and sourcing it. The bare bulb with exposed filament fitting has become increasingly popular, and is a mainstay of this functional look.
Hunt for angled metal lamps, reclaimed vintage fittings, like this unusual number here, hefty industrial pendants and simple porcelain shades. Get it right and lighting will totally transform the look and feel of your home. Loving the green blackboard and vintage clock, too.
Build up a porcelain collection
Handmade ceramics have a homespun, artisan feel – if the potter lives locally and you’ve met them (or perhaps you are the potter), so much the better.
Simple, textured, organic shapes in white, as seen here, look beautiful and go anywhere. Alternatively, choose classic terracotta for rustic earthiness, or patterned blue and white china for cool Scandi chic.
Handmade ceramics have a homespun, artisan feel – if the potter lives locally and you’ve met them (or perhaps you are the potter), so much the better.
Simple, textured, organic shapes in white, as seen here, look beautiful and go anywhere. Alternatively, choose classic terracotta for rustic earthiness, or patterned blue and white china for cool Scandi chic.
Use pattern in moderation
This look tends to feature a neutral palette and simple, streamlined shapes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate the odd dash of pattern. In this simple dining area, the bold, encaustic floor tiles elevate it to something rather special, but the grey and white design means it doesn’t clash with other elements in the room.
Get your tile patterns right
This look tends to feature a neutral palette and simple, streamlined shapes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate the odd dash of pattern. In this simple dining area, the bold, encaustic floor tiles elevate it to something rather special, but the grey and white design means it doesn’t clash with other elements in the room.
Get your tile patterns right
Eschew man-made
Natural materials feature prominently in Good Taste homes, with a soothing palette of soft greys, browns and white being de rigueur. In the bedroom of this elegantly converted stables, an unusual wall of wood and aged metal adds character, nods back to the building’s history and warms up the all-white décor around it.
Natural materials feature prominently in Good Taste homes, with a soothing palette of soft greys, browns and white being de rigueur. In the bedroom of this elegantly converted stables, an unusual wall of wood and aged metal adds character, nods back to the building’s history and warms up the all-white décor around it.
Get a pared-back plant
Perhaps it’s something to do with their sculptural shapes and low-maintenance needs, but cacti and succulents are having something of an interiors moment. These prickly fellows are a simple way to add a dash of greenery to your space. If you’re feeling bold, choose a striking specimen like this one. (And if this overall look and lifestyle feels way too difficult to replicate… well, we can all afford to buy a cactus, right?)
Perhaps it’s something to do with their sculptural shapes and low-maintenance needs, but cacti and succulents are having something of an interiors moment. These prickly fellows are a simple way to add a dash of greenery to your space. If you’re feeling bold, choose a striking specimen like this one. (And if this overall look and lifestyle feels way too difficult to replicate… well, we can all afford to buy a cactus, right?)
Indulge in the rough and ready
A dining table made from a single slab of unfinished wood or weathered planks is a cornerstone of the natural living trend. As the hub of home and family life, your table needs to be large enough to accommodate lazy Sunday lunches at the same time as crafty kitchen projects – kneading sourdough bread or making jam, for example. Here, the table adds warmth and knotty texture to a simple white scheme.
A dining table made from a single slab of unfinished wood or weathered planks is a cornerstone of the natural living trend. As the hub of home and family life, your table needs to be large enough to accommodate lazy Sunday lunches at the same time as crafty kitchen projects – kneading sourdough bread or making jam, for example. Here, the table adds warmth and knotty texture to a simple white scheme.
Go for exposure
This trend is all about going back to basics and living a simpler, more authentic kind of life. And what could be more authentic than exposing your bricks and showing off the provenance of a period home? Bare bricks have a simple, raw quality that’s rustic without being twee. Similarly exposed rafters, original stone or wooden floors and distressed, timeworn paintwork all exude a carefree, rustic look, the epitome of the Good Taste trend.
Get expert tips on how to work with exposed finishes in your home
This trend is all about going back to basics and living a simpler, more authentic kind of life. And what could be more authentic than exposing your bricks and showing off the provenance of a period home? Bare bricks have a simple, raw quality that’s rustic without being twee. Similarly exposed rafters, original stone or wooden floors and distressed, timeworn paintwork all exude a carefree, rustic look, the epitome of the Good Taste trend.
Get expert tips on how to work with exposed finishes in your home
Keep your bedroom spartan
As we all probably know by now, mindful living means eliminating mental as well as real-life clutter. This pared-back bedroom has good taste down to a T: no ugly electronic devices to disrupt your sleep, lots of simple, functional concrete and a smattering of old-school industrial features to keep you in touch with the heritage of the space.
If you don’t have a bedroom with such lofty dimensions, copy a few basic principles: choose a simple wooden bed frame, boxy furniture, grey walls and floor and finish off with crisp white cotton bed linen.
How to choose the right bed linen
As we all probably know by now, mindful living means eliminating mental as well as real-life clutter. This pared-back bedroom has good taste down to a T: no ugly electronic devices to disrupt your sleep, lots of simple, functional concrete and a smattering of old-school industrial features to keep you in touch with the heritage of the space.
If you don’t have a bedroom with such lofty dimensions, copy a few basic principles: choose a simple wooden bed frame, boxy furniture, grey walls and floor and finish off with crisp white cotton bed linen.
How to choose the right bed linen
Choose a classic dining chair
Wooden Windsor chairs are a simple, safe choice for dining rooms. They’re timeless, solid, can be painted to match your scheme and will (probably) never go out of fashion. These black numbers fit the Good Taste bill perfectly and add solid definition to a light, bright room. Parquet flooring, as seen here, is another elegant, timeless choice to give your home that loved-up, lived-in heritage feel.
TELL US….
Do you love the modern rustic look? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments below.
Wooden Windsor chairs are a simple, safe choice for dining rooms. They’re timeless, solid, can be painted to match your scheme and will (probably) never go out of fashion. These black numbers fit the Good Taste bill perfectly and add solid definition to a light, bright room. Parquet flooring, as seen here, is another elegant, timeless choice to give your home that loved-up, lived-in heritage feel.
TELL US….
Do you love the modern rustic look? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments below.
Keep in mind William Morris’s famous phrase: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful.’
This kitchen sums up the Good Taste phenomenon perfectly: a top-quality, handcrafted build with a pleasing simplicity, made from elements including wood, metal and stone (and apparently inspired by a cabin in the wild coastlands of Essex). The dark grey-green shade adds subtle colour without being intrusive.
Explore more ideas for creating a modern rustic look