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Livingetc’s Style Pulse report for spring/summer 2027 spotlights the “decorative gesture”: a single ornamental or unexpected detail placed in a contemporary room. Designers quoted in the report say these accents can create contrast and help a space feel more personal, though the trend is an editorial design forecast, not a measured shift in consumer behavior.
Livingetc’s spring/summer 2027 Style Pulse report identifies the “decorative gesture” as an interior design trend: adding one ornamental or unexpected detail to a contemporary room. The examples include a tassel on a light, fringe on a sofa, a gilded frame in a minimalist home or an ornate brass handle against veined marble.
The idea is not to fill a room with traditional decoration, but to use a single contrasting element to interrupt a more restrained scheme. Livingetc describes these details as a way to bring depth and a sense of layering to modern interiors without changing the overall design direction. The report presents the trend as a forecast and editorial interpretation, rather than a survey or quantified account of how widely households are adopting it.
Los Angeles interior designer Ryan Saghian told Livingetc that contrast is central to his approach. “I’ve always believed that the most interesting rooms have tension,” he said, adding that he does not want every element to match or appear to come from the same decade. He said the counterpoint might be an antique, an ornate detail or something less expected.
Marisa Gutmacher, senior vice president of design at Samuel & Sons, described a finishing detail as a way to resolve a room that otherwise feels incomplete. “Sometimes a piece has all the right elements but still feels unresolved,” she told the publication. She said a final accent can add weight to a silhouette or connect upholstery with the surrounding space.
How One Detail Changes a Room
The report’s point is practical as well as stylistic: a room does not necessarily need a full redesign to gain more character. A small accent can create contrast within an existing scheme, letting someone keep clean-lined furniture and surfaces while introducing a touch of ornament. The effect depends on placement and proportion; the report does not claim that any one object will improve every room.
The approach also shifts attention toward craft and personalization. Tassels, cords and fringe can be selected or made for a particular setting rather than bought as generic decoration. That makes the accent part of the room’s visual composition, not simply another item to add. For readers who prefer contemporary interiors, the forecast offers a way to experiment with traditional detail without adopting a fully traditional style.
There is a limit to what can be concluded from the source. Livingetc names the gesture as a trend in a seasonal design report, but it provides no sales figures, consumer research or evidence that the look is spreading across the wider housing market. Its significance is as a design direction and styling idea, not proof of a broad change in behavior.
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Ornament Meets Modern Restraint
Livingetc frames the trend against a recent interest in traditional ornamentation, which can feel at odds with contemporary interiors built around simple forms and restrained finishes. Its proposed compromise is to borrow a detail, rather than reproduce a whole historical style. That contrast is the basis of the “decorative gesture.”
The report points to passementerie—the craft of making decorative trims such as tassels, cords and braids—as one example. Elizabeth Ashdown, a UK passementerie maker and designer, told Livingetc that the craft has a long history and can be adapted for contemporary spaces. The article says tassels are appearing as single, graphic details on lighting and mirrors, rather than only as part of traditional upholstery.
Livingetc’s report is titled Style Pulse for SS27, its biannual forecast for the upcoming season. The source also refers to “quiet design theatrics” in 2026, but gives no separate publication date or full timeline for the trend. The available material describes examples and expert views, not a formal trend-tracking dataset.
““I think the best interiors have a little contradiction in them.””
— Ryan Saghian, Los Angeles interior designer, speaking to Livingetc
How Broad Is the Trend?
The source does not establish how many designers or consumers are using decorative gestures, or whether interest is increasing compared with previous seasons. It gives no market data, survey results or sales figures. The trend label should be read as Livingetc’s forecast, supported by examples and comments from design professionals.
It is also not clear how the look will develop through the SS27 season, or which specific objects will become most common. The article’s examples are illustrative, and the effect of an accent will vary with the room, its materials and the scale of the detail. The source does not report a product launch, new regulation or other discrete industry event.
What to Watch in SS27
Livingetc says its Style Pulse report covers other forecasts for the spring/summer 2027 season, though the supplied material does not set out those additional trends. The next indication of how this idea develops will come from the examples designers and publications feature as the season approaches; the source does not name a specific event or date for a follow-up.
For now, the report’s suggestion is to treat the concept as a styling option, not a requirement: identify a room’s existing visual language, then consider whether one contrasting detail would add interest without overwhelming it. Whether that detail is a tassel, a gilded frame or a different material pairing is a matter of design choice, not a confirmed rule.
Key Questions
What is the “decorative gesture” trend?
It is Livingetc’s term for adding one ornamental or unexpected detail to a contemporary room, such as fringe on a sofa or a tassel on a light fitting.
Does this mean modern interiors are moving away from minimalism?
Not according to the report. The idea is to retain a room’s modern or restrained overall look while adding a contrasting detail, rather than replacing the style with full-on ornamentation.
What is passementerie?
Passementerie is the craft of making decorative trimmings and edgings, including tassels, cords, braids and fringe. The report describes these details being used in contemporary settings.
Is the trend supported by consumer or sales data?
The supplied Livingetc report does not provide consumer research, sales figures or adoption rates. It presents a seasonal design forecast based on examples and comments from design professionals.
Source: livingetc.com
