What is your favorite thing about interior design? For us, it would have to be that it’s always evolving and forever unpredictable. That’s why we always take some time at the start of a new year to predict what we’re going to see more of and what we’re going to say bye to in the interior design space. Today we mixed things up and asked everyone in the office what they thought would be on the rise for 2020. We don’t love the word “trend” because it implies something is only temporary, so instead we are focusing on new approaches to design that are both up-and-coming and timeless. Check out our top 6 predictions for 2020!
1. Say Bye to the White Kitchen!
We’ve heard rumblings from some of our favorite designers that monochromatic white kitchens were on their way out, and that’s been predicted by everyone in our office as well! Matt, our Senior Graphic Designer explains “over the past few months, I’ve been working on projects with designers and they all want colored cabinetry and decorative patterns. I don’t think I’ve worked on one kitchen that utilized an all-white, neutral color scheme, which has been very different than 2018 and 2019. I’ve definitely noticed a shift from white subway tiles in the kitchen to patterned tiles.” We expect to see more kitchens covered in bold patterned tiles and colored cabinets like the one below, designed by Orange County firm, Blackband Design.
2. A Little Bit Modern, a Little Bit Natural
It may be subtle at first, but take a look through Instagram or Pinterest and you will notice designers utilizing natural and organic elements with modern patterns. Minneapolis designer, Jodi Kuznia, demonstrates this in the flat lay below which features our geometric Waterways collection on limestone. You will notice the combination of bold, geometric tiles with soft colors and earthly elements such as rocks. Elaine, one of our Senior Designers stated, “I’ve really fallen in love with this new way of combining unlikely design elements. I’ve noticed a shift of designers playing by the rules to thinking outside of the box and creating their own style. I think we will be seeing a lot more mixing of modern and earthy details.”
3. Daring Stairs
Adding patterned tile to your stairs is nothing new in interior design-we know! But what is starting to become a popular new approach to decorative stair risers is mixing together unique patterns. Our founder, Melinda, observed, “when clients first started using decorative tile on their stairs, they would usually stick to one pattern that was one style. They would even skip every other step so that it wasn’t too busy. I have to admit, I love this new way of mixing together unlikely patterns together! It makes a home more personalized and unique.”
4. Terrazzo is Back
Not only is the neutral, monochromatic style starting to fade away, it’s being replaced with colorful and fun surfaces. One such surface is Terrazzo. This type of tile is quickly making its way back into hip new restaurants, modern homes, and stylish boutiques. Georgiana, Director of Sales and Marketing, noted that “we’ve been getting an influx of calls from designers asking which of our patterned tiles would go best with terrazzo. During my showroom visits across the country, I’ve seen a lot of terrazzo tiles paired with our geometric and modern collections for presentations. You can also see from our Instagram activity that patterned tile and terrazzo are on the rise.”
5. A New Way to Design your Shower
When it comes to bathroom design, it is very common now a days to see a bold tile featured behind the sink or on the floor, however, we don’t see as much creativity when it comes to the shower. Hilary, our Social Media Manager predicts a big change when it comes shower design. She explains, “lately we have been tagged in a few projects that used tile in such a groundbreaking way. Because of social media, designers are always pushing the boundaries and I think there will be more of a drive for them to use tile in unusual ways in the bathroom.”
6. Pattern Play: Maximalism
We are happy to see that it is finally acceptable to mix together patterns, layer bright colors, and pretty much play by your own design rules! The Spruce defines Maximalism as “a loud style composed of mixed patterns, excessive, but curated collections, and saturated colors…People are not just one thing; they are complicated and complex and multifaceted—and maximalist decor expresses that.” Nicole, our East Coast Sales rep says, “I hope that more people experiment with Maximalist design because it really tells us a story and gives us a better understanding of our friends and family. I love when I can’t describe a room in just one word.”
And that’s it for our top 6 design predictions of 2020! We are excited that a theme of louder colors and more patterns seems to be in our future. Here are some runner-up theories:
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Less shiplap and a decline in the “Modern Farmhouse” home
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Green is the new blue
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More use of Matte Black fixtures
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More use of Modern/geometric tiles
Always interesting to hear professional point of view and predictions. Love the designer color boards, installed photos and comments..,, especially from Nicole…. truly inspirational.