IN Canon-Mac Spring 2020 | Page 34

4 INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2020 HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE Don’t be caught with designs that were “so last decade.” Enter 2020 in style with some trends and tips that are leading the new decade, focused on comfort and sustainability with a touch of modern technologies. • TREND: Paint Colors of the Year – Each year, paint companies release their picks for colors of the year. Think pinks, greens, and blues for 2020, with rosy shades to update neutral walls and navy blues to create relaxing spaces. TIP: Before painting an entire room, paint a small part of the wall and watch how natural light falls during each part of the day. The sunlight will affect the colors you choose. • TREND: Sustainability in Design – Reusing materials in new designs isn’t a novel idea, but this year, designs are incorporating more materials that are perceived as humble, such as rattan, plywood, and jute. These types of materials can be recycled and are biodegradable, maximizing positive environmental impacts. TIP: Incorporate sustainable design trends like Wabi-Sabi, meaning perfectly imperfect, which encourages reimagining and loving the existing pieces you have in your home. Incorporating nature, something inherently imperfect, through wood, natural stones, and plants is an easy way to embrace Wabi-Sabi. • TREND: Wallpapered Walls – You may find yourself removing wallpaper, only to replace it with more wallpaper! Bold-patterned designs can create a statement wall, or busier patterns can be used to decorate a half bath. TIP: If you’re not sure you want to take the plunge into committing long term to wallpaper, try removable wallpaper. You can easily remove, reposition, and reuse it throughout your home. • TREND: Technology in the Home – Love it or hate it, technology will be ever-present in our homes; and with an increase in the opportunity for people to work from home, housing our technology has become a design opportunity. Large media consoles are becoming a thing of the past as technologies get smaller or completely digitized. Storage options are turning more display friendly (think open shelving) to act as another design element for your home. TIP: Personalize your spaces to your needs. Have a dining room but need a home office? Repurpose the space according to your needs. Add in a desk and a relaxed seating area, creating a comfortable, yet creative area for you to work. possible, and results in more productivity among workers and a more positive attitude toward the work itself. Lighting can have a profound effect on your mood and can even influence your hormones. If placing your home office in an area with windows is not possible, try the soft lighting of a lamp instead and try to avoid harsh fluorescents. Adding a silk plant or two, along with a picture of the outdoors, will help to transform a windowless area into a more inviting space. Warm colors such as reds, yellows and orange will also help warm up an otherwise dark office area such as a basement. Next, you’ll want to design your workspace with cabinetry where office supplies and files can be tucked neatly out of sight. Shelving that is custom-designed for the way you work can transform even a tiny space into an efficient work area. Having cabinets and shelves that are suited to your exact purpose will eliminate a great deal of frustration and overwhelming feelings of disorganization. A designer and expert carpenter can help you get the most from your workspace. Just because you don’t have an entire room in your house to dedicate to your home office doesn’t mean that you can’t have a dedicated workspace. Even a closet can be transformed into a workspace with the right planning, and the whole office can be put away at day’s end by simply closing the closet door. If you have even less space to work with, try a wall-mounted desk that can be extended when in use and can collapse flush with the wall when it’s not. Cubby holes built into the interior wall area can also provide places for storage in a tight space. A creative builder can help you make the most of your available space. If your office is not separated from the rest of your home and building a wall is not an option, there are still attractive ways to define your workspace. For example, tall wooden shutters can be linked together with hinges and painted to any color to create a private area. Though not soundproof, they can create an intimate Continued on page 34 > 32 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ icmags.com