This year we are proud for Hastings Legal to be celebrating our 25th Birthday!
A lot has happened over the past 25 years for Hastings and in the world of interior designs. Come on a whistle stop tour of some of the key design trends and moments for Hastings Legal since 1998.
Late nineties – The Firm Opens
Hasting Legal was born when Ron Hastings set up as Hastings & Co, Kelso in 1998 moving a few doors along to offices at 15 The Square having worked for the previous 14 years as a family lawyer with Taits W.S at No. 10!
A few years on as the firm grew, he was joined by Alan Livingstone and who brought his experience as a conveyancer and private client work which helped to build the firm and create a real presence in Kelso.
At the time few had embraced the concept of internet marketing for property and seeing a gap in the market we became one of the first solicitors or estate agents in the Borders to have a website.
Launched by Helen Hastings, our website helped us show the benefits of quality marketing and combined legal services all under one roof focusing on our speciality of estate agency and property law.
Late nineties interior trends
Interior design trends in the 1990s focused on simpler living with minimal furnishings and muted colours. This was the era of Minimalism. The excessive, clashing styles from the eighties grew tiresome and people sought calmness, sophistication, and neutral colour palettes.
2000s – A Decade of Growth and Change
The expanding property side of the business required ground floor premises, so we opened our second Kelso office- The Property Shop in the former Job Centre building at 28 The Square.
This was followed by opening our Selkirk office in 2007, ideally located within the historic Market Place and a great central hub for clients in the Ettrick and Yarrow valleys as well as covering Selkirk itself, Melrose and the Galashiels area.
2008 saw uncertain times for property with sales blighted by the financial crash so we launched a dedicated rental service through Borders Country Lets working alongside the Kelso sales team and based in a new office in Woodmarket. This enabled us to offer a solution for sellers needing to move, and the ability to rest properties with a private rental while the market recovered from the downturn.
2000s interior trends
The 2000s saw the emergence of bold colours and patterns.
Accent walls with vibrant hues and daring geometric or floral patterns on textiles and wallpapers became prominent features in homes.
Bigger kitchens and bathrooms were a trend. One word can describe the direction of home trends in the early 2000s.
More.
More space, more rooms, more appliances, more built-ins, more gadgets, more ceiling height, more colour.
Lots of brown and warm hues were also present. There was heavy brown furniture, dark wood cabinets and a popular paint colours were themed reds and warm oranges.
2010-2020- New Growth and Expansion into Berwickshire
With the gradual recovery of the property market by 2017 we were able to expand and take on the Duns business formerly part of Iain Smith & Partners with the appointment of Ricky Hope as resident partner.
With the business in the area going from strength to strength we further expanded by taking over the long-established firm of Doughtys W.S. and their offices in Eyemouth.
2010 interior trends
Sustainable and natural aesthetics became very popular in this decade.
Exposed beams, barn doors, and farmhouse sinks were some of the top interior design elements in the 2010s.
This all stemmed from the popular modern farmhouse decor style, something Borders homes do very well!
This style introduced cozy, relaxing and warm spaces that created a welcoming environment.
Warm grey could arguably be claimed as the colour for this era.
2020-2023- Jedburgh and Coldstream and Beyond
Never content to stand still in 2020 we opened an office on the High Street in Jedburgh. In the Spring of 2023, our latest project involved developing the former art gallery in Coldstream to provide a unique combination of a beautiful art gallery alongside our front of house estate agency and bringing a local Solicitors office back to Coldstream after many years with no local service in the town.
2020s interior trends
Several design experts are sensing a shift toward bolder colours so far in the 2020s. While timeless white or grey walls will never completely go out of style, people are seeking more personality in their home in the form of painted nooks, moody wallpaper, warm wood tones, and rich, colourful upholstery.
Sustainably and ethical provenance is becoming a key focus for interior trends, considering production methods of furnishings, paints and more.
The future
We pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking firm with community values at heart. This has led us to where we are over the past 25 years and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Watch this space for what is next and keep up to date with our exiting plans by subscribing to our newsletter.
As for interior trends, we like the idea of ‘undone interiors” that many experts are talking about.
2024 is predicted to be all about comfort, authenticity and owning your own look. It’s the time to relax and embrace imperfection, make do and mend and focus on homes being homes.
“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Hastings Legal, Happy Birthday to you.”Legal Lab
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