January is a good time to look forward to the year ahead, each month bringing with it a realm of possibility and new ideas in the creative industries of fashion, art, and design. Home design in particular is on our radar this year.
Trend forecasts and property owners spending habits have been revealed, and it seems for 2020 the focus will lie in making improvements to currently owned homes, rather than returning to the marketplace in search of a new house or apartment. More and more, homeowners will be carrying out small changes as well as larger renovation projects in a bid to make their own ‘forever home’ for themselves.
We have rounded up some of the big trends in home interiors which are certain to be popular this year.
Biophilic design
‘Bringing the outside in’ has always been at the top of designers and homeowners priorities when it comes to opening up spaces. Large glass walls or floor-to-ceiling windows welcome in an abundance of light, whilst living greenery inside the home purifies interior air and contributes colour and vibrancy to a space. Biophilic design takes these concepts one step further, and looks to increase our connectivity to the natural environment either directly or indirectly. Whilst direct nature encompasses tangible contact with natural features, such as light (skylights, use of glass), air (windows, ventilation systems), water (fountains, aquariums), flora and fauna (vegetation, animal feeders), indirect exposure to nature is more subtle and can be integrated into uniquely designed home features.
For example, natural materials such as wood and stone, as well as earthy tones of subdued brown, green, blue and neutrals, are proved to be more mentally stimulating than synthetic materials and brighter, artificial colours which are less common in nature. Naturalistic shapes and forms can transform a static space into a more complex one, utilising nature’s own geometry and patterns of design. Hexagonal wall tiles are fast-becoming one of the most popular choices for bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchens, replicating a honeycomb form.
Biophilic design has been employed at both building and city-scale, so it is no surprise the methodology has finally found its way to homeowners seeking interiors with a stronger relationship to the natural world.
Sustainable choices
Conversations throughout 2019 about preserving the environment changed. Now, there is a perceptible urgency to halt the damage to the planet caused by over-industrialisation and almost uncontrollable carbon emissions, and this consciousness is seeping into every aspect of people’s lives.
Young and older people alike are changing the way they eat, how they travel and spend time away from home, and will inevitably change things in their homes too. We spend the majority of our lives indoors, so it is worth ensuring the air we breathe is just as healthy as our reformed lifestyles, and that our homes are not contributing to the carbon crisis.
In 2020, there will be increased awareness of Earth’s finite resources, and a turn to innovative design using recycled materials such as plastics, wood, cork is imminent. Home designers can quite easily find rugs and decorative objects made from repurposed plastic, but on a larger scale, items such as tiles and flooring are also being developed by manufacturers to have a higher content percentage of recycled acrylic.
When shopping for home accessories or decoration, people are more likely to shop from a local supplier or artisan, rather than importing products from abroad and incurring hefty carbon emissions from the associated airmiles.
Blue tones
Earthy tones and neural shades of sand, clay, and terracotta are expected to continue growing in popularity thanks to this continued preoccupation with the environment. These hearthy and homely colours will be complemented by two other predicted colour trends for 2020: Neo Mint and Classic Blue.
Neo Mint is a warm, yet fresh shade, which calls to mind fields of vegetation, garden flowers, and sea foam. The muted colour is a mutation of the much brighter, eye-catching Millennial Mint, making it more welcome within the home and an obvious choice for those looking to design a relaxing space.
Pantone’s Colour of 2020 was announced as Classic Blue, a tone which sits alongside earthy base colours in perfect symphony. Reminiscent of water, the ocean, and deep blue skies, Classic Blue will no doubt feature in most design-lovers’ homes this year.
