The seaside has always had a heavy influence on our interior design – from the chic, linen-fuelled blue and white tones of the recent ‘coastal grandmother’ trend in coastal living rooms, to the classic, multi-coloured fun of the British seafront (picture ice creams, beach huts, and funfairs).
But this year, a new ocean-based theme is emerging as the home decor trend to know about: ‘crustaceancore’. A trend where all things crustacean – think lobsters, crabs, and shrimp – are appearing on our homeware items.
(Image credit: Oliver Bonas)
The rise of crustaceancore interiors
Oliver Bonas (opens in new tab) has reported seeing an 1340% increase in searches for crustacean themed products since March 2022, and the trend can be spotted at other retailers too. At Etsy (opens in new tab), there has been a 112% increase in searches for lobster prints in the last three months, and a 31% increase in searches for oyster art.
The White Stuff (opens in new tab) have recently launched some utterly adorable crustaceancore items too, including a brilliant ‘You are my lobster’ tea towel, and a crab wall hook. Anthropologie (opens in new tab) have also released sea-themed homeware products, including a stunning lobster platter that wouldn’t look out of place on your summer dinner table.
(Image credit: Oliver Bonas)
So what is it about the trend that we love so much – and why is it taking off?
Experts reckon that the crustaceancore theme plays nicely on our feelings of nostalgia. Dayna Isom Johnson, trend expert at Etsy, explains, ‘Reminiscent of seaside memories, the crustacean trend is becoming a mainstay amongst shoppers this summer.’
It’s also just fun and colourful – and who doesn’t need an injection of that after the last two years? ‘We like to think of it as coastal grandma’s bolder, brighter, younger sister. It allows shoppers to add pops of personality to their homes, with everything from colourful crabs to prawn prints,’ Dayna said.
Plus, it perfectly pairs with almost any home decor style, be it ‘minimalism, maximalism, or anything in between – making it easy to incorporate into any space,’ Danya said.
(Image credit: The White Stuff)
How to incorporate crustaceancore into your home
So how can you add the trend to your home? Don’t worry – you don’t have to go full crustacean!
Dayna told us, ‘A simple and inexpensive way to introduce crustaceancore into your home is to incorporate lobster or shrimp wall art, crustacean-themed accent pillows, or shell-shaped vases and serving ware.’
By adding it in small ways, you won’t feel overwhelmed by the slightly out-there trend – and can instead embrace it in an easy way that suits your existing decor.
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