2019 Color Trends for Your Home

It’s going to be a busy year for home interior décor in 2019, and that’s not even taking into account the market itself.

Bold colors, patterns, materials and schemes blended together is the common theme of forecasts from design pros, trend spotters, popular websites and shopping guides. And while not all these trends will catch fire, the predictions do give a sense of what is expected to show up in showrooms and perhaps your own rooms.

To the Max

Maximalism, a “more is more” approach to interior design, was put aside for years in favor of spare and practical looks. Among the chief practitioners and influencers of minimalism has been Ikea, so it was startling when the Swedish company took what has been described as a dramatic shift in its 2019 catalog. Citing survey results that found “living minimally” stressful for some and the source of arguments among family members, the company described its noticeable move toward maximalism this way: “Belongings tell the unique story of the people who live in a space, and embracing your own personal treasures can make you happier at home. It’s OK to put the you into your home, loud and proud.”

As Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s resident trend expert, put it in her look-ahead report: “Minimalism is the moment we’ve been secretly waiting for – a rebellion against the often unrealistic quest for order in our homes and lives. What was once considered clutter is now on-trend – clashing patterns, styles, and colors are all permissible, as there’s no limit to this eclectic trend.”

Getting in Shapes

It seems only fitting that along with maximalism would come an even bigger surge in the use of geometric shapes, whether on walls, furniture, textiles or all of the above. In the Pinterest 100: Top Trends of 2019, searches were reported to be up 225 percent in using such patterns to refresh walls. “Whether you decide to embrace your inner-Mondrian with a boxy, primary color scheme or make a two-toned statement with strong diagonals, pick colors and shapes that speak to you,” the report said.

High Point Market, the huge furnishings industry trade show that takes place biannually in North Carolina, includes a Style Spotters program in which insiders highlight trends and looks. In the most recent report on 2019, High Point Market Style Spotter and design house founder Stacy Garcia cited furniture pieces and décor with “minimal forms, geometric quilted techniques and sleek lines give this trend a totally refined and sophisticated look that is still fresh and expressive.” Fellow High Point Market Style Spotter Sarah Walker of the Curated House told of playing with shapes, angles and arcs, “whether in 3D illusion wallcovering, luxe resin and brass cabinet hardware, sculptural lighting, an oversized mirror or statement furniture pieces.”

Curve Appeal

According to the 2019 trends preview in State of the Home report by Modsy, an online digital design catalog, hard lines are being replaced by softer curves, particularly on sofas, but also on armchairs and even beds.

Curved and kidney-shaped sofas were seen in many of the showrooms at the recent High Point Market, and online retailer Hayneedle concurred, saying, “Sofas with curvy, rounded edges are also having a major moment in 2019” in its trend report. Designers and homeowners are enamored of them for their visual interest and versatility, as they work well in small rooms and floating in the middle of spaces instead of up against a wall.

Getting Warmer

The Pantone Color Institute has chosen Living Coral, a bold orange-pink with gold undertones reminiscent of flamingos, as the 2019 Color of the Year, and it joins other warm tints on the color trend lists.

In the Pinterest 100: Top Trends of 2019, searches for mustard yellow are noticeably up (a 45 percent jump). Etsy’s picks for 2019 goes with burnt orange as the color of the moment, with Johnson noting, “This desert-inspired hue is grounding (yet refreshing) and unapologetically natural – exactly what we need in 2019.”

You can incorporate these sunset-inspired hues as bold pops and in signature furniture pieces and wall coverings, from an eye-catching pinkish-orange curved sofa surrounded by gold accents to a statement yellow armchair or a terra-cotta-based mix of prints on sofa pillows.

Growing Up

Things are quite literally looking up for plants in 2019 as Pinterest noted a 287 percent hike in searches for vertical gardens in its trends report. As use of these living walls become increasingly common indoors in restaurants, hotels and other public spaces, people are looking to bring the look into their own homes.

These wall-mounted gardens combine practicality (health benefits, growing your own herbs), bringing the outdoors inside in a dramatic way and a unique focal point to your home. You can go with a pocketed wall planter brand like Woolly Pocket or WallyGro, or a designer can help plan out a more ambitious project.

A Swath of Sloths

In true sloth-like fashion, it’s taken the animal several years to move beyond its status as a pop culture favorite (One key moment: Flash’s star turn at the DMV in the 2016 animated hit movie “Zootopia”). According to Etsy’s Johnson, look for the languid sloth to find its own place to hang around in kids’ rooms and other spaces in 2019.

“Shoppers and Etsy sellers alike have gravitated to the laid-back demeanor of the sloth, a real-life embodiment of the less-hurried lifestyle many of us strive for every day,” Johnson wrote.

Who knows, the two- and three-toed creatures might even give the ubiquitous unicorns some serious competition.

Featured Additions

In the American Institute of Architects Home Design Trend Survey, outdoor rooms still led the pack of home additions, with 56 percent of those surveyed saying homeowners are increasingly interested in having one. Among the unexpected findings, however, was the soaring interest in pet rooms/interior kennels, which leaped 16 percentage points over the previous year. Homeowners’ desires for au pair/in-law suites also took a big jump, up 11 percentage points.

Trendy, Not Spendy

How do you embrace new trends without breaking the bank changing it up every year? Modsy shared its top 10 furniture categories, dominated by affordable home additions that let you try out trends without a complete renovation or remodel. The listed items — pillows, rugs, wall art, mirrors, table and floor lamps, side and coffee tables, poufs and plants/planters — are great ways to introduce maximalism, geometrics, warm colors and more into your home.

Source: Kathie Bozanich