Millennials have become synonymous with avocados, decried as the generation who threw away all their money on buying brunch instead of property.
But those of us do have a home of our own, or indeed rent a place where we can decorate how we wish, millennial-coded interests are seeping in.
That’s because avo green and its lighter counterparts are making their way into young people’s interiors choices, particularly in the bathroom.
Wild sage, lemon, peach, sorbet, mint, and avocado are becoming popular among this cohort, and even Gen Z is now harking back to the tastes popular in the 70s.
According to DIY retailer Wickes, more than a quarter of 24-to-34-year-olds (27%) picked avocado as the colour they would most like to use in a bathroom upgrade, while 28% would go for a pastel blue suite – another popular option during the decade that brought us Watergate, Pong, and disco – and 10% of this age group would like to see 1970s panelling make a comeback.
This retro shade is clearly having a moment, as Pinterest’s Autumn report unveiled a 350% increase in searches of ‘dark green bathroom’ and a whopping 2,670% rise in ‘green home decor’ more generally. But not everyone is pleased.
Commenters on Reddit certainly buying it, with, @Xenozip3371Alpha calling the trend ‘hideous’, adding: ‘It’s diarrhoea green.’
Another, @PmMeLowCarbRecipes, quipped: ‘Young people have stopped buying avocado toast and managed to save up and buy their avocado house’, while a third, @Alundra828, asked: ‘Is there no end to the depths this country will sink?’
Not everyone was a naysayer though, and some enjoy the vintage look.
‘I think it looks really cute,’ wrote @boeingcrashsiteboeingcrashsite. ‘Although I admit I’m a sucker for a kitschy interior’.
Echoing the sentiment, @Dry_Sandwich_860, added: ‘Good. Sick of everything looking like it’s from Ikea’.
According to Tim Richards, Head of Bathrooms at Wickes, although the controversial avocado green shade is making a comeback, it’s not as you once knew it.
He tells ‘The new trend identified doesn’t mean the return of matching basins and baths: today’s avocado-inspired bathrooms are employing the retro green theme with a much lighter touch, often using coloured furniture, tiles and paint as well as natural elements to channel the 70s vibes.’
As with the millennial obsession with house plants (what else can we own, right?), there’s method in the madness, and Tim explains that there’s a deeper reason why this cohort is flocking to these colours.
‘Millennials are seeking a green that reflects peace and nature in the bathroom to give that feel of serenity to help relax after a busy day through use of this modern twist on a 70s classic,’ he explains.
Want to work the trend but don’t want your loo to look like a throwback to your nana’s house?
Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan, British design historian, professor of design history and TV presenter, comments: ‘Like disco, flares and prawn cocktail, there’s nothing that screams the 1970s quite like avocado green bathrooms – and for anyone who lived through the decade, it’s understandable that they don’t particularly fancy seeing it again.
‘Fortunately, this new avocado bathroom trend that’s struck a chord with 20 and 30-somethings is far more subtle. Lighting plays a large part in this, with smart lighting and dimmers to suit every occasion and make what was once a glaringly green room an atmospheric and serene space.’
She also advises mixing colours and textures to make the space ‘warmer, more welcoming, and a reflection of [your] style’, adding: ‘I’m glad brighter colours are staging a comeback. Who wants gloomy grey when a splash of green or blue will lift your spirits?’
Go wild with disco balls, bright shades, bold materials and quirky prints. But perhaps give shag pile carpets a miss in the lavvy; that’s a 70s decor trend best left in the past.
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