What Will Decorating in 2020 Look Like?

BY GUSTAF WESTMAN PUBLISHED 13/01/2020

Here’s a clickbate: We will stop with interior design next decade!!

(At least the interior we’ve seen in the past decade).

Let me explain. Interior design where everything needs to be perfect and constantly renewed to fit the latest trend just doesn’t seem to fit the time we live in now. If last decade was the decade of interior design, I think the next belongs more to the object. The furniture itself is more interesting than if your entire apartment is matched. Of course we will buy new stuff, but we will make more well-considered choices. Either we buy used furniture or we make long term purchases. That way of buying furniture makes it almost impossible to keep up with trends and have a perfectly matched home.  

Here’s some things and themes I think will be popular when it comes to furniture and and objects in the future. Enjoy! And don’t forget where you heard it first. 

First, buy unique design and don’t match!

Things do not need to match, more importantly is that each thing is interesting and has a high level of design in itself. Weird stuff in different materials and colors is what we will be looking for. Most of all, we want to buy unique designs made by small scale designers. Why not buy something from Gustaf Westman, he is so cool and interesting (or so I’ve heard DM me for inquiries). No but here are some examples, they are a bit pricey, but unique things really don’t need to be. Buy something nice from a local potter or why not make something yourself!  

COLORS

Goodbye to grey, beige and most of all GREIGE!! All we want now is colors. Honestly don’t think it has to be any special type of color. Just a lot of color!

New materials 

The search for new ways of making furniture in more sustainable materials and take advantage of leftover material is already big in small scale furniture design. A good example is Thomas Barger who makes furniture from paper trash he picks from streets of New York. The more people change their way of consuming, big scale production will follow and research new alternative materials for their designs. Why buy a chair in plastic that is not made from recycled material when it could have been? 

Read more on Thomas Barger here.

Chair made out of recycled plastic by ecoBirdy.

“Dad shoe furniture” 

For a while now the best fashion inspiration has been what a 90s dad would wear. That’s coming to interior now. Everything that feels equivalent with the “dad shoe” in interior design is what people will look for. 90s furniture in bright colors and “ugly” patterns is on point.

I also want to warn you about furniture with specific functions like the typical 80s / 90s home office table or an armchair that help you stand up or lie down. They are making a horrifying comeback!

Swedish (and Scandinavian) Tradition

Swedish traditional furniture like for example a colored allmoge cabinet or anything in pinewood is right in time. This category is all about quality, favor traditional crafts and local materials. It’s probably going to be a second hand purchase but another aspect that makes it even better if you can add a personal value for example that the furniture is inherited by a relative. It can of course be a new object as well, just as long as it’s made with traditional craftsmanship. Buying something cheap and new that feels like craftsmanship doesn’t count.

Timeless furniture

And of course, design classics! It’s obvious. But I would never make a list like this without including some. Quality is everything this decade and a classic design is almost always made in good quality by people who have good working condition. A big point is also that you can have a deeper knowledge about what you are buying. Who is the designer, when, where and why the furniture was designed. 

Here’s some eye candy.

Hope you enjoy and looking forward to a more fun decade when it comes interiors!