The 2020 design trend predictions are in, and I am very excited about the direction the industry is going. We have come along way from the trends of the 2000’s. From the oversized dark theater rooms of the Millennium, stainless steel appliances, Tuscan-style tile, and the Damask print in every direction, this new decade feels so much more fresh and overall more sustainable. Every year I do my research with various design magazines and share with you what the top design predictions are.

This is what is on the horizon for 2020:

2020: The Year of Purpose

I loved Etsy’s trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson’s declaration that 2020 is the “year of purpose” She writes that shoppers will be focusing on what is important to them, and more importantly what is important to the world.

What I believe this means is people are starting to be more aware of where their products come from, and whether it brings them joy or not. Instead of filling your house full of stuff with no soul just to have a finished design, people are shopping more with a purpose. Maybe your walls are blank for awhile, but instead of buying a ton of stock prints from Amazon, it may be important to you to support local artists and wait until you find and can afford the perfect piece for your home. This way of shopping will bring nothing but good energy and quality products into your home, and you will have a story to go with it throughout the years.

Shopping with a purpose is also a very sustainable practice. With realization of the seriousness of recent climate crisis events, I think everybody is more cautious of the imprint we leave on this Earth. From the raw materials that build a home, to the furniture and décor we fill it with, there is a sustainable practice with everything and more people are paying attention and want to learn how they can make a difference. Smaller spaces, less clutter, recycled materials, and more thrifted décor is on the forefront.

2020 Trends: Design Style

Architectural Digest writes that as a response to the societal chaos of 2019, the idea of home-as-sanctuary will become more popular. Home will be a sense of calm,more connected to nature and embrace a warm minimalism with sustainable materials, undyed yarn and warm neutral-colored décor. Shapes found in nature such as leaves and wood grain will be found more throughout lighting and prints.

Along with the minimalism theme, the Japanese aesthetic will also be strong in 2020. Natural materials and angular origami-like, yet simple forms will be trending. As seen on “Fixer Upper” the wood charring technique Shou Sugi Ban will be seen more throughout furniture and décor, and is a more eco-friendly way to add color and texture.

Shou Sugi Ban charred wood. Image via Studio-McGee

Aside from the warm Earth tones that will be popular in 2020, bold colors and modernism style will take over interiors. Kai Chow, creative director at Doneger, writes that this will be “fusing industry and craft, vintage and contemporary, high and low tech, color and geometry.” He also says furniture designs will take inspiration from the modular systems designed between 1930’s and the 1960’s.

2020 Trends: Color

Like I mentioned before, warm neutrals are going to be seen everywhere this year. Instead of cold grays and bright white tones, warm terra cotta and clay tones will help connect your home to nature and bring in a sense of tradition.

My favorite color palette trend I have seen so far this year comes from the Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast 2020. Sherwin Williams introduces 45 trend colors, spun into five welcoming and intuitive palettes that bring joy, serenity and focus to the mind, body and spirit. The five palettes are Mantra, Heart, Alive, Play and Haven. My personal favorite is the Alive Palette.

This palette includes the gorgeous warm nuetrals mentioned before and Sherwin Williams color of the year, Naval. This vibrant and rich navy color gives a nod to Art Deco influences and promotes a fresh sense of confidence with its dark shade.

Sherwin Williams presents this about the alive palette:

Be present. Be positive. And relish the moments of this amazing life. Enjoy it in an authentic space touched by a palette whose colors keep good company. Here, nurturing neutrals are artfully arranged with rich blues and a deep, ripe olive, evoking a satisfying and rejuvenating sense of community and living well.

Pantone presents a similar tone for their Color of the Year 2020 called Classic Blue. Pantone describes Classic Blue as “Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”

Floral wallpaper

Wallpaper has been making a comeback, and this is the year for floral prints. Good Housekeeping predicts that Large scale and bold colored floral prints with a modern twist will be big in 2020. Small spaces such as foyers and bathrooms have been popular spaces lately to add a bold touch of wallpaper.

Image via Ellie Cashman Bathroom designed by Leanne Ford

Color pop kitchens

The all-white kitchen cabinets have been a long lasting trend since the early 2000’s, but that is changing entering the new year. This year you will see a mix of bold colors throughout the kitchen. Dark base cabinets with white upper cabinets is a popular trend and is an easy way to update a space. Add some clay tile and some terra cotta pottery and your kitchen will be trending with the new decade.

Kitchen designed by KitchenLab Interiors

2020 Trends: Décor and Furniture

The Dining Chair by Bruno Rey

Architectural Digest predicts that the “It” chair this year will be the dining chair by Bruno Rey, designed for the Swiss Dietiker Mobilier in the '70s. They predict that interest will start to move away from Mid Century pieces and more towards furniture design of the 70’s and 80’s. This stacking dining chair can easily be mixed with an antique table and a statement chandelier, and can be found in vibrant or neutral tones.

Doorknobs and Hardware

I shared on A.N.D. Design’s Instagram recently that and easy and cheap way to add some flare to your space was to change the doorknobs or hardware, and now it is going to be a big trend in 2020. Antique light switch covers and funky eyeball doorknobs will be popping up and will add character and charm to any room. Updating the hardware is a great solution to style rental properties as well.

Vintage Maximalism

Good news for us- incorporating vintage and antique decor within a modern design will be huge in 2020. That is our favorite way to style a room, by adding gorgeous vintage pieces with a story to a fresh and updated space. Good Housekeeping predicts that vintage and traditional detailing like spooled legs and spindles will be making a comeback as well.

The emergence of ceramic furniture and earthenware will bring a sense of patina and age throughout a room. Ceramic light fixtures and accessories have been trending for a few years, and now we will see it more in tables and seating. These pieces will always be a work of art and a conversation starter since they are probably handmade and take a lot of skill to make.

Antique art will be a big item to thrift this year, and expect to see more of it in kitchens. Kitchens will start to feel less cold and will be full of warmer tones and antique art placed on open shelves next to vintage pottery pieces. Adding these antique statements will not only warm a space, but also make it unique. I think we are finally over the cookie-cutter design and want to add our own personal flare and story to our home.

2020 Design Shift: Sustainability

Architectural Digest predicts that sustainability will be thought of more than just a trend, but a marked shift in design values. In their Design Trends of 2020 article they quote Gemma Riberti, head of interiors at WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors. She states “We need to stop thinking about sustainability as a trend and approach it as an expectation and a demand from the consumer—an intrinsic requirement at all levels of the market.”

We are at a time where big changes need to be made to elongate our time here on this beautiful planet, and a total shift in design is something we at A.N.D. Design are completely supportive of. Thrifting and shopping with a purpose is a huge way to soften our imprint on the environment, and in the end will make your space more unique. I am very excited to see that vintage maximalism is trending and I hope that this slows down the mass-produced and cheaply made furniture industry.

I see a positive change in the design industry in the horizon, and I feel good knowing that A.N.D. Design will be a part of that shift. I believe designing with a purpose and creating more of a connection with nature is a big reason a lot of Interior Designers enter this industry, and it is exciting to see that more people are aware and on board to make more sustainable design choices.

xx Alyssa

Article Credits:

https://blog.etsy.com/news/2019/etsy-releases-2020-trends/

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/design-trends-2020

https://www.swcolorforecast.com/

https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year/color-of-the-year-2020

Jan 14 Design Trends That Define the New Decade