Are Dinosaurs the Hot New Home Trend?
Forget flamingos and pack away the pineapples – there's a hot new trend on the block and it's not just for the kids
Something strange is happening on Houzz; dinosaurs are appearing in all sorts of unexpected places. From a tiny dino herb pot in the kitchen to a full-size ‘guard triceratops’ in the garden, dinosaurs are escaping the bounds of kids’ rooms and trampling their way into the rest of the house. Here are nine ways to jump on this home trend.
Surprise your guests
Tuck a dino or two behind a sofa or armchair to give guests an unexpected surprise when they stroll around the corner. This brightly coloured pair are perfectly poised to startle unwitting visitors and add an unexpected element to the otherwise restrained living room.
Tuck a dino or two behind a sofa or armchair to give guests an unexpected surprise when they stroll around the corner. This brightly coloured pair are perfectly poised to startle unwitting visitors and add an unexpected element to the otherwise restrained living room.
Play with pattern
If you have a dino-mad child, but don’t want to give in to dinosuar murals over the bedroom walls, how about a wallpaper that turns dinosaurs into a restful and soothing pattern?
When inspected up close, this paper is packed with detail, but when viewed from a distance it recedes into a pleasing pattern repeat.
If you have a dino-mad child, but don’t want to give in to dinosuar murals over the bedroom walls, how about a wallpaper that turns dinosaurs into a restful and soothing pattern?
When inspected up close, this paper is packed with detail, but when viewed from a distance it recedes into a pleasing pattern repeat.
Suspend belief
This is perhaps not a décor idea for those who startle easily, but the inflatable tyrannosaur suspended from the ceiling of this kids’ playroom certainly makes a statement.
You can’t be too serious with dino décor, so if you want to fully embrace the trend, throw away the guide book and let your imagination run free.
This is perhaps not a décor idea for those who startle easily, but the inflatable tyrannosaur suspended from the ceiling of this kids’ playroom certainly makes a statement.
You can’t be too serious with dino décor, so if you want to fully embrace the trend, throw away the guide book and let your imagination run free.
Turn them into bookends
A fun idea for a child’s room or even a grown-up space, these diplodocus bookends add a hint of whimsy to a collection of paperbacks. This would be a fairly easy DIY project, too – as long as the dino toys were adequately weighted or fixed to sturdy wooden bookends, as here.
A fun idea for a child’s room or even a grown-up space, these diplodocus bookends add a hint of whimsy to a collection of paperbacks. This would be a fairly easy DIY project, too – as long as the dino toys were adequately weighted or fixed to sturdy wooden bookends, as here.
Unearth a fossil
Struggling for ideas on how to decorate the wall space above the fireplace? How about a replica dinosaur skeleton? It makes a change from a television or mirror, and it certainly makes an impact in this fun and colourful family living room.
This eclectic space belongs to Jay Jay Burridge and Mel Moss, who also own Trevor the triceratops (see above). Click on the link below to tour their house, which has fun dinosaur references in most rooms.
See inside the rest of this Cotswolds family home
Struggling for ideas on how to decorate the wall space above the fireplace? How about a replica dinosaur skeleton? It makes a change from a television or mirror, and it certainly makes an impact in this fun and colourful family living room.
This eclectic space belongs to Jay Jay Burridge and Mel Moss, who also own Trevor the triceratops (see above). Click on the link below to tour their house, which has fun dinosaur references in most rooms.
See inside the rest of this Cotswolds family home
Make them work hard
Can you spot the triceratops in this smart kitchen? It’s been put to work as a herb pot and adds a quirky touch to this ultra-elegant space.
If you fancy recreating this at home, you could plant up a dino pot with herbs or even edible flowers to zhoosh up weekday meals. This would also make a good project to get the kids involved with.
Can you spot the triceratops in this smart kitchen? It’s been put to work as a herb pot and adds a quirky touch to this ultra-elegant space.
If you fancy recreating this at home, you could plant up a dino pot with herbs or even edible flowers to zhoosh up weekday meals. This would also make a good project to get the kids involved with.
Create a dino habitat
This bespoke ‘dino park’ complete with a cave, pond and hills was designed for 3-year-old Finley by his garden-designer father. If you want to create something similar, all you need is a little time and imagination – and the how-to guide below.
See how to make your own ‘dino park’
This bespoke ‘dino park’ complete with a cave, pond and hills was designed for 3-year-old Finley by his garden-designer father. If you want to create something similar, all you need is a little time and imagination – and the how-to guide below.
See how to make your own ‘dino park’
Have some fun
This is not a trend that takes itself too seriously, so if you live with young children why not take a leaf out of Refe and Susan Tuma’s book. This enterprising couple created Dinovember in a bid to entertain and encourage their young children. On their website the couple explain, “Every year, we devote the month of November to convincing our children that, while they sleep, their plastic dinosaur figures come to life.”
Each night the couple arrange the dinosaurs all over the house, and these dinos usually end up getting into mischief, be that raiding the fruit bowl or splashing around in the kitchen sink.
“In the age of iPads and Netflix, we don’t want our kids to lose their sense of wonder and imagination. And in a time when the answers to all the world’s questions are a web-search away, we felt our kids needed to experience a little mystery. All it takes is some time, creativity and a few plastic dinosaurs.”
What do you think of the dinosaur trend? Let us know in the Comments below
This is not a trend that takes itself too seriously, so if you live with young children why not take a leaf out of Refe and Susan Tuma’s book. This enterprising couple created Dinovember in a bid to entertain and encourage their young children. On their website the couple explain, “Every year, we devote the month of November to convincing our children that, while they sleep, their plastic dinosaur figures come to life.”
Each night the couple arrange the dinosaurs all over the house, and these dinos usually end up getting into mischief, be that raiding the fruit bowl or splashing around in the kitchen sink.
“In the age of iPads and Netflix, we don’t want our kids to lose their sense of wonder and imagination. And in a time when the answers to all the world’s questions are a web-search away, we felt our kids needed to experience a little mystery. All it takes is some time, creativity and a few plastic dinosaurs.”
What do you think of the dinosaur trend? Let us know in the Comments below
For the homeowner who has everything, why not treat them to a full-size replica dinosaur to stand guard over their garden? The dino-mad owners of this country home have placed Trevor the triceratops pride of place in their garden and he certainly creates a talking point.
Trevor was originally in the front garden, but homeowner Jay Jay Burridge was worried it might cause a car accident, so they moved it to the back. “People out walking often ask if they can take a photo,” says Burridge.
In windy weather, Burridge and his wife Mel Moss sometimes have to move Trevor to a sheltered spot. “He’s quite light, and we have had a few evenings where we’ve looked out and shouted, ‘Trevor’s gone!’” says Moss. “If the wind gets behind his frills, he’s off!”