- One-slab kitchen backsplashes: These sleek one-piece surfaces are easy to clean for greater efficiency, and can be subtle or dramatic depending on your tastes.
- Garage remodels: Budget-conscious millennials are re-purposing garages as living spaces and/or creating apartments they can rent out toward mortgages.
- Colorful kitchens: In response to the all-white or all-gray kitchens of the last few years, some homeowners are installing colorful tiles, countertops, appliances and/or stove hood — often in isolated pops of color.
- Custom cabinetry: In a nod to the minimalist movement, more kitchen and bathroom cupboards are being apportioned to accommodate specific homeowner belongings, with very simple hardware and sustainable materials among related trends.
- Wellness design: Environmental awareness is resulting in elements like non-toxic paint, flooring and cabinetry; germ-reducing touchless faucets and bidet-style toilets; sleep-improving circadian lighting and sleep, water and air purification systems.
- Warm wood finishes: Many homeowners are turning back to warm-colored wood as an alternative to previously popular painted finishes in cool gray or white.
- Open shelving to show off vintage kitchen décor: This has long been a popular look for dinnerware and glassware; now homeowners are using the same concept to display antique copper or cast-iron pots, teakettles and other pieces with a vintage patina.
- Custom-decorated ceilings: Homeowners are taking advantage of this often-forgotten area to add drama via paint, wallpaper or wood paneling.
- Mix-and-match metals: Instead of being matchy-matchy in any given room, people are choosing different finishes for hardware, light fixtures, faucets, appliances, etc.
- Hidden kitchen appliances: A popular option for 2020 will be appliances fronted by panels that match or complement kitchen cabinets.
- Quartz countertops: Quartz can offer all the beauty of natural marble, but it’s lower-maintenance, more stain-resistant and more affordable.
- Wallpaper: Thanks to the ease of peel-and-stick versions, homeowners are trying fun, trendy papers in kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
- Larders: These custom cupboards take up less space than walk-in pantries and are specifically designed to optimize storage space for extra dry goods.
- Traditional dining rooms made nontraditional: Instead of formal dining sets, homeowners are outfitting them with more functional furniture for more efficient use of space.
- Reclaimed wood: Eco-friendly rough-hewn varieties will be popular in kitchens cabinets, flooring, siding and elsewhere.
- Layering of old and new materials: Vintage and up-to-the-minute finishes, styles and designs will be mixed to create visual interest.
- High-contrast black and white color schemes: The look is dramatic and timeless whether added to flooring or a half-bath.
- Handmade tiles: In comparison with the subway tiles that have been so popular in the past, these add visual interest and authenticity to bathrooms, backsplashes, etc.
- Dual-purpose office spaces: Some homeowners are reclaiming wasted space in their home offices and repurposing it as guest or storage space.
- Japanese-influenced design: This may be represented in angular furnishings and patterns, or designs inspired by kimonos or obi bands.
Written by Scott Rajavuori on December 31, 2019