The hottest interior design trends for 2020

The new year marks a new beginning. It promises a fresh start and a chance to improve.

We secretly type our resolutions into our mobile phones: go to the gym more, stop ordering takeaway when the fridge is full of food, and call Mum before she calls me asking why I haven’t called her.

It’s in our nature to embrace change in January and it’s the same with our interiors – a new season is an opportunity to shake things up around the home.

“We have this natural tendency towards self-reflection when we rest over the new year period – we think about improving ourselves physically, mentally or even with our interiors,” says interior designer Alexandra Donohoe Church of Decus Interiors.

“It’s the seasonal shift that inspires us to declutter, paint the walls or finally start that project around the house we’ve been putting off.”

For interior designer Anna Spiro of Anna Spiro Design, 2020 is about creating homes that “burst with positivity, happiness and colour”.

Known for her layered textures and colourful aesthetic, on a recent trip to London she “noticed an explosion of colour and pattern among other designers and fabric houses”.

She advocates for people to inject more colour into their homes and not be afraid to mix textures or patterns. “We wrap entire spaces in wallpaper so it creates this amazing seamlessness where you can add paintings and homewares for a really layered aesthetic,” she says.

For those of us new to colour who might want a smaller introductory dose, Spiro suggests adding layers and colour with “scatter cushions, patterned lamp shades and a textural rug”. Her colour prediction for the year ahead is yellow.

Warm, tonal colours including terracotta, clay, burgundy and wines are also taking top spot on the podium for the year ahead. “These colours are beautiful to work with as you can still have a neutral interior and easily introduce them into your home,” says interior designer and trend forecaster Bree Leech.

“The colours themselves aren’t crazy, instead it’s all about textures and using them together in kind of a maximalist approach to minimalism.”

Leech has also observed the arrival of lilac and mauve in the aftermath of Milan Design Week. “We haven’t seen these two colours for a while but they do connect to the warmer tones and I think they’ll make quite an impact this year.”

Donohoe Church is also advocating for more ceramic and lava stone in 2020. “These materials are usually relegated to decorative items like vases, accessories and smaller pieces but we’re certainly starting to see a shift towards using ceramics in beautiful light fittings and joinery.”

The team at Decus Interiors is also integrating more lava stone into its projects as an alternative to timber, stone and 2pac benchtops, plinths and joinery. “When this material heats up it creates a most interesting glaze,” Donohoe Church says.

A move towards slow design and thinking more consciously about sustainability in our homes is a growing trend Spiro wants everyone to embrace in the new year. “There’s fast fashion and there’s also fast interiors and I think we’re going to see a reversion to the handcrafted and support local craftspeople.”

She says good design is worth the wait. “I always encourage my clients to buy really beautiful good quality and handmade things they keep for a long time instead of replacing things every few years and adding to landfill.”

Spiro doesn’t just mean buying new either, she is all for repurposing and giving new life to secondhand furniture. “I just bought two vintage armchairs for $100 this week, they are the most beautiful shape and construction, and I am going to get them recovered,” she says.

Spiro suggests sourcing secondhand furniture online, at auctions and antique shops. “It’s really environmentally friendly because we’re using what already exists instead of adding another two armchairs to landfill.”

Donohoe Church says chunky furniture is also poised for the 2020 interiors spotlight.

“We saw so much of it at Milan Design Week, it’s definitely not subtle and appeals to something in the senses,” she says.

Cristina Celestino for Fendi Home’s “Back Home” collection is an excellent example of the chunky furniture movement that recently flooded Instagram, Pinterest or wherever else you scroll for good design when you’re meant to be doing something else.

Working as an interior trends forecaster, Leech is in the business of knowing what we’ll love before we know it ourselves, but she also encourages consumers to follow them loosely when decorating their home.

“Trends are there to inspire you, not to dictate a style, so take what you like from them and add your own touch.”