Looking Ahead at 2020 Design Visions

The New Roaring Twenties, two-thousand-and-twenty, twenty-twenty, whatever you call it, we've made it nearly 20 years into the 21st century. A lot has changed since the start of the new millennium, including popular home design trends. As we look ahead to the start of a new decade with clear eyes, let's explore what trends we can expect to welcome home.

Colour(s) of the year

[Swatch created with unofficial Pantone colours] 

Rich blues, greys, greens and creams were strutting down the London Fashion Week runway earlier this year, showcasing Pantone's Fall/Winter 2019/2020 colour palette (featured here in the colour authority's Colour Trend Report). Evening Blue and Guacamole are two standout shades, a deep, elegant blue and a lively, fresh green respectively, with complementary neutral hues to balance them out. 

Neo Mint is predicted to be the colour of 2020 according to the trend forecasters at WGSN. This soft green shade harkens back to the colour of Mid-Century innovation and presents a futuristic hue in harmony with 2017's millennial pink. 

While the world eagerly awaits WGSN and Pantone's official announcements of the colours of 2020, we're expecting to see a lot of these cool tones next year in everything from paint to textiles to furniture. 

Modular a la mode

Photo via Pinterest

Speaking of furniture, things will be coming together a little differently in 2020. Many of the exciting furniture pieces that came out this year were multifunctional like the modular dressers, couches, tables and chairs crafted by some of the leading furniture designers around the world. 

As we move into smaller smaller spaces, and condominiums in urban areas, the furniture we choose needs to work double-duty throughout the day, depending on our needs. It's a trend we used to see exclusively in trailers and mobile homes, but will play a bigger role in our houses next year and beyond.

Easier access 

Designed to be easier to get in and out of with a high, curved back for more support. 
Photo courtesy of IKEA, OMTÄNKSAM collection of accessible furniture and items

Accessible parks in neighbourhoods across the country are making it easier for everyone to live life to the fullest. Inside, we expect to see an increase in affordable and stylish accessible furniture, household devices and utensils available to Canadians in 2020. During their annual global press event Democratic Design, Swedish furniture giant IKEA announced a slew of new projects including a push to bring more accessible products to their catalogue including carefully made armchairs, couches, and glass vases designed for easy gripping and tested out by real people with different needs.

Environmentally-inspired

From shipping containers to recycled materials, we're moving onward with our quest to more sustainably-built homes, environmentally-friendly materials and energy-efficient fixtures.

In the new decade, we'll see a shift to more environmentally friendly building and renovation methods including passive builds and Net Zero Energy homes. In fact, there are plans in place to develop a Net Zero Energy ready building model for new homes across Canada by 2030. 

Left Photo: Pinterest
Right Photo: Pinterest

Wild animal prints and wallpaper made a comeback this year and in 2020 we can expect to see it put to exciting new use with bold geometric patterns, macro floral prints and palm leaves, animal prints like big cat, snakeskin and alligator, and everything else under the sun.

New-age vintage

Maybe it's subconscious inspiration as we move into “the ‘20s”. It's hard not to think about what an influential decade the Roaring Twenties were for home and interior design, bringing about the Art Deco movement. We're always looking back for inspiration for the future and that is especially true as we head into the next decade. 

Photo via Instagram @makemovesvintage

Shell motifs were huge back in the ‘20s and saw a resurgence in the ‘80s before going out to sea again. But, our seafaring friend, the scallop-shaped shell has come ashore again and decorated everything from plush headboards to catch-all dishes, throw pillows and eclectic vintage pieces. 

Bamboo and rattan were a big deal back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but we're seeing their resurgence in interior design and outdoor furniture—especially vintage pieces.

Minimizing minimalism

Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash

We want to see our stuff in 2020. The tastefully subdued and crisp minimalist style could take a back seat next year in favour of a more maximalist approach. Don't be afraid to bring your trinkets and odds and ends out from storage to display with pride once more.

What styles do you want to see take off in 2020? Have you pioneered a trend to take us into the next decade? 

Source: Realtor.ca