“2020 is looking to be a great year to add loads of personality to your home,” says Lori Byrne of Scotsburn, N.S.
Byrne, a senior interior decorator with Costandi Designs, says bold prints, colour and fun accents that reflect your individuality are what’s trending in home decor this year.
WALL COVERINGS
The popularity of wallpaper is continuing to grow, with large florals leading the charge.
“People cannot get enough of wallpapers, and nothing too subtle either,” says Byrne. “The big, bold patterns as an accent wall are a fun way to add a lot of personality into a space without breaking the budget.”
As a balance to the bold wall coverings, the use of grey paint throughout the home is still popular, but with the tones getting warmer and softer in 2020. Byrne suggests Baby Fawn or Cedar Key from Benjamin Moore as shades that are easy to pair with most existing colours.
It’s always fun to have an accent colour to balance out the neutrals, and this year one colour is dominating.
“Navy is hot,” she says. “Whether it’s on walls or cabinets, it makes a statement and adds a richness and depth to the room.”
KITCHENS
Kitchens are getting a pop of personality this year as well.
“In our kitchens, the heart of our homes, people are getting brave and using colour on the cabinets,” she says. “Whether it’s the trendy navy, a warm grey or a daring coral, it is bringing so much more to the table.”
Display spaces in kitchens, such as open shelves or glass doors, are also being added to provide a space to show off special items such as family china or decorative pieces.
PLANTS
If you’ve felt that everywhere you look people are loading their homes up with plants, you’re not wrong.
“The ’70s called and gave the go-ahead to fill every nook and cranny with plants,” Byrne laughs. “Plants can take a house from feeling flat and lacklustre to feeling alive.”
Plants go with everything, and they also provide bonus health benefits as they’ve been proven to add to the air quality in a home.
Byrne adds that this year the olive tree is proving to be the most popular houseplant to add to a collection.
METALS
Mixing metals is another trend showing staying power and is easy to incorporate into existing decor.
“It allows us to use a variety of tones of metal on elements like light fixtures, cabinet and plumbing hardware and drapery hardware, adding layers to the palette in a space,” says Byrne. “Blacks with gold or brass tones, nickels with warm chocolate tones, it brings a complexity to a space.”
MIX AND MATCH
Bringing together the old and new is another trend gaining ground. Finding antiques or quirky decor and combining them with something new and trendy is a popular way to show off personal style.
“It takes a space from being boring and cookie-cutter to having loads of personality and truly reflecting the people who call the house a home,” she says. “Whether it’s chippy, old relics or a perfectly patinaed piece of wicker, it brings so much texture and interest into a space.”
TRENDS ON A BUDGET
Introducing these trends to your home doesn’t need to be an expensive undertaking. Byrne suggests that the best place to start is to visit local thrift stores to track down vintage pieces that speak to you or get a gallon of navy paint or a couple of rolls of dramatic wallpaper to create an interesting accent wall, allowing your personality to shine.
