Tell me what color your walls are and I'll tell you what generation you belong to.

BarcelonaThe home is a reflection of our personality and our daily lives. We all have a decorative style that changes over the years, as we grow, and with the demands of our lifestyle. The home also changes because it's organic and has a functionality that adapts to us. But in addition to our taste in decor, our values and financial means also influence the appearance of the home. This means that every generation, from our grandparents to the present, boomers, millennials and generation Z, we have decorative preferences and common distinctive features that characterize our home and unite us as a whole.

The style of the youngest

We still don't know the style of the 20-year-old generation because they can barely afford a room in a shared apartment right now. Interior designer Olga Gil-Vernet, from the studio that bears her name, explains that "when young people are able to move out, they have the excitement of their first apartment and take risks with bold colors. They also want spacious spaces to invite friends over and have dinner together," she notes. Later on, when they have children, they worry more about space and how to maximize it by using their furniture. Today, we all prioritize functionality and practicality. "Unlike our grandparents' time, when there were only a couple of furniture stores, we now have many different and affordable styles at our fingertips, which can be combined to recreate any style we want. Plus, on social media, we can see homes from all over the world and customize our living rooms to suit our tastes, with little investment."

Open spaces, a requirement for millennials

Currently, millennials, born in the 80s and 90s, want comfort and multipurpose spaces, so their young children can play in the living room, and when they are teenagers, study there. On the contrary, the living room used to be the living room, and the bedroom was just a bedroom. Open spaces, because we don't cook like we used to. We cook less, and we cook lighter. Perhaps the exception is the Christmas casserole dish," explains Laura Martínez, of Estudio Laura Martínez Interiorismo. Another very important aspect is the workspace. In the wake of COVID, it is the workspace. Even if it's small, now everyone wants to have an office or corner to work remotely.

Since lockdown, especially, being comfortable at home has become a priority. Millennials are leaving behind the bright colors of their youth and are demanding white, but also other raw, soft tones that bring warmth and harmony to the home. Our preference for white and raw walls in adulthood allows us to have a color that lasts, that we won't tire of, and that allows for the decorative changes we want to implement in these times of millions of people.inputs and so rapidly consumed. "Barcelona residents like the Eixample style: high ceilings, hydraulic floors, rosettes, white doors. But that's a pipe dream, because it only exists in the Eixample." On the contrary, too much white can be counterproductive. Olga Gil-Vernet explains: "White can be cold and give the impression of a dentist's office or a hospital. It's better to play with other tones, which will create a more relaxing atmosphere. You have to see the house as a whole."

But this predilection for white and off-white colors hasn't always been this way. Laura Martínez takes us back to the 1980s, when it was fashionable to have one room of each color. The bedroom was blue, the kitchen white and red, the living room salmon-colored... It was a jumbled mess. This led millennials, when they were younger, to follow this trend somewhat. But once trends change, personal tastes change as well.

Interior designer Laura Martínez adds that her clients prefer "grey" tones, between gray and beige, throughout the house. They want to create a uniform feel and paint the entire house the same when they decide to renovate it, and perhaps, for clients over 60, add a wall in another color for contrast, such as the headboard in the master bedroom. "We're looking for timelessness," she explains. "We want walls in rich, neutral colors so they'll stand the test of time and the clients won't get tired of them."

Boomers want smaller, more stylish apartments

The generation of the boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, turn to renovation and interior design services when they move to smaller apartments and think about their home in the long term. "Retired and with adult children away from home, they don't need as much space and look for practical spaces that are easier to clean and adapted to possible future needs, such as wider doors for wheelchairs or benches in shower stalls," explains Laura Martínez. They also opt for open spaces, for example, with glass windows. Olga Gil-Vernet adds that many clients of this age take advantage of the move or renovation to get rid of large furniture that is disproportionate to the size of their current apartments. "Furniture that is too large breaks the harmony, and at that age, they dare to get rid of things they have stored all their lives." This is a basic factor in decoration. A cramped space is not harmonious, which is why the two decorators insist on removing visual clutter or getting rid of excess. In their interior design projects, they emphasize order and ensuring that everything has its place. They agree that, in general, we accumulate too many things we no longer use (or have never used) and keepsakes because we feel bad about throwing them away or giving them away. Some clients have three sets of dishes in the dining room that they haven't used and never will, but they want a custom-made piece of furniture because they don't want to part with them. This is also true of the faded sheets with their mother-in-law's embroidered initials, which are stored away, taking up space. "But there comes a time in life when people become more selective and practical and don't want to carry more. They think they've enjoyed some furniture and give it to their daughter or granddaughter, or buy it secondhand through a mobile app. Those who are grandparents now keep some collections, but not as many as before, because, for example, for example, for example," Gil-Vernet said.

Are there more differences in decorative style between one generation and another? The answer is yes. boomers They want a somewhat more sophisticated space than millennials. "They ask for moldings on the walls, something like the style worn in Madrid or Bilbao. These are somewhat more elegant apartments, but not as stately and serious as our grandparents' style, where the house had to be spotless, especially for visitors," explains Laura Martínez. "With decor, it's something like clothing: it's increasingly more comfortable and informal, you can buy it in many different places at many prices, and trends change quickly," says Gil-Vernet. Clients boomers They choose wallpaper or some colored walls because they think, "If I don't do it now, I never will."

Where are the trends in decoration going?

And now, where do we go from here? The professionals are clear about the new trends in decoration: the new trend is dark wood, more colors, and more curves and organic shapes in everything, such as sofas and walls. But Laura Martínez explains that Catalan clients remain faithful to their tastes. "Despite the new trend, the Nordic style, austere, minimalist, and light wood, continues to predominate in the current preferences of Catalans when it comes to renovating and decorating their homes."