A new season of design has arrived and it looks like Spring 2019 is all about originality, values, sustainability, and convenience. So long, fully lacquered rooms. Hello, upcycled furniture. The shift towards the sustainable-as standard mindset is being driven by personal values. People are looking for greater meaning in how they work, live and consume. Read more, ‘The Predictions Are In: These Are The Biggest Design Trends of 2019 So Far.’
There’s a new kind of value system taking place, manifesting in what people want to buy, where they want to live, and how they want to live and fill their homes.
Our homes more than ever, have become an extension of ourselves and, as such, reflect our values. Here’s everything you need to know about what to expect for our homes moving forward.
Our homes more than ever, have become an extension of ourselves and, as such, reflect our values. Image via @eyeswoon
UPCYCLED FURNITURE
In a society continuously interested in being more environmentally conscious, it’s no surprise that upcycled furniture and vintage pieces are popular design choices. Whether you love a piece with an aged patina or are passionate about making sustainable choices, you’re not alone. As of June 2019, more than 330,000 Instagram posts contained the hashtag #upcycledfurniture.
When it comes to accessorizing, we’ve been seeing a huge resurgence in incorporating vintage finds.
Obviously, this thrills us since we have always believed that adding found, reclaimed, or vintage objects add character and depth to a room. Your local auction house, estate sale or junk shops are great sources of everything from Turkish rugs to wooden stools, mid-century art, and vintage pottery. These items look great with almost any design style.
Researchers at King’s College London have found that seeing trees and the sky from our homes, as well as hearing birdsong, could result in higher levels of mental wellbeing. Image via Faulkner Architects.
INVISIBLE HARDWARE
A new trend that is popping up in the best projects and looks set to be a mainstay is invisible hardware or push open/close features in the kitchen for a sleek, clean look. It’s a minimalist approach to design, ensuring less visual clutter, and helps pull focus on the beauty of the cabinetry and surfaces. Read more on hardware in our directory.
FORGET MATTE FINISHES, EMBRACE RECYCLED MATERIALS
Our love affair with matt finishes may start to wane. Instead, expect to see homewares embracing a luminosity drawn from the use of recycled materials such as bio-glass, the re-use of ocean plastics, and grown materials such as algae. Consumers are operating from a sustainability mindset and increasing the pressure on brands to act, calling for greater transparency and pushing for more sustainable options.
Image via @eyeswoon
MEANING IS KEY
Los Angeles-based Afdhel Aziz, founder and chief purpose officer of Conspiracy of Love and co-author of Good is the New Cool: Market Like You Give A Damn, explains, “There’s a new kind of value system taking place where meaning is replacing money, to some extent, as a measure of success. That is manifesting itself really, in what legacy people want to leave behind. It’s almost like a societal level of enlightenment that’s happening now. When it comes to sustainable living, and our home, people are motivated by personal values around duty, doing the right thing and making a positive contribution. Convenience is key. So is the meaning attached to what we put in our homes. Read more, ’10 Interior Tips To Happy Up Your Home.’
NATURE
Designers and innovators are turning to nature, observing its systems and taking inspiration from its organisms to find ways to solve human problems. Cleaning products company Ecover turned to biomimicry to identify a suitable structure to reinforce its new Ocean Plastic bottles that are recycled from marine pollution, while biodesign lab Faber Futures harnesses living bacteria to create graphic textile prints. “When you talk about sustainability,” says Danielle Trofe, principal and head designer of her eponymous New York studio, “nature is the only model because it’s the only thing that has sustained life for billions of years.”
Sustainability is shaking off its former hippy associations as a wave of brands delivers a revamp for the 21st century.
It might still be the responsible choice, but now sustainability comes with a side order of relevance. A growing body of scientific research suggests that time in nature can minimise stress and enhance a sense of emotional wellbeing. Researchers at King’s College London found that seeing trees and the sky from our homes, as well as hearing birdsong, could result in higher levels of mental wellbeing, particularly among those susceptible to mental health issues.
People are becoming more thoughtful about what they bring into their homes – and how they can start looking at all the different products in their house and questioning whether or not they can be made more sustainably. Image via Faulkner Architects.
THE SUSTAINABLE HOME
How will we power the home of the future? Forget relying on centralised, expensive power from big energy companies—you can now generate and store your own energy. Although not particularly new, solar panels will become more widespread as consumers become more energy efficient.
Experts predict that over a third of all households will be using solar power by 2020.
32 Tesla has solved the issue of storing solar energy within the home by creating the Powerwall 2, a battery which stores excess energy and makes it available on demand. The company recently announced plans to install solar displays and Powerwalls on 50,000 homes in South Australia, which would create the biggest virtual power plant in the world. Tesla installed the first 100 Powerwalls this summer and claimed to have cut one homeowner’s quarterly bill by $325. Read more, ‘Bathrooms of the Future: Why Wellness and Eco Credentials Count.’
Walk-in showers are big news. Image via Elle Decoration UK.
LET’S CONNECT
We are forming deeper connections with the things in our lives that share our living spaces. Home accessories will do more than just look good, offering useful functionality, such as air purification. In the years to come, we may need to rethink the way we live, too. Alternatively, we might also grow our furnishings. The Mush-Lume table lamp by Danielle Trofe Design is grown using mushrooms. The mycelium binds with the by-products in custom moulds to create a fully biodegradable lamp shade. For Trofe, this is about encouraging people to be more thoughtful about what we bring into our homes.
A lamp isn’t going to save the world, but it’s just this idea of, how can we start looking at all the different products in our house and questioning whether or not they can be made more sustainably.
WHAT’S BIG RIGHT NOW
After analyzing the site behaviour of hundreds of thousands of visitors over June 2019, the site Compare My Move has released a study of what its users are searching for. They narrowed down the vast number of trending styles posted on Instagram to the most-mentioned home décor trends ranked by the number of posts and hashtag mentions.
How will we power the home of the future? Forget relying on centralised, expensive power from big energy companies— people are increasingly generating and storing their own household energy. Image via Faulkner Architects.
MAIDENHAIR HOUSE PLANTS
The number one most popular décor trend according to data found by Compare My Move on Instagram is house plants. With well over two million posts containing the hashtag #houseplants, the vibrant décor is clearly resonating with those who have a penchant for design. Maidenhair ferns are ranking as most popular. Read more, ‘The Best Plant to Buy For Every Room in Your House.’
SHUTTERS
Simple and classic, shutters were the featured home décor element in 327,776 Instagram posts, according to Compare My Move’s data. Think striking exteriors featuring colorful wooden pieces and modern interiors displaying shutters in innovative ways.
It seems like the farmhouse chic look isn’t going anywhere.
KITCHEN ISLANDS
Kitchens both big and small can benefit from kitchen island benchtops—and more than 300,000 Instagram users seem to agree. They’re great for extra counter space or for additional barstool seating. Read more, ‘Kitchen Design Ideas: Inspiration For The Heart of the House.’
Kitchens both big and small can benefit from kitchen island benchtops. Image via @eyeswoon
LOG BURNERS
For that cozy, rustic style, many Instagram users are turning to log burners to set the mood in their homes. In fact, over 146K Instagram posts contain the hashtag #logburner, which suggests a rising prevalence in this rather under-the-radar trend. In addition to these top interior trends, the data also names s floating shelves, hairpin legs, open shelving, bi-fold doors, pink chairs, walk-in showers as some of the most popular design styles on Instagram. Read more, ‘Fireplaces: 10 That Will Take Your Rooms To The Next Level.’
Oh and, black is still big, from architectural cladding to kitchen joinery and furniture, but in future, it will be rendered with a handmade aspect.
Image via Faulkner Architects.
