Why curtain tiebacks defined 2024, according to John Lewis
Each year, John Lewis' annual retail report offers an intriguing insight into shopping habits and trends.
This year's primary trend goes to vintage maximalism, which is back and braver than ever, largely in part due to Jilly Cooper's sexy and scandalous Rivals (available on Disney+), cites John Lewis.
Characters aside, the fussy and flamboyant interiors on the show garnered considerable attention: ruches, pelmets, beds with valances, fringe and trim, luxuriously upholstered ottomans. As sensual as the show itself, the sets lean into plush finishes and alluring textures—an indulgent antidote to the pared-back Scandi minimalism that's been trending perennially for the last two decades.
With that in mind, the report highlights the homeware – all harbourers of a vintage, maximalist vibe – that have defined 2024.
Luxurious bedding
The report notes that customers enjoyed silk bedding (perhaps influenced by Cameron's bachelorette pad) with sales climbing by a staggering third. Also notable on the bedding front was a 30 per cent increase in sales of quilts and quilted throws, with the Baxter throw (and its very seventies ode to velvet and paisley) proving particularly popular.
Curtain tiebacks
Perhaps the product with the most notable throwback and an 80s must-have is the curtain tieback, which was flying off the shelves with sales more than doubling by 108 per cent.
With the Rivals effect in mind, using curtain tiebacks is another way to add ostentation and flair into the home: use of a tieback will help to add drape and make a curtain in a doorway or at a window appear copious and full, showcased below by Tori Murphy, who added curtain hardware to its collection earlier this season.
Vintage furniture
Even in furniture searches and purchases, retro was all the rage. This year, customers gravitated towards tried and trusted brands that John Lewis say 'not just their parents, but also their grandparents would immediately recognise'. Look to Laura Ashley, a name that dominated the 1980s high street; G Plan, a furniture firm founded in 1953; and Ercol, started by an Italian designer in 1920 and still making products in Buckinghamshire four generations later.
The latter two names undeniably helped to define the midcentury modern look. The retail report states: 'Popularised in the 1940s, it has proved a real hit with shoppers, with sales of [Ercol's] chairs, tables, sideboards, stools, and shelves up an impressive 52 per cent, and online searches for G Plan vintage sofas up 600 per cent.'
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Agnes Quilted Bedspread
Clover Mulberry Silk Pillowcase and Mask Set
Diamond Tieback Hook, Pack of 2
ercol for John Lewis Shalstone Dining Armchair Oak
Striped Frill Cushion
Laura Ashley Cory Table Lamp
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