We have seen them pop up on the red carpet at the Oscars, and before that on social occasions, from the Grammy Awards to other major events: brooches are undoubtedly the real stars of the year. For men or women, discreet or particularly eye-catching, they are the jewelry accessory capable of giving that extra touch to any look.
Sydney Stanback, Global Trends and Insights Lead at Pinterest, tells Architectural Digest that she has observed a significant increase in searches for pins on the platform, but also in the spread of images depicting them being used to decorate furniture and design objects. A trend that enriches home interior design with an aesthetic flicker, introducing a sense of playfulness and a strong personality to spaces. Research data confirms this: terms such as “brooch aesthetics” grew 110 percent year-on-year, while “how to match brooches” registered +500 percent. “What’s interesting,” he adds, “is that the same decorative approach is starting to transfer to interiors as well: people are using pins on lamps and furnishings as a creative way to add personality and a maximalist touch to rooms.”
Among the most popular items are lamps, which, thanks to their materials, such as fabric or cloth, easily lend themselves to being decorated with pins and accessories of all kinds. Jaharn Quinn, founder of Smore Home, says she collected pins at flea markets for more than a year before using them in decorating. “I found a lamp in a thrift store with a beautiful shape and a lot of potential, and I decided to reinvent it with a new color,” she explains. “At first I wanted to simply paint it, but the result was a bit anonymous. So I thought of my pin collection.” She started applying them one by one to the lampshade, “It was like building a little gallery, and it became something layered and expressive.”
This is how pin-terior design was born: the art of using brooches to breathe new life into traditional furniture objects. Lampshades are among the most common bases, but the possibilities are many more. “They would also look great on a vintage picture frame or arranged delicately around a mirror, like home jewelry,” Quinn adds. We’ve also seen them on pillows, as framed artwork or even as curtain stops-in short, on any surface that lends itself. To follow this trend, the choice of brooches is critical. “I probably spent more time looking for brooches than fixing them on the lampshade,” says Juan Marquez, DIY content creator and interior designer, who made a decorated lamp last year. He prefers silver pieces with an essential and immediate design: “I wanted clear shapes, like a bow or a heart. It’s the same approach I use in interiors: bright, with bold, legible shapes.”
Quinn recommends choosing brooches that share a common thread: color, style or shape. “I like to look for secondhand brooches in the same metallic tone, such as gold: although different, together they look harmonious,” he explains. “This consistency gives the end result a more studied and designed look.” As for styling, it is important to consider the environment in which the object will be placed. “I placed my lamp in the bedroom, where orange, green, and beige predominate, and it blends in perfectly,” Marquez says. Quinn, on the other hand, placed hers in the living room, above an olive-green bookcase: “What I love most is how it manages to impose itself in the space. The pins catch the light in a delicate and beautiful way.”
Just as a piece of jewelry completes an outfit, brooches in home decor are thus a way to add a personal touch to objects. “They bring with them an authentic sense of character and uniqueness that is impossible to replicate with a purchased product,” Quinn concludes. “It’s something thought out, a little unexpected and completely our own: and that, to me, is what makes a home truly complete.”
[đź“· Instagram: jaharnquinn]
