For a refreshing tinted neutral, Riberti cites a soothing, muted version of “neomint,” a refreshing spearmint WGSN predicted as 2020’s It color, which pairs well with pale wood and can be used for accents like statement chairs, feature rugs, and kitchen schemes. Chow adds that slate lavender and dusky peach also work well for their “inherent simplicity” and ability to shift depending on the lighting.
Designers will be increasingly looking to Japan for inspiration next year, forecasters predict. Take this Japanese townhouse designed by architect Kengo Kuma. Here, a bamboo screen provides a translucent partition between the living and dining areas.
Photo by Mcleod RobertJapanese Influences
Given the trend toward soothing minimalism, it’s no surprise that the Japanese aesthetic will be a strong presence in 2020. “These looks are always present in some way, but periodically, they are energized as a trend,” says Michelle Lamb, editorial director at The Trend Curve. “Natural materials, used in simple forms, reinforce a feeling of purity that is at the core of this style.”
Beyond the rattan and cane that’s already made a comeback, Lamb highlights the wood-charring technique Shou Sugi Ban as a compelling texture for furniture and decor that speaks to eco sensibilities. She also expects to see angular furnishings and patterns that allude to origami folds as part of the trend’s influence, along with “kimonos or obi bands expressed in modern ways or inspiring shape, pattern, detail.”
.jpg)
Delicate floral patterns, like this Billy Cotton-designed rug for Scott Group Studio, will appear everywhere in 2020. But natural motifs won’t be limited to florals: count on natural materials in furnishings and lightings also.
Photo: Blaine DavisNatural Selection
It seems our collective yearning for getting back to nature will extend to home accents. But while the last few years may have included banana-leaf everything, this trend will, once again, manifest in a more subtle way. Think botanical prints, lush greens, and replications of wood grains and stone veinings for pillows, rugs, and upholstery, along with delicate wild flora and fauna motifs in homewares, experts say.
Even lighting will reflect a natural touch. “Look for organic structures in lighting with creative bases like metal and/or wood,” says Nancy Fire, creative director of Design Works International. “Tinted glass in handblown style allows imperfect shapes to take center stage, and organic substrates like rope, raffia, twine, and string are important because they bring a natural vibe into any interior space.”
For this room in Casacor, the Brazilian interior designer show house in Miami, Moniomi created an exuberant neo-Deco scheme that celebrates dusky neutrals as well as strong shapes.
Photo: Kris TamburelloGeometry Lessons
Fortunately, for those who favor a brighter, edgier interior vibe, 2020 won’t just be about earthy tones and natural materials. Chow predicts that the bold colors and clean-cut lines of modernism will also dominate interiors, fusing “industry and craft, vintage and contemporary, high and low tech, color and geometry,” including recurring circle, rectangle, and stripe motifs. Furniture designs, he says, will take inspiration from the modular, multifunctional systems designed between the 1930s and 1960s.
Also drawing from the early 20th century, Riberti taps an updated take on the angular geometrics, cutouts, and patterns of Art Deco—she dubs it “neo-Deco”—for fresh, sophisticated interiors, combining tropical Miami pastels alongside the more traditional black and gold.
