A Look Back at the Design Trends of 2019

Now another year is done, we thought we’d take a look back at which trends were predicted for 2019 and which actually made the cut.

The world of fashion has a huge influence on home decor, and we’ve all seen things on the catwork that we wouldn’t want to wear outside the privacy of our own home. Interior design can be a little like that, as well – the experts might predict that everything should be covered in vermilion shiny foil, but if you have small children you’re just going to spend days wiping all the fingerprints off any surface that’s remotely shiny! To endure, trends have to be appealing, engaging, affordable and practical. We take a look at what worked.

Tropical/exotic

Palm leaf prints, exotic birds, wild, lush foliage – the tropical trend was predicted to hit the shelves in early 2019. We think this one was a hit – it was huge fun, and lots of retailers got onboard with their versions. In fact, we can tell that this one had staying power as it’s still in the shops now. When you live in a country that’s a bit uncertain on the weather front, who wouldn’t want to escape to a lush rainforest every so often? Smart decorators didn’t go overboard on this trend, though – confining it to soft furnishings stopped it from becoming overpowering.

Metallics

This trend first appeared back in 2017, and was rumoured to be still big in 2019. In fact, this is one trend that shows no signs of disappearing or even slowing down (when does it stop being a trend and start being a classic?). Retailers are keeping it updated by introducing new colour choices such as rose gold and pewter. We really like this trend, and hope it’ll be around for a while longer. Accents of a warm metallic such as copper or gold can add warmth and interest to a chilly room, and silvery tones can add sparkle and interest.

Bold retro

While some design shapes and colours are endurable classics, others are great fun for short periods. Big, bold 70s flock wallpapers and soft furnishings were scheduled to make a comeback in 2019, and they were around for a little while.

They’re too bold and attention grabbing to fit comfortably into a lot of homes, though, unless you rearrange the entire room round them. The problem with anything too bold is that you tend to tire of it quickly, as well. These eye-catching prints were fresh and funky at the time, but we don’t see them going forward into 2020.

Naturals

There was a huge movement towards using natural materials in 2019 – linen, cotton, wool, stone, metal and wood. Natural materials add texture and help a space feel grounded and engaging. In fact, this has been less of a trend and more of a shift in thinking, so we think this one will continue into 2020.

Feminine tones

Among the ‘in’ colours for 2019 were predicted to be feminine colours such as pink, blush, soft terracotta and bronze. While these colours will always have their place, as they bring a warmth and softness to the design, we think that 2020 will see stronger colours such as Pantone’s 2020 colour prediction Classic Blue coming to the fore.

For more great reads on home design trends, check out:

How to mix modern and vintage interior design trends in your home

How to decorate with nude tones

Kitchen trends – black

Art deco trend makes a comeback

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