2019 DESIGN TRENDS

By Kimberly Bianchi
Decor Studio Manager at OPUS Homes

I always enjoy attending Toronto’s Interior Design Show at the start of every new year.  It’s a good opportunity to touch base with our vendors, seek innovative products and determine the trends.  Below, find a few trends that stood out.

Trend 1: Patterned Tiles

Consider installing patterned tiles in your home to create an eclectic space.  Make a simple kitchen pop with a unique backsplash, or a powder room floor stand out.  Take your style to the next level and choose from either modern, classic or rustic designs to compliment your home, and your personal taste.


Trend 2: Matte Black Fixtures and Hardware

Matte Black is the new Black.  It’s trendy, yet long lasting and stands out without being too bold.  In the bathroom, use it on your frameless glass shower or plumbing fixtures.  In the kitchen, most major appliance brands have adopted the finish, even going so far as to have it available for stand alone hood fans.


Trend 3: Bold Retro POP Influences

Retro pop influences were prevalent at this year’s Interior Design Show.  Vinyl is making a comeback, and Metropolitan Flooring cleverly used vintage record albums in their booth design to “evoke” a fun retro vibe.  How does the saying go?  What was once old is new again… Global artists were front stage – Karim Rashid’s Digipop collection in collaboration with W Studio Artistic Carpet looked more like fine art than broadloom and Toronto’s own Michelle Vella presented a collection of retro pop art depicting celebrities with her signature “Wide Big Eyes”.


Trend 4: Light, Matte and Grey

The darker hardwoods of five years ago have taken a back seat to the light, matte hardwood of today.  At the Vintage booth, they showcased their Apollo Sculpted engineered hardwood on the floor.  The sculpted finish, which is a modern twist on hand scraped, “adds depth, detail and practicality for daily use” according to their website.  The floor was cool and fashionable, not unlike Benjamin Moore’s Colour of the Year: Metropolitan AF-690.

 

Trend 5: “Smarter” Home Appliances

At last year’s Interior Design Show, Samsung excited us with their new line of “Smart Home Appliances” and our ability to communicate directly with them through our smartphones. 2019 raised the bar. Matte black is quickly becoming a popular finish and Family Hub, Samsung’s newest technology, puts your family at the heart of the home – in your kitchen. The refrigerator becomes your family’s message centre, meal planner, entertainment system, and control board for your home lighting and temperature settings.

 

Will 2020 be much of the same?  Or should we expect something different for the homes of the future?  Stay tuned.