Personally, we are thrilled to be heading into a new decade – And not just any decade, but the roaring ‘20s of the 21st century. Not because it’s a reminder of flapper dresses, lavish parties, and The Great Gatsby (even though these all make me want to time travel), but the birth of a new style that marked a turning point in design history and continues to alter architecture and design to this day: Art Deco. The Art Deco movement, introduced in the 1920s, influenced the design of buildings, furniture, interiors, fashion, fine arts, cars, and everyday household objects. It was the first style to associate both modernity and luxury, and yet, a century later, these two values remain heavily desired.
With that being said, will history repeat itself? Below are our predictions for interior design trends that could make an appearance in the 2020 era based on past movements and the direction design has been heading in recent years.
Bold Color & Texture Combinations
Since 2017, we have seen deeper hues and velvets steadily emerge back into fashion and interiors (both residential and commercial). While these have been used in careful moderation, we think we will begin to see more color combination risks and a wider variety of textures and materials paired together. ‘70s-inspired design is making its way back around which means we’re mixing patterns like animal and retro prints with warmer, vibrant colors. Technological advancements have allowed textiles like velvet, suede, satin, and wool make their way into hospitality design, and give them opportunity to mesh with metals, metallics, stone, and wood grains to create a layered look. These brave combinations are meant to make a statement and it’s a perfect fit for the age of social media and influencers.
Minimalism
Largely inspired and supported by Marie Kondo, minimalism is a familiar trend that’s become increasingly popular in the last ten years especially to younger generations. These generations have found more value in experiences rather than material items and it reflects today’s design choices. This ‘less is more’ approach replaces busy patterns with textures and solids or uses these patterns in smaller doses. We anticipate seeing the use of subdued or neutral colors that create a clean, calm, and relaxed environment to complement the sleekness of modern design. In metropolitan areas, micro-living and micro-hotels have emerged with space-saving and modular furniture solutions that allow users more flexibility and less clutter. The simplicity of this contemporary design style is the essence of the new millennium, and we don’t expect it to go away any time soon.
Maximalism
We may be going out on a limb here, but we really believe that maximalism will make a comeback. We don’t see it happening until perhaps later in the decade, but the consistency of Art Deco inspired interior products makes it a strong possibility. Opposite of minimalism, this trend focuses on heavy exaggeration of different styles, textures, patterns, and hues (like our prediction of bold color & texture combos). Large black-and-white geometric patterns have begun to circle back around in the industry, and we foresee these being paired with various organic and textural patterns for a very eccentric appeal. Utilizing different furniture, accessory, and lighting styles is another key aspect that makes this trend so intriguing. We wouldn’t be surprised if we saw gold and silver metallics thrown into the mix as well. This style is a risky one and its bold taste isn’t for the faint of heart, but we’re ready for it.
Soft and Natural Tones
Biophilia is the human’s intrinsic need for interaction with nature, and nature has always influenced the way our society thinks, acts, creates, builds, and designs. With environmental issues, like climate change, on the rise in the last few decades, sustainability, eco-friendly materials, and biomimicry have all played an important role in “green” architecture and interior design. In some instances, we’re going to see a shift from dark, moody hues and hard surfaces like plastic and metal to lighter pastels, foliage, and warm woods. Places like restaurants, hotels, office spaces, and retailers have already begun to incorporate plants and natural lighting in attempts to promote wellness and optimism. 2020 Color of the Year predictions from several paint companies, including Behr’s color of the year “Back to Nature”, have headed in this direction as well; among these predictions are soft shades of green, blue, and pink (move over gray!). Innovation is the key to great design and emphasizing on natural elements or solutions will continue to help our environment.
[Photo: Kaufmann’s Grand on Fifth Avenue, Luxury Apartments, Trip Advisor]
Digital Applications
Technology is rapidly reshaping our world, so this one should be no surprise. Devices like smartphones and smart home hubs have revolutionized the way we personalize our lives at home and on the go. We believe we’ll gradually begin to see more techniques that allow individuals to personalize and customize their surroundings in commercial spaces, such as hotels, hospitals, educational facilities and the workplace. Instead of switches on a wall, lighting, window shading, and temperature will soon be controlled wirelessly by voice activation, an app, or the touch of a button. Digital wall displays will replace patterned wallcoverings and decorative artwork on walls (or even the walls or windows themselves), allowing a space to be 100% modifiable. The new luxury apartment lobby at Kaufmann’s Grand on Fifth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, shown above, does exactly this by rotating moving images of natural landscapes on a 15-foot high screen. The opacity of windows, color of walls, decorative murals, positioning of illumination – all potentially customizable. The future goal of design won’t just be about beautifying a space, but making it flexible and easily beautified by the user.
Want to make sure you’re heading in the right design direction for your project? Let us work together to explore the possibilities not just for the present, but for the future. Contact Millcraft to begin your journey toward timeless and on-trend design.
Sources:
https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/digital-technology-interior-design/
