Swancore may not be on your list of design aesthetics expected to dominate in 2024, but swans are no strangers to art and design. Indeed, interior design has always had a love affair with feathered birds, with owls sweeping the 1970s and flamingos now dominating tropical-inspired homes. But why swans, and why now? Interior designer Amy Exton explained in an interview with Apartment Therapy (via Yahoo!) that swans were a popular design motif in 20th-century design movements like Art Nouveau and Art Deco, as well as the Arts and Crafts movement, which dates back to 1860. That means swans have been making a comeback for a while now, and modern designers are just starting to take notice. Today, the long-necked bird is showing up in wallpapers, custom fixtures, and artisanal décor.
Like any trend, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what sparked swancore, but like any modern movement, the internet likely played a big role. Amy Exton’s now-Instagram-famous pink swan mosaic backsplash is surely one example of the growing interest in the bird. It’s not hard to see why swans are back in style now, more so than doves. Graceful and poised, swans have been an ancient symbol of beauty, elegance, peace and grace across time and cultures. The bird has also been used to represent romance, love and loyalty (think towels in the shape of kissing swans in a hotel honeymoon suite), royalty, wisdom and transformation (as any reader of fairy tales knows).
