Interior design trends that are here to stay
By: Ed O'Donnell
Tags: Design, Remote Work, Home Decor, Trends, Interior Design

Image sourced from the Evening Standard

2020. The year that never was, yet managed to change so much. Even our homes. Interiors have evolved from ‘What’s hot, what’s not?’ to ‘What’s natural, sustainable and long-lasting?’.

There’s a permanence to it, an integrity. Tenets instead of trends. Doctrines instead of designer fads. And it’s come about because our lives have changed. Flats and houses have become clunky brick Swiss Army Knives — with laptops, textbooks, squat stands and banana loaves popping out of every closet and box room.

However chaotic, this stuff is here to stay. Which is why we must embrace the trends that are going to shape interiors and attract buyers for years to come. But first a reality check:

Working from home

Before you reach for the Migraleve, let us reassure you that commercial offices will reopen. They just won’t be as big or as full.

Not convinced? Then let’s look at the stats, courtesy of the IoD and Management Today. 1 in 10 UK companies has already downsized. Another 36% are considering it. 60% of execs intend to let staff work from home more often. And the average employee expects to conduct business in their PJs 1.25 days a week.

This means that your home is now your brand. Your shelf, the portal to your soul.

What colleagues and clients see when they dial in matters. Workstations must become an integral part of any design scheme — beautiful, functional and capable of evoking a sense of calm professionalism.

Power of the shelfie

Bespoke shelving unit with fireplace designed by Angel O’Donnell for The Atlas Building, London. Image from author’s collection.

We’ve become a nation of home stylists — replacing tatty lever-arch files, second-rate whodunnits, wet wipes and stackie cups with aloe plants and String of Hearts, leatherbound classics, Royal Opera House memorabilia and obscure 16th century Flemish art.

The shelfie and the Zoom stage are set — and they’re going to get an upgrade. Take a look:

Small home office

Image by Roger Davies, sourced from the Architectural Digest

In small spaces, the focus will be on office integration. Bespoke designs will maximise valuable square inches inside nooks, under staircases or behind room dividers that double as storage. Retractable desks, concealed shelves, ergonomic chairs — these will be essential components for an inspiring workspace that can be neatly tucked away when it’s time to kick back with the family.

Big home office

Image by Zeke Ruelas, sourced from MyDomaine

Where space isn’t an issue, home offices will go big, taking inspiration from galleries and libraries. Eglomise mirrors, veneers and heavy window treatments will set the tone for a cocooning, creative space from which to ideate and negotiate.

Tighter security

Just as the superrich have security to keep out gun-toting assassins and poisonous gasses, regular folk will have biometric safes and secret compartments to keep prying eyes away from sensitive files and expensive hardware.

We predict that these things will become standard features in many homes. So developers and designers will do well to factor them in early.

The shape of things

Curved sofa designed by Angel O’Donnell for The Dumont, London. Image from author’s collection.

Shapely furniture will be a must — pieces that contour and undulate to subtly reflect the organic silhouettes found in Nature. And while this may sound cringe, our main takeout from this is *flow*. Curved shelves, sofas and separating screens can help to divide a room and create clear pathways.

This is important because people want to journey to different rooms and different spaces within those rooms. Doing so helps people to mentally demarcate the professional, social and familial aspects of their lives. We’re orbiting back to broken-plan living — and wavy and flexuous forms can help us get there.

Colourvision

Interior designed by Angel O’Donnell for The Dumont, London. Image from author’s collection.

A year of staring at pebble-white walls has ignited a colour revolution. Plain is out. Personality is in. And anything goes. Zingy yellows, warm greens, burnt oranges, peacock blues, chocolates, crimsons, aubergines — it’s all for the taking.

This isn’t a flash in the pan. Colours have the enduring power to warm and comfort, cool and calm, agitate and excite.

Used discerningly, a colourful interior can moderate a person’s mood and enhance their productivity. After a year of lockdown, colour is the emotional crutch people will need to rest their eyes on.

Let’s be clear

Image sourced from the Evening Standard

Transparency is finally on trend. Small-batch goods rooted in traditional craft techniques are a big draw. As are products linked to safe working conditions and a real living wage. We should all aspire to source high-quality, eco-friendly and socially responsible food, fashion, furniture — the lot. Because this trend — more than any other — should never go out of style.

Before you go…

…We’d like to thank our three brilliant contributors, whose insights helped us enormously: Kit Miles, Director and Chief Designer at Kit Miles Studio. Tom Faulkner, Founder and Creative Director at Tom Faulkner. And David Harris, Design Director at Andrew Martin.