During my first couple weeks on Pinterest I was perplexed that the same images kept appearing on my feed–there was absolutely no variety. It seemed as though everyone I followed was in a pinning loop, pinning the same images over, and over, and over. Concluding that I just wasn’t following enough people I started following more pinners: friends of friends, other bloggers and even complete strangers. I was sure that eventually my feed would be filled with a variety of inspirations. After a couple weeks of waiting, I was discouraged to see that the pinning loop continued… The same images were haunting my feed.

Finally, I did what any good pinner has to do, I stopped following people. Yes, I felt guilty. Yes, it was rude. However, I decided it was my pinterest account and I wanted to be inspired by what I saw, not bored-to-tears.  After cleaning up the boards I followed, I was ecstatic to discover that I now had a beautiful, interesting, and inspiring feed.

My own pinterest evolution made me realize something — people are easily persuaded to stray from their design esthetic. Instead of seeing a concept and recognizing that although the design  is beautiful it’s not THEIR design style, they copy it. They jump on the design bandwagon. I don’t think people understand they can appreciate a trend without throwing the idea on every wall, fabric, or art print in their home.

Here are a few trends I saw pinned so much on pinterest I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Did I miss something?’

The Chevron Stripe- Simple with a flare of fun. I appreciate the modern yet traditional design of this stripe. I’ve seen enough pictures on pinterest to know it translates well onto practically anything decor related (including walls, rugs, art, lamps, chairs, pillows, curtains etc).  This does not mean I will put this in my house. It is not my design esthetic.

So next time you go to pin something with a Chevron strip, ask yourself, ‘Would I love this concept 20 years from now even if it’s outdated? Does this really make my heart sing, or is it just an easy DIY project that everyone is pinning?’

(more…)