The Gen Z Furniture Trend You Might Want To Think Twice About Trying

Trends are fun because they're flashes in a pan. They come in seemingly out of left field and saturate the market, offering something fresh, new, and unexpected. While traditional pieces of furniture will always be timeless, sometimes you want something a little more playful than a stately wooden desk or simple tufted gray couch. However, there is one Gen Z decor trend in particular you may want to think twice about trying because it's a little too kooky to have much lasting power, and that's bubble furniture. 

Mimicking the curvy, overstuffed shapes of bubble letters, bubble furniture pieces are all soft curves and exaggerated silhouettes. And while they feel young and fun, investing in too many pieces can make your room feel dated in a year or two. It's a TikTok trend that probably won't be making a comeback.

While investing in something smaller, like a single side chair, won't hurt your pocketbook too much when it turns passé, going all in on a whole living room set can make you regret your choice once it becomes overdone, like, say, shiplap. "A piece or two in a project looks fresh to me; however, the glut of this trend in the marketplace is only serving to dilute the cool effect," interior designer Betsy Burnham told House Beautiful. "I was shopping for some young clients recently — who happen to be traditionalists — and found myself wondering why a chair can't just look like a chair anymore?!" However, if you love the cheerful look of it but want something with more lasting power, there might be a workaround.

The appeal of bubble furniture is its exaggerated, bubble-like shapes. It's not only a great contrast to sturdy pieces in your living room — like a thick rectangular coffee table or a set of heavy wooden chairs — but it also taps into the biophilic design trend that is taking over the design world. This trend reconnects the home with nature, bringing the outside in by using outdoor-inspired elements, like wood, plants, natural color palettes, and stone textures. Bubble furniture fits into this because there are no hard angles in nature — just natural curves. However, if you feel uncomfortable spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a trend that will likely last only a few years, try overstuffed furniture instead. 

Overstuffed furniture is like the grownup alternative to bubble furniture. It's when pieces are much plumper than standard — creating those rounded, exaggerated curves — but they still have relatively traditional silhouettes, utilize neutral color palettes, and use timeless materials. For instance, take the SmartEdge Sherpa Accent Chair as an example. It has the shape, texture, and color palette of a traditional side chair. But it's stuffed just a little passed what is typical, creating a plump seat, backrest, and arms. It's still unusual enough that it will catch your interest when you walk into a room, but it's classic enough that it won't become dated after the trend cycle is over.