Boom Boom Rooms

Trends researcher Chris Reid on the RISE AND RISE OF FLASHY STYLE.

- CHRIS REID

DESIGN IS TIED TO LIFE. Sometimes it reflects the mood of the world. Sometimes it reacts to it. And sometimes - when things get especially loud, fast and unfiltered - it becomes a megaphone. That's the impetus behind Boom Boom: a maximalist aesthetic that's been grabbing attention across fashion, media and, now, interiors. It's a sensibility built on contradiction: sexy and silly, trashy and luxe. It's not subtle - but that's the point.

The term was introduced by trend forecaster Sean Monahan, who named it after the gold-saturated Boom Boom Room in New York's Standard High Line hotel. Monahan came to prominence for identifying the “Normcore” movement in 2014, and while that was about being bland, Boom Boom is a “fetishisation of the past” that celebrates two decades of in-your-face glamour leading up to the millennium. It’s about conspicuous displays of wealth we haven't seen for years, and it's only gaining momentum.

• A REACTION TO RESTRAINT

The Boom Boom sentiment emerges out of a cultural fatigue with curated perfection, but also overlaps with broad social shifts. Economically, we're in a time of perceived uncertainty for many. In moments like this, style swings towards flashy and escapist, signalling resilience through excess.