What I’m crushing on… and HARD in 2020. 

I’m not attempting to forecast trends here… although as a professional in the design field, I have a good feeling what those are going to be. I’m simply sharing with you the design ideas, movements and products I plan to use more of moving into 2020. 2020 has been explained by many as the year of no trends, the year to throw trends out the window and just design. Design well and with no fear. Try new things. Be BOLD! I will be following this mantra for 2020 and so should you. But feast your eyes on my top 20 things I’m crushing on in 2020. 

1. velvet

Velvet is definitely not everyone’s go to when you think of an accent chair or throw pillows. But my word can velvet pack a punch! When I hear velvet I think rich navy blue and my grandma’s sofa from the 70’s, but this isn’t the velvet I’m proposing you have a bit of fun with. No! I’m looking towards vibrant rust orange and sage greens, natural colours that brighten up and enrich your living spaces!

For example, how bold is the ‘Broughton velvet sofa’ by Rose and Grey. Bold, but not overpowering as it perfectly balances this space.. 

2. earth tones

Even though I said we were not following trends in 2020 I did recently flick through the Dulux 2020 colour forecast and man was I pleased with what I saw. We’re talking about natural colours, sage greens, rich oranges, deep rust, and wine reds. Lots of rich but softening warm colours, even the blue tones are warm and inviting. My goal in 2020 is to use more colours that evoke the feelings of calm and serenity whilst also being bold and inviting.

3. black is back

Black has always remained a colour we are naturally afraid of using, I mean it’s so dark right? It’s on the complete opposing end of the spectrum to white, which is a colour we associate with openness and light. This does not mean that black will make your space feel smaller and darker, at least not when it’s used right. Don’t get me wrong, paint your ceiling and walls black and your space will look smaller, but one black wall or an all black kitchen is a great way to use a splash of black in your home. We have Kate Cooper to thank for this perfect example of using a black tongue and groove panelled wall as a feature in a beach house. It can be done and done well!

4. bold bathrooms

Who ever said bathroom’s need to be boring to be functional. I see time and time again these all white, stark, clinical bathrooms and for what? We spend too long in these darn things to not be inspired by it. Be bold (this is definitely going to have to be my 2020 manta, I use the word way too much to back down from it now), be brave and try something out of your comfort zone. I have an affinity with designing bathrooms with big impact and I’m going a little bit further this year. Just you wait! Check out one of two bathrooms that pack a punch in Louise Walsh’s Coopers Shoot project, now that’s a bold bathroom!

5. accent hardware

I sat down the other day and thought about how many door handles, and kitchen cabinet handles I have touched in my lifetime. How many of those were anything special? Were they all just plain old chrome? Probably! But they don’t have to be. In 2020 I plan to use as many interesting pieces of hardware as I can get my hands on. Have you seen the Buster and Punch range yet? The fact that they describe their hardware business as ‘A Home Fashion Label’ is enough to make me throw my hands in the air and say ‘YES FINALLY, Some interesting and creative hardware, I’m sold.’

6. kitchen cabinet door profiles

I know the trend is flat faced kitchen cabinet doors, clean lines and all that right? Good thing we’re not following trends in 2020. Polytec is my go to supplier for all things door profiles and my fav’s for this year are ‘Chifley’ and ‘Calcutta’ and let me tell you why. I love a flat door just as much as the next person but that can make for a pretty uninteresting kitchen, but pair a flat door with a profiled one and wall-ah! You my friend have designed yourself a kitchen with texture, interest and that little extra something something. Take Arent and Pyke’s Bronte Beach House Kitchen for example, a nice simple flat faced island but with a beautiful rich blue tones Calcutta (Vertical Groove) door profile. This kitchen now has 100% more interest that it would have had with a flat door throughout.

7. wall panelling

Intrim Wainscotting, EasyCraft Vertical Groove panelling and Porta Timber interior linings are just a few of the wall panelling styles I currently use, and I won’t be stopping anytime soon. Wall panelling is such an easy way to make a single wall stand out from the rest, or create a detail that adds layers to your design. Wainscotting add’s a beautiful touch running around the perimeter of your walls but there’s also vertical groove panelling that can be painted with an accent colour! And don’t get me started on timber wall panelling… like look at this Porta Timber bedhead… TO DIE FOR!

8. interesting feature furniture

Furniture is expensive… don’t worry I know better than anyone what filling your living room with new furniture will cost. But don’t go budget on everything. Choose one piece you want to bring a bang to your living scheme and go big! My cheeky strategy is if everyone is looking at my bangin’ Sarah Ellison Paloma Coffee Table worth a mint they are not going to notice my IKEA lounge suite. Go big on one piece of furniture and let that sing louder than the rest. 

9. customising bathroom fixtures

I walk into so many bathrooms and with a designer’s eye, you don’t miss a detail. That has unfortunately made me quite observant to the missed opportunities in every bathroom my eye rests on. Most of the time they could be improved by getting rid of those outdated chrome fixtures… How boring! Lately, and I will continue this into 2020, I have been specifying fixtures in finishes like gunmetal, brass, copper, powder-coated white or black, the list goes on. Sussex, the leaders in all things customisation now offer complete freedom in customising your tapware with 31 custom finishes. WOAH! You could have a tumbles brass spout with a matt white lever, the possibilities are endless. 

10. curves

I love me some curves! Arched mirrors, round side tables, spherical light fixtures, Arched doorways, YES! YES! YES! The feminine shape is soft and calming, why not bring that into your day to day? Organic forms are a beautiful way to allow your eye to rest. Three Birds Renovations are leading the way in all things curves with their ‘Hinterland Hideaway’ project for Peppa Hart. Check out this beautiful front entry, a curved double door entry, what a way to welcome your guests to your home. Like two big arms opening to say ‘please come in’.

11. handmade look tiles

What’s better than handmade look tiles? The real deal. In my book it’s a no brainer to feature handmade tiles in your project if your budget allows. They not only create a unique feature but give your space a sense of character. Georgia, owner of Tiles of Ezra creates some breaktaking bathrooms, kitchens and flooring patterns with her range of handmade tiles. She is the goddess of unique tile layouts and we could all take some serious inspo from her designs. Look out 2020 Savannah’s coming with a box of handmade Tiles of Ezra tiles under her arm!

12. fluted glass

I love glass kitchen cabinet doors. But I hate trying to keep the shelves behind clean, organised and looking their finest. But I have a solution. It’s not a uniquely 2020 solution, but it is a technique I’ll use a lot more in the coming year. I’m talking about fluted glass cabinet door inserts. Annie Benjamin has just completed the most stunning kitchen design for her Coogee high house featuring beautiful arched cabinet doors with fluted glass inserts, a feature that knocks my socks off. A perfect way to introduce a bit of luxe into any kitchen cabinet design. 

13. doors that pack a punch

How many plain white interior doors have you seen in your day? We focus so much on the kitchen and bathrooms and easily forget about a little detail like your interior doors. ‘What on earth can I do to my interior doors to make them stand out’ you ask? So many things. Maybe it’s a different colour paint with a pop of colour, maybe it’s a glass door with black steel mullions to bridge the gap between two spaces, or maybe you arch that bad boy! The possibilities end with your imagination. Check this one out… arched doorway with arched black steel frame and fluted glass inserts. What an amazing design by Atelier Barda! 

14. wall paper is back baby!

Boldly Patterned wallpaper is back and bigger than ever. Not everyone is made to love a wall that screams look at me but if you are… wallpaper is what you need. Wallpaper Trader is my online store of choice for bangin’ one of a kind wallpaper! I plan to use this Chilled Coral Arched print (originally from These Walls) in an upcoming project of mine, what better way to woo your guests than a powder room with this beauty plastered throughout it.

15. bespoke bedheads

There aren’t a plethora of choices when it comes to statement bed heads. But what would you say if I told you, you could pick a style of bed head, then a fabric, and a custom size all from the comfort of your own home! Heatherly Designs are a custom bed and bedhead company that allows you to both order in their showroom or online. In 2020 I plan to find that brave client that lets me design them a custom bedhead, and I plan to use Heatherly to fabricate it. 

16. integrated appliances

Don’t get me wrong, I love a flashy stainless appliance as much as the next person. But sometimes it’s nice to see that appliance reseed into the background rather than sing as loud as everything else. Integrating your appliances is a sure way to control what you want to be a feature rather than your appliances dominating the spotlight. Baldwin & Bagnall’s Broad Residence has the most beautiful white wall of cabinetry, who would’ve even known a fridge was hiding behind those doors?

17. ready for rattan!

Now we all fell in love with the Block’s Kyal and Kara right? Two bangin’ blonde beauties who know their way around designing rattan feature cabinets. This was one of my favourite kitchen designs of 2019 and the rattan was what won me over. 2020 is the year of bringing natural elements into a kitchen cabinetry design and rattan inserts in timber doors are the way to go!

18. beacons baking up a beauty

Beacon Lighting is releasing a new pendant light in February 2020 and I already have one on pre-order. The Avenue pendant in brass is the best thing to happen to me in January of 2020. It has made all my lighting dreams come true as brass is only growing stronger and more tempting in 2020 and now retailers are bringing out new ranges to keep us all happy this year!

19. indoors + outdoors

In every project I am a part of I always like to ensure there is a strong connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Australian’s crave this connection. Most of us grew up falling out of trees and hearing Mum yelling at us from the kitchen to stop fooling around or we will hurt ourselves. The easiest and usually the most successful way to achieve this connection is some big ass sliding, stacking or bifold doors to connect your living/dining/kitchen to your backyard. I’ve been crushing on this way of living my whole design career and it’s not about to stop. Trend windows ‘blurring the boundaries’, now that’s a motto I can relate to! 

20. creating a splash

Splashback tiles are hands down the easiest way to create a statement in your kitchen. 2020 is bringing bold + beautiful splashback tile designs and I’m ready to get creative. One of my fellow Tasmanian designers and friend who runs  The Design Frank is a creative genius! These beautiful handmade tiles supplied by The Bungalow Store are one of a kind. 

So that’s it!! My top 20 design ideas I am crushing on in 2020! Head to my Instagram or Facebook to let me know which ones are your favs or which you plan on using this year in your new build or renovations? Do you love this list? What design trends are you loving that I have missed?