From Singapore, Madrid to Stockholm and from Milan, we are bringing you the latest trends. What trends are rocking the globe in 2019? What’s on designers’ lips from Copenhagen to Las Vegas? We dive deep into what the global fairs had in common and what we’ve learned about design around the world so far this year. Get ready for bold design, tech innovations and real sustainability.
1. Colour: Warm reds, moody jewel tones, earthy beiges
As our Spanish and Swedish editorial teams pointed out in their coverage of Casa Decor (Madrid) and Formex (Stockholm), respectively, 2019 is all about duality and opposites coming together.
This year’s popular colours, for example, range from moody blues and blacks to reds and burgundies to earth tones, mustard yellows and forest greens.
The biggest takeaway from 2019’s palettes: We’re seeing a wholesale shift away from the greys of the past few years and toward bolder and richer shades. Notably, this was also the year that our German editorial team declared the end of the grey sofa. Beige upholstery was everywhere at the German fairs in January (Heimtextil, Domotex, and the International Furniture Fair).
More, more, more
Minimalism has had a good run, but this year is about maximalism . In fact, we’ve seen pattern on pattern, colour on colour, texture on texture, and unapologetically bold design at every major fair around the world.
3. Let’s do the time warp
This year, designers are looking to the past for creative ideas. Vintage and retro are being reinvented in modern-day materials and forms and being rethought for 21st-century living.
Which period is 2019’s design muse, you ask? It seems that no one can agree. But all the eras being channeled have one thing in common: a mixture of elegance and unabashed loudness.
4. Bringing nature home
This year saw nature continue to be pulled indoors. Botanical inspiration was clear in designs and materials, and plants were even integrated right into the pieces themselves. Floral patterns continue to be prominent.
5. High tech, high comfort
New gadgets and technological innovations are always one of the main attractions of trade fairs. This year, tech emphasised the human element, with exciting innovations that tailor the experience of space to our desires, habits and bodies –serving up human comfort and ease while adding a touch of luxurious indulgence.
6. Sustainability Is finally here
Perhaps the most exciting trend seen at 2019’s global fairs is that sustainable design is finally here for real. Over the years, we have seen some small manufacturers presenting sustainable approaches. This year, however, there was a flood of new sustainable materials, processes and products, and a new prominence given to sustainable design.