Furniture and homewares brand, The Cotswold Company, reveals the UK is facing a new ‘Pindecisive’ phenomenon when it comes to interior design.
· ‘Pindecisiveness’ coins the term of scrolling through paint colours, swatches, styles, or furniture on Pinterest before choosing home décor
· Characterised by a need to save many Pins or swatches before reaching a decision
· Study reveals people who use Pinterest for interior design were more likely to take their time to come to a decision but less likely to regret their decision
· The Cotswold Company launches decision-making flowchart to help people narrow their options
· 36% of users pin 11-50 items before they decide
· 40% people take 1-6 months to decide
British furniture brand, The Cotswold Company, has revealed the UK is suffering from ‘Pindecisiveness’ and is turning to Pinterest to help make the right home décor decisions.
A survey of over 1000 Pinterest users found that people who use the platform for interior design decisions are more likely to take longer to come to a decision, with 40% taking up to 6 months to decide on things like paint colour or a piece of furniture (compared to only 28% of people who do not use it for interior design).
However, Pinterest users seeking interior design inspiration were less likely to regret their decisions, with 11% likely to regret it compared to 19% of people who did not use Pinterest for home décor research.
The term ‘Pindecisiveness’ describes the process of poring over paint colours, swatches, styles, or furniture before choosing home décor due to an abundance of interior design choices online from image sharing sites like Pinterest. Coining the new term, The Cotswold Company says it is characterised by a need to collect many Pins or swatches (on or offline) before reaching a decision.
With 14% of the UK saying their New Year’s resolution for 2022 was to redecorate their home (YouGov) and 19% of UK Pinterest users using it to choose home décor, The Cotswold Company was keen to find out what it takes for people to make the right interior decisions. Surveying 1000 Pinterest users, The Cotswold Company discovered 36% of users pin between 11-50 items before they can reach a conclusive decision.
The study also revealed:
· 40% people take up to 6 months to make a home décor decision
· The lounge was the room people had the most difficulty making decisions for (33%)
· 17% of people say bedroom is the room they have most difficulty making decisions for
· 10% of Pinterest users use it to discover new interior inspiration
· 5% take more than a year to make decisions
· Renters are quicker when choosing home décor, with 55% renters deciding in less than one month compared to 48% homeowners
· People who live on a farm take the longest to make interior design decisions with 38% of them taking more than a year
· People from West Midlands take longest to make interior decisions – with 17% taking between 7 months to over a year
· People from Northern Ireland most likely to take more than a year to make interior decisions (9%)
· People from Scotland most likely to end up regretting interior design decision (18%) closely followed by 14% South West
· 45% people find it easier to choose holiday destinations than making an interior design decision
· 24% of female Pinterest users in UK use it to make interior design decisions compared to just 11% of men
· 16% men likely to end up regretting interior design decision compared to just 10% women
There are over 16.7 million monthly active Pinterest users in the UK (Shepherd, 2022) which means there are an estimated 3.2 million people using it to make interior design decisions according to Cotswold’s survey. With 12% of users saying they use it to reduce anxiety around decision making, The Cotswold Company was keen to show how people could simplify the decision-making process.
Consulting interior design expert, Hannah Simmons, and The Cotswold Company have created the ultimate step by step guide to help people make the right decision sooner.
Hannah said of the chart: “Too much choice online can feel overwhelming and make it harder to reach decisions. These cues are designed to simplify the process, narrow options, and empower people to feel confident in their interior design choices.”
Expert guidance on making better interior decisions can be found on The Cotswold Company blog alongside the full survey results.
Creative Director for The Cotswold Company, Lisa Coppin, said of the results: “It’s clear that Pinterest is being used to make better home interior decisions that people are less likely to regret. It appears that being ‘Pindecisive’ has both positives and drawbacks - although choosing can be stressful and cause anxiety, the process of selecting the perfect furniture or paint colour for your home can be enjoyable and ultimately rewarding in the end. We wanted to help our customers take the stress out of interior indecision with a guide that helps people to narrow their options and make the best decision for their home.”
