2019 Furniture Trends

Trends in furniture design come and go.  While new vogues emerge, others clash, contort, fit in with other more traditional and timeless furniture and, basically, morph. This mutation leads to the fabulous hybrid trends, created from a desire to match the lifestyle, tastes and needs at the time. Emerging furniture trends are shaped by the social, economic, environmental and technological landscape. The major trends influencing and shaping the design of furniture for 2019 include the upsurge of the maximalist style and the influence of nature. But how do these trends translate into this year’s look in furniture?

Natural and sustainable materials

Durable and natural fabrics will be prevalent in 2019. Choosing natural materials, for upholstered furniture as well as for throws and decorative cushions, addresses a certain need to take refuge in a peaceful home, removed from the daily grind. These materials such as tweed, velvet, wool, silk and linen bring a great deal of authenticity and convey comfort. This also means traditional organic materials retain their value: pale or lightly tinted blond or lightly hued wood, leather in natural colors, glass, concrete and stone are all fine choices. Of course, these materials are also chosen for their durability. Because of technology advancements, glass, for example, is now so durable it can be suitable for making entire furniture, or even strong enough to support a heavy marble panel. The appearance of terrazzo and terracotta is also an ongoing trend. In fact, terrazzo is now being used in more than counters, floors and walls. It is utilized in inventive ways in furniture or lighting, adding intrigue to the home’s interior.  Again this year, furniture designers and manufacturers will be striving to blend a variety of textures and contrasts into their pieces by casually including quality materials associated with more luxurious realms, such as marble.

Warmth and earthy

Just flip through a home decor magazine or look at Pinterest galleries and you’ll see an earthier and more toned-down palette of soft colours. A mix of beige and gray is making a comeback, with neutral tones and richer colours such as terracotta. In general, there is a transition to interiors designed with earthy colors. Warm grays and beiges are combined with powders (“blushes”), leathers, chocolate browns, forest and bottle greens, or deep blues.

Round and curvaceous

Contemporary furniture has gone in a unique direction: sofas are getting bigger and longer, their layout is ample and soft, the seats are designed to fold and rotate until you find the utmost comfort. A true expression of modern life, the seats are billowing and have enticing and rounded forms, an invitation to rest and take it easy. The alluring curved lines make this furniture a real eye-catcher. The sofas are amply curved, the chairs have rounded backs, benches and tables oval-shaped, rugs lose their right angles. Perhaps inspired by the curvaceous 1970s furniture, the Memphis movement of the ’80s, or by the highly decorative French furniture, there is a movement toward a less rigid appearance and one that is more organic and more fluid.

Multifunctional Furniture

Who isn’t looking to use their residential, commercial or institutional space to its maximum potential? We’re all trying to make the most of our space, however limited it might be. That’s why the multifunctional furniture trend is ongoing, with ingenuity and intrigue at the forefront. This year on the market you’ll find more contemporary iterations on sofa beds, retractable furniture, and practical 2-in-1 solutions. Tables that adapt to your needs, ottomans used as a seat or a coffee table, swivel chairs, hidden storage compartments… furniture that is both elegant and multipurpose is IN! Say hello to flexible and innovative furniture that can adapt to different spaces and needs.

Furniture as room dividers

Room partitions are a trend that has attracted attention in recent years. There has been an upsurge in divider panels, glass partitions and privacy screens, creating rooms within rooms. In 2019,  furniture will increasingly be used to create these symbolic borders. Shelf installations, sometimes mobile or built of sturdy materials, will serve as space dividers while appearing light and airy.

Nostalgia

The influences of yesteryear are back, and the world of design and contemporary decoration is tinged with nostalgia. While the modern mid-century sculptural style continues to inspire our interiors, the Art Deco influence is still much in evidence in the choice of textiles, the silhouette of the furniture and in the contrasting mixtures of rich metals such as brass and gold. These tried and true influences from different eras are paired with new materials or new technologies that will bring them back to life. Ideas, shapes and patterns from the ’40s,’ 50s, ’70s or ’80s will bring an exuberance of rich and entertaining aesthetics.

Nomadic maximalist

After the notable appearances of Scandinavian minimalism and Japanese influences, there’s now a shift toward personality and life and personal experiences. The decorative elements evoke travel and hobbies. The furniture becomes an adventure, a memory, an emotion and an expression of our individuality. This creates a potpourri of traditional and international patterns, geometric patterns and craft items. Macramé, tassels,  fringes, 3D effects … spaces are a reflection of the people living in them, celebrating freedom of expression and the vibrancy of life. Tidy spaces without any sentimental-value items have given way to more flexible and mobile spaces. 2019 is an ode to the miscellaneous, to the orderly-disorderly, and basically loosening the bonds of having to be “orderly” at  all costs. This year: display, collect, mix and match. The ‘’less is more’’ trend is over. The watchwords in 2019 are warmth and familiarity.

Customized and upholstered furniture

While interest in upholstered or padded furniture declined in recent years, it is now booming. For example, the headboards or wooden footboards that were prevalent in furniture stores are now gone. Get ready for padded headboards! Elements previously regarded as high-end are now more common, in neutral tones, sometimes in velvet or adorned with nail heads. More elegant and decorative, the upholstered furniture, which is often custom-made, lends a more authentic, personalized decor and provides the opportunity to add unique details, such as fringes or trims.

So, in 2019, the idea is to create an interior that’s not only trendy and tasteful, but more hospitable, flexible, eco-responsible, and in harmony with your lifestyle. The furniture meets three aspirations: firstly, personal, aesthetic and stylistic expression; secondly, the aspiration to live in a space that reflects admiration for nature through tactile sensations and organic appeal; and thirdly, building a space that can adapt to your needs, with which you can even interact through multifunctional and smart furniture. No doubt, 2019 promises to be absolutely exciting!