As the year comes to a close, we celebrate the fifteen most popular interior design trends that have popped up time and time again. From marble feature walls to floating furniture, here’s how these trends enhanced our local homes in 2020.
Rattan decor
Image courtesy of LIB Team
Rattan is not just for grandparents anymore! One thing we love about this trend is that it is versatile and can be incorporated into any theme, be it bohemian or coastal. While rattan furniture is commonly used in garden spaces, you can also bring it into your interiors in the form of chairs, lamps, or even ventilation panels.
Ribbed glass
Image courtesy of Tolko
From a functional perspective, ribbed glass is great for separating areas of the home, such as bedrooms, wardrobes and even bathrooms. It’s also known as ‘privacy glass’ due to its ability to obscure views by bending light, creating this slightly opaque optical illusion. On the aesthetic side, ribbed glass panels look perfectly ethereal and make for a visually intriguing display.
Curved edges
Image courtesy of Dots ‘N’ Tots Interior Design
From circular sofas to arched walls, we saw homes in 2020 embracing a more tubular, shapely aesthetic for their interiors. In spaces that were traditionally dominated by hard, straight lines, rounded furniture added a touch of softness to these areas while also exuding a slight 80s vibe.
Plants
Image credit: Hunting for George
All this time at home must’ve made people miss the great outdoors, so much so that they’ve been bringing the outside in! Introducing greenery works wonders to create a calming environment that relieves stress. Besides adding to the aesthetic of your living space, plants are also a great way to purify the air you breathe, making for a healthy and happy abode.
Patterned tiles
Image courtesy of Terracotta Design Build
Patterned tiles took local homes by storm this year, with homeowners fitting their kitchen backsplashes with Peranakan designs and mermaid scales. Not only do these tiles transform drab kitchens into spaces with a whole lot of style, but they can also be mixed and matched with other designs for a completely unique and personalised look.
Track lights
Image courtesy of Versaform
Track lights were considered outdated two years ago, but 2020 saw their resurgence. Generally found in living rooms, track lights are particularly versatile, complementing both the contemporary and the industrial look. You can also point them wherever you want, whether it’s to draw attention to your wall art or simply as ambient lighting.
Monochromatic bathrooms
Image courtesy of D’Marvel Scale
While monochrome themes aren’t novel, they remain in style due to their ability to withstand changes in colour trends. What we’ve noticed this year is that homeowners who experiment with bold colours in the living areas and kitchen space still opt for a monochromatic bathroom design. As bathrooms are generally small spaces with little light, a monochromatic colour palette helps to keep the surroundings light and bright without overwhelming the eye.
Marble feature walls
Image courtesy of Mr Shopper Studio
Another trend with immense staying power is the marble-look feature wall—a concept which seems to have permeated our local homes. Besides transforming simple spaces into ones that exude elegance, a marble-look feature wall also makes for a fuss-free focal point in the living room. While some homeowners prefer natural stone, most opt for budget-friendly laminate panels with a marble-look finish.
Open-concept living areas
Image courtesy of Authors Interior & Styling
With stay-at-home being the mantra of Covid-times, more people have chosen to revamp their living spaces into ones that merge dining and entertainment. Open-concept living spaces combining the dining and living rooms make the combined area appear large and airy. This combo also gets rid of unnecessary walls, allowing family members to interact and share one big space.
Floating furniture
Image courtesy of Nicole Franzen
Practicality is key in small spaces, which is why floating fittings are an ingenious concept. By attaching study desks, bathroom cabinets and nightstands to the wall using ‘invisible fittings,’ the floor area opens up to boost the sense of spaciousness. More importantly, you can easily clean the floor underneath these fixtures without breaking your back from shifting furniture around!
Headboards with integrated lighting
Image courtesy of ZLC
Here’s how to make your bedroom rival that of a luxury hotel: headboards with built-in lighting create an atmospheric effect that practically calls on you to tuck yourself into bed. The low lighting soothes the eyes and draws attention to the headboard as the bedroom’s focal point.
Hidden storage
Image courtesy of akiHAUS
This year saw an increasing appreciation of incognito storage spaces, with homes featuring hidden compartments behind wall panels in every area of the house. These concealed spots hide unsightly items from view, making way for a clutter-free space that is visually streamlined. Built-in storage also helps to frame living spaces and draws attention to certain areas in a room, such as the TV console or your favourite bookshelves.
Geometric wall designs
Image courtesy of The Inside Job
Geometric patterns made a comeback this year as homeowners moved away from floral patterns and intricate prints. Lines and triangles now dominate feature walls and living rooms as more and more people opted for minimalist geometric designs, injecting subtle sophistication into rooms that may otherwise appear dull and common.
Clear kitchen entrances
Image credit: akiHAUS
Many are swapping out their pre-existing kitchen doors for glass doors, embracing an open look that brightens the kitchen without needing to knock down any walls. A clear view allows family members to see each other and feel connected even while in different rooms of the house. Those whipping up a meal can even steal a few glances at the TV without leaving the kitchen, all the while keeping cooking smells contained behind the glass.
Full-height, custom-built wardrobes
Image courtesy of Lush Interior
Bespoke, custom-made wardrobes literally take storage to new heights. Compared to ones bought from furniture shops, custom-built wardrobes fit into the full height of one’s room, giving the surroundings a more streamlined look. They also enhance the room’s visual appeal since you no longer have to pile your unused luggage and storage boxes on top of the wardrobe.
