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If you’ve been on the interior design end of Instagram or TikTok lately, you’ve probably noticed a wane in the proliferation of wiggly pastel furniture that’s taken place over the past few years. These soft, innocuous shapes are being slowly replaced by a more psychedelic, energized take on postmodern design, which we’re calling the “splat” trend. More and more often, designers and artists are creating home decor that looks like it’s melting, dripping, or spilling—think Nickelodeon’s Slime Time Live, but très chic.
This trend can be seen in everything from mirrors to rugs, and is by no means slowing down. “The more melted and spilled aesthetic seems to be a more elevated version of the squiggly and cute aesthetic, as it appears to be more ‘natural,’” explain spill rug masters Mush Studios over email. “Within our own brand, we’ve evolved toward designing more purposeful motion, especially with the idea of an ‘accidental spill.’”
So, the big question is, why is everything spilling, dripping, and melting? Well, there seem to be quite a few reasons. For starters, it’s totally natural for trends to evolve—when you really think about it, the splat trend is just the next stage (like Pokémon-style evolution) of the wiggle trend. “I think the coining of the term ‘avant-basic’ signaled the demise of cuteness,” says Ellen Pong, a New York-based ceramicist and designer.
As more designers and home decorators tire of the insistently cute aesthetic of the squiggly table, they’re looking to incorporate something new and are being influenced by other cultural movements, like the Y2K wave. If anything, the splat look is merely another iteration of 2000s nostalgia, since that era helped to popularize the exaggerated shapes and slimy textures that are making a comeback today.
The rise of the NFT revolution is also partially to credit (or blame) for the melted forms we’re seeing these days: as digital art, which often comes in the form of impossible 3D shapes, continues to push our idea of reality, we’re seeing these experimental digital forms and textures repeated in physical work, like in the “Supergroup 2” exhibition at Superhouse Vitrine in New York City. The exchange between the digital and the physical world is becoming increasingly important to the development of contemporary design, and we predict the gap between the two will only continue to shrink.
At the end of the day, the splat trend continues to build on the movement away from minimalist spaces of the early 2010s toward a more dynamic, colorful, and futuristic look for contemporary interiors. So, where to next? “I think there’s ways the organic will continue to have a stronghold, but the tone may get darker, more mechanical,” concludes architectural designer Harry Chadha. “We may see a rejection of curves altogether as there’s a shift into hardware and material-based processes.”
Add something gooey to your space
Ready to switch up your cutesy interior decor for something more gooey and probiotic? Here are 11 products we’re eyeing to bring the Splat aesthetic to our spaces:
Available in nine colorways, these Gaetano Pesce coasters will cover the spills from all your cheap thrills.
This mirror (DM to purchase) by artist and designer Nicholas Devlin, whose work is enviously drippy and slimy.
This slug-like candle by Basel-based art collective Naza.
This Nickelodeon-esque wall mirror that comes in a variety of pulsating colors:
This seemingly collapsing resin vase by design master Enzo Mari.
A wobbly clock by another design master, Gaetano Pesce.
Now a household staple, the Goober candles were way ahead of their time.
Moving on from fake food to faux beverages, now you can have your favorite drink and spill it too.
A dream purchase from designer Philipp Aduatz.
For the minimalist splatter lover, this mirror is simply precision-cut acrylic in the drippiest shape imaginable.
This rug from Mush Studios comes in a variety of sizes to perfectly fit your space.
