Keywords for my aesthetic?

May 22, 2018 6:22 AM

I'm in need of succinct, precise ways to describe what I like and dislike when it comes to spaces, clothes, and belongings. The only ones I can think of all point to something similar but not quite. Please give me your suggestions!

I like natural and somewhat rustic textures (wood, canvas, paper, leather, bricks, steel and copper), saturated autumn colors and neutrals (think mustard yellow, burgundy). I like tree-lined side streets in a city, but neither a barn nor a suburb.

I like for things to be somewhat tidy, of good quality, and in good working order. But I like them worn-in, well loved, and has an air of DIY/makeshift-ness (but not in a martha stewart crafty way). So there may be a bookshelf made of wineboxes, but it's gotta be clean and sturdy. Or maybe a worn pair of high quality boots and a canvas pack. A bit more textures and colors than true minimalists.

The closest I've seen on TV is Nick Miller's room in New Girls, but like, clean.

What are some words or phrases I can use?

posted by redwaterman to Grab Bag (24 answers total)

Shabby chic is the phrase I would think of, and the phrase my friend uses who has this same aesthetic. I don't think it implies the Martha Stewart craftiness you want to avoid.
posted by gideonfrog at 6:27 AM on May 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I think part of this is covered by wabi-sabi. It's a Japanese name for a type of aesthetic that includes rustic, natural, and broken in things.
posted by Adridne at 6:36 AM on May 22, 2018 [11 favorites]

Seconding shabby chic - this is the word I've heard used to describe this aesthetic. Shabby is meant semi-ironically as items that are shabby chic are often loved, show some wear, but are well-maintained. So - a sofa with light color variance but whose seams are tight and the wood conditioned and protected.
posted by notorious medium at 6:37 AM on May 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

Industrial Chic can get a bit busy and steampunk-y at its more extreme end, but at its more minimal end, I think it is your vibe.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:38 AM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]

Shabby Chic as it is generally used is a bit too country and pastel for your taste, I think.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:39 AM on May 22, 2018 [19 favorites]

I would call it the Sundance aesthetic.
posted by velveeta underground at 7:02 AM on May 22, 2018 [8 favorites]

In my NYC hipster-nerd circles at least, I think I could describe your aesthetic as Kinfolk-y and people would have a pretty good idea of what I meant.
posted by yeahlikethat at 7:09 AM on May 22, 2018 [8 favorites]

I read this to my roommate this morning over coffee because we enjoy creatively naming styles. Our best description (which may be far too specific and still way too general) is Functional post-classic neo-rugged.
posted by August Fury at 7:13 AM on May 22, 2018 [5 favorites]

Adult Waldorf?
posted by Morpeth at 7:18 AM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Some people might consider "Kinfolk-y" an insult, though. I know I would!
posted by praemunire at 7:19 AM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I know the style you mean, Urban Lumberjack comes fairly close. Strangely the show The Walking Dead seems to lean hard on this look, all leathers and denim and canvas and metal, nary a synthetic in sight. Maybe the zombies eat plastic?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:30 AM on May 22, 2018 [4 favorites]

I would not call this shabby chic, shabby chic is very white-painted, distressed French Provincial dressers and antique lace. Your aesthetic is less delicate than shabby chic. I'd say urban rustic/ utilitarian.
posted by windykites at 7:44 AM on May 22, 2018 [10 favorites]

Best answer: Apartment Therapy seems to be calling this look Warm Industrial.
posted by hessie at 8:11 AM on May 22, 2018 [13 favorites]

I definitely would not call that look shabby chic, which I've only seen used for feminine spaces with lots of chipped paint. In my head I call it 'trendy coffee shop' because all the cafes near me look like that. I'd probably end up going with 'urban industrial'. Or something related to a cabin in the woods?
posted by stillnocturnal at 8:25 AM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]

From your description, I picture Craftsman/Arts & Crafts styles.
posted by xo at 8:26 AM on May 22, 2018 [7 favorites]

"Robert Redford" is the first thing that came to mind, and I see that velveeta underground had a similar idea.

I'd name it something like Refined Americana, Self-Reliant Sprezzatura, or Modern Craft.
posted by cocoagirl at 8:47 AM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]

Coming in more to confirm that you do not want "Shabby Chic". Mainly because you have described my own exact style preference, and I've always found "Shabby Chic" to be way too twee for my taste.

I've had luck with the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, as well as the more minimalist end of the "boho" profile, as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:52 AM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Definitely not shabby chic. That's floral print wallpaper and chipped white paint. (I don't mean that as an insult; I love chipped white paint.)

Arts and Crafts gets closer, but it sounds more industrial and less pastoral than the Craftsman ideal.

I'd say something like "urban natural" or "organic industrial". Both sound a little pretentious and trying too hard, but oh well.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:49 AM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]

This says "cozy" to me. A google image search for "cozy" has lots of the features and palletes you're looking for.
posted by cosmicbandito at 11:30 AM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I like cozy. Your "aesthetic" sounds unpretentious and i cant help feeling unsettled thinking about it being given a pretentious name ..
posted by elgee at 11:51 AM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Filsoneqsue.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:25 PM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]

Along the lines of "cozy" -- a lot of what you describe reminds me of the best of Danish/Nordic home design and the "hygge" aesthetic. It will definitely have the lived-in wood and metal and such you're after. If you look up images, you'll see a lot fewer colors (more whites/grays) and the rooms may skew a bit minimal, but it's been my experience that actual Danish/Nordic homes don't quite look like that and are actually a lot of what you describe.
posted by darksong at 3:59 PM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I would call this "farmhouse chic" except that you like urban settings...so, "urban farmhouse chic"? :)
posted by capricorn at 5:23 PM on May 22, 2018

The word "craftsman" comes to mind, but in a different way than the well-known "Craftsman" style.

I'm kinda picturing a much more down-to-earth (and obviously more earthy-colored) version of the Tech Ninja aesthetic? Like you know the saying, "Steampunk is what happens when goths discover brown"? I wonder what the equivalent would be for "is what happens when Tech Ninjas discover brown."

The Urban Lumberjack suggestion above resonates with me, but isn't quiiiiite right.

Filsonesque kinda nails what I'm picturing, especially if you reference Filson's Filson's bag collection rather than the products that show up on their homepage.
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:46 PM on May 22, 2018