New year, new home, new look
Everest counts down the best design trends of 2020

Whether you own a home, apartment, condominium or vacation property, interior design has significant impact on resale value. Regardless of market conditions, a home’s desirability hinges on appearance. Of course, the irony is that most sellers think pouring money into design is a huge waste. Aren’t the new homeowners just going to change it?

According to top real estate agents, interior remodeling is imperative to attracting good buyers. A fresh coat of paint (and then some) is not only great for online marketing. Bringing in fresh design also helps define each room’s purpose, adds general value to your home, and also attracts buyers who may be laser-focused on new construction.

The challenge is, timing is everything. What’s popular one year may be perceived as passé the next. In order to inhabit the hottest listing in town, homeowners must keep up with the latest color, furniture and style trends—and embrace them.

If you’re looking for a quick revamp for maximum payoff, Everest has five interior design trends sure to impress in 2020. Beyond a new year, we’re talking a new decade. But first, take a look at some home renovation stats.

  • How many will undertake some kind of home renovation?               58%
  • Of those spending on improvements, who will spend up to $10k?     65%
  • Of those spending on improvements, who will spend up to $40k?     20%
  • Of those spending on improvements, who will spend over $40k?      15%
                                                                               **Visit Forbes to see which projects earned the best returns

 

 

Before launching a major remodeling project, take note of this year’s biggest up-and-coming trends, as predicted by industry experts.
Residential Design Forecast, 2020
Top 5 Trends

Decluttered kitchens

Kitchen designs have erred on the side of sleek for the past few years. Now, homeowners are taking the trend up a notch with stark, clean styling, clutter-free counters, streamlined cabinetry and built-ins galore.

“There’s definitely a trend toward modern looks,” says Elisa Morgante of Morgante Wilson Architects. “[This is] achieved through everything from concealed appliances to slab stone backsplashes.” Forbes real estate contributor Julia Brenner adds, “The Marie Kondo principles of keeping home interiors simplified and discarding items unless they ‘spark joy’ have more recently become a popular trend in kitchen design.”

The takeaway? Even if you use it, hide it.

Black is back

If 2019 was the breakout year for wash-out whites and play-it-safe grays, then 2020 is bound for drama. It’s not to say that muted farmhouse colors are necessarily outdated. It’s just that more homebuyers are seeing the white/gray combo as overdone.

“Similar to gray, a black-and-white color palette can work with almost any other shade for nice pops of color,” says Jeff Benach of Lexington Homes. “Plus, it’s gender neutral, so it appeals to everyone.”

Fully saturated walls and black hardwood floors are not only in, they’re also surprisingly versatile. The monochromatic look can come across as traditional, contemporary, modern and more. It’s all about how you complement the look with furniture, rugs, molding, vegetation and other accents.

The takeaway? Gray isn’t gold.

Fabulous foyers

For the past decade, we’ve seen homeowners fawning over kid-friendly mudrooms, pet wash-off stations and cubby-style hallway storage. Now, it’s all about the grandeur.

Real estate agents are noticing an influx of stylish foyer designs. In addition to larger entranceways in residential homes, builders are also incorporating formal foyers in condos and apartments—even when space is limited.

According to Liz Brooks of the Belgravia Group, “The foyer is often overlooked in condominium design, but it is one of the most important elements of a floor plan because it evokes a grand sense of arrival.”

The takeaway? Don’t skip the doorway.

Grandmillennial style

A portmanteau of ‘grandma’ and ‘millennials,’ grandmillennial style was coined back in 2019 to describe thirty- and forty-somethings’ affinity for all things old. Blending modern sensibility with retro accents, the style incorporates Scandinavian colors and décor while paying homage to top trends of yesteryear.

“It’s like grandma’s inheritance finally came through,” says Parizaad Khan Sethi of Food52. “There’s chintzy upholstery on chair and couches, punchy flora and fauna patterns on window treatments and wallpaper, and block-printed table linens.”

The takeaway? Find profit in the Goodwill pile.

Dark interior doors

Whether it’s a bedroom, bathroom, pantry or closet, we’re so used to the contractor-standard white door. Designers are now turning their sights toward universal features that tend to go ignored, but with small changes, they can make an incredible impact.

Trend-setting decorators are painting interior doors all kinds of dark colors—black, brown, charcoal, navy, hunter green—you name it. “Paired with great hardware, a dark door can provide an artistic element for the room,” says Courtney Hill Fertitta of Courtney Hill Interiors. “The personality exemplified by the color can be as fun as the stories of the people who walk through the door.”

The takeaway? Open new doors.

                                                                                    **For more 2020 design insights, visit Forbes and Elle Décor.

Everest says: it’s not the rage—it’s revenue