How TikTok trends are influencing home décor trends

Source: Pexels

TikTok has become one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in recent years. In 2020, it grew a massive 325% in one year. It currently has more than a billion users around the globe and so has become a significant player in the influencer market. TikTok is no longer about funny dances and lip-syncs; it is a place where people go to impact consumer behaviour, including interior design trends. As well as being a pathologically proven addictive app that everyone is using, TikTok has encouraged some exuberant and brave choices homes across the nation.

Trending hashtags

The easiest way to assess trends on TikTok is to look at the best-performing interior and home décor hashtags over the last twelve months. The totals are gathered based on the number of videos and total views.

According to a report by Display Sense, #vintage, a trend which began in May 2021, has already accrued a massive 16.6 trillion views across 1.1 million videos – it is also worth noting that #renovation came in at number 4 and has already gathered 5.5 trillion views. The décor trend towards revamping the old has been popular in the wider interior design circles, and in some ways, this is reflected on TikTok.

More powerful is the popularity of #cottagecore and #driedflowers, which shows one of two things. First, that rural chic is making its presence felt in the trend-setting homes of the urban class. This chart shows other trends that are extremely popular on the platform. This chart shows other trends that are extremely popular on the platform.

Source: Display Sense

Influence on Google Searches

It is interesting to take these trends on TikTok and see how they match with Google keyword searches. People turn to Google because they feel they have something to learn. They may have heard of something that interests them and would like to emulate this in their life. As predicted, the trends in home décor pretty much always began with an increase in searching on Google.

Three search terms saw a significant increase in search volumes. The Sunset Lamp started trending on TikTok in April 2021. The lamp projects a sunset-like light into a room, creating a relaxing effect. Of course, these lamps prove popular on TikTok as they provide a beautiful backdrop for filming and are relatively cheap to recreate. #Cottagecore also became popular in April 2021 and encouraged interiors based on the

farmhouse. While this is a décor trend, the popularity of these videos on TikTok had a lot more to do with the change in lifestyle it represents. Natural materials and a need for lots of sunlight in rooms are predominant. With the lockdown and worries about the environment, it is unsurprising that we are looking for comfort in our homes. The third trend closely correlated to a Google search is the hashtag Japandi. Think Japan and

mix this with a little Scandi minimalism, and you come out with Japandi. The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi is at the core of this trend, as people appreciate the contentment to be found in leading a simple life. This need for minimalism and few material possessions matches the functional design concepts of Scandi interiors. Again, this décor trend is likely a response to environmental and climate worries. It is a sign that younger generations may be taking a more ethical approach to interiors.

Into the future

If a mix of Google searches and emerging TikTok hashtags are a great barometer for future fashions, it is worth looking at the data to help see the future. Here we take those terms that are still growing on Google and have emerging popularity on TikTok. The following are the trends that are continuing to grow in popularity thanks to going viral on Tiktok.

Source: Display Sense

It seems that we are becoming most concerned with the look of our bathrooms while minimalism continues to grow. Most interesting is the emergence of Goblincore and Fairycore as design concepts. Goblincore appreciates parts of nature that are not typically considered beautiful, including mushrooms and skulls and other such regalia. Fairycore instead focuses on the aesthetic around fairy and elf mythology and includes soft pastels, butterflies, flowers, and allusions to magic. It seems the future needs to be more fantastical than the present, and maybe we have a yearning for more innocent times in our design.

A valuable tool for designers

What is clear from this is the power of TikTok for designers. Suppose the interior designer can match Google searches to hashtags on the most popular social media platform. In that case, they can begin to anticipate the tastes and desires of the market and boost their success.