I have been so excited to write this blog and share with you guys all my thoughts, ideas, and feelings about where design has been over the last 10 years, and what we are going to see over the next 10!
First, let’s recap what we saw over the last decade. The last decade was fun! I think the one biggest single contributors to the blossom of designs elements and trends over the last decade was social media. Think about it. Were you on social media before 2010? Sure. But did you use it to save house images? Build your bathroom design? Gather furniture ideas? Scope out the perfect way to style your mantle? Probably not. You were using it to connect with your friends. Sometime in last decade, social media took a turn and became our “go-to” for everything….Homes, Travel, Politics. Politics, Yup. I think the 2012 election was the first year we saw political ads and social media take such a big role on our election. Then came Houzz, Pinterest, and Instagram. Beautiful, visual, scroll stopping images that engaged us, had us dreaming big and envisioning a whole new world of home, design, and decor.
Because of social media - trends happened faster. A lot faster. So we saw a LOT of things this past decade. And it was a decade of booming builds and remodeling, post recession. Money was flowing, people were remodeling, the ideas and inspiration were ample. So the fun began!
Here are the top 10 MAJOR trends and design elements of the last decade:
1) Early 2010’s were dark cabinets. Espresso and brushed nickel were in trend early in the decade. Then from the dark came….
2) LOTS of white cabinets. If you heard the word “White Shaker” in the last 10 years, you weren’t living under a rock. Don’t get me wrong, white has it’s place. I have designed lots of lovely white kitchens that I am proud of. But I am equally excited when I get something different!
3) LOTS of grey in home design in general - walls, floors, cabinets, tiles, paint colors, fabrics, you name it.
4) Wood look porcelain tiles. These have been around longer than 10 years. But with a huge improvement in manufacturing and capabilities the sizes have gotten bigger, the patterns have gotten more realistic, and the tiles look better in general. We are in Florida so there was a craze of wood plank tiles for a while.
5) Floating shelves. Love them or hate them. They made big waves in design over the last several years. We love them! Great for styling. Not great for dusting.
We love these 10’ long cypress floating shelves. This project we designed with Becky Morrison of Lynn and Campbell a few years ago. Builder: Popa Construciton. Photos by: Amy Lamb of Nativehouse Photography.
6) Cement tiles. One of our favorite local vendors Cement Tile Shop took off big on social media. It’s no wonder with their bright, bold, energetic tiles are very Instagram-able. They grew a huge following and were even able to open a Brick and Mortar store in an up and coming part of Tampa, called Seminole Heights. They are a great product for older homes too due to their historical reference.
Cement tile from a project we designed and installed several years ago. Still love this one!
This bold black and white tile is a scroll stopping pattern. It was a historic home too, so the perfect place to incorporate an encaustic cement tile.
7) Ship Lap & Subway. Thank you Joanna Gaines. I actually love wood paneled walls. They can add warmth and character to plain drywall. I love pushing the limits though- different widths, wood species, or ways to break up the trend. Subway was used a lot over the last decade as a way to keep things light, bright, and classic. Different spin offs of subway were developed- more sizes and textures.
8) Quartz countertops. The decade started with a majority using granite or natural stone. Then a strong switch in the last 6+ years with almost a majority using Quartz. Same as tile, quartz technology has come a long way, so the patterns and colors are getting better all the time. That sadly means that quartz 10 years ago looks a little more dated than a quartz today. The pro and con of technology.
9) LED lights. At one point they were the exception, now they are the norm. They are now used in under cabinet, recessed, and secondary light sources. They are brighter, cooler, and longer lasting. I personally love this trend.
10) Brushed Nickel to Black to Brass fixtures. This decade has seen a full swing on metal finishes. Brushed nickel rounded out the first half and ending strong with Black and Brass finishes. There have been some other attempts in there…like Rose Gold and Copper too.
Are you ready for my predictions for what is upcoming in 2020 and beyond?
1) Dark and moody cabinets. While I think white will stay a tad longer (hey, it’s a classic!), I see a COMPLETE flop to the Dark Side! Any Star Wars fans out there?? We are so excited to have installed some darker paint colors this year and have several lined up to go in soon! Think dark blue, green, grey, and even blacks. Also see #3 and #4.
This is a palette for a new design we just presented. The kitchen will be a combo of warm grey and deep blue/green cabinets. Warm wood floors. Lots of rich colors in the rugs and fabrics.
2) Natural woods. HALLELUJAH! Did you hear me squeal with excitement all the way from St.Pete? Bring all the natural woods. Walnut, Teak, Oak, Cherry, Texture, Grain, natural loveliness. Lots of perusing, white oaks, oiled finishes. You literally can’t go wrong with something made from mother nature. My kitchen features slab cherry veneer and my bathroom is teak veneer. I think the warmth of woods will have staying power for a while.
My recently completed bathroom- not final pics yet. Cabinets by Bright Wood Works.
3) Green. My designer pal Amanda Giuliano, IG @giulianodesigns with Nicolette’s for the Home and I agree Green will be a new hot color, edging out Blue, which has been a staple for a while. Don't get me wrong, the Blue craze won’t completely disappear, especially from us living in coastal regions. But Green is very welcome in my design world!
Our next upcoming kitchen- a beautiful deep Pewter Green cabinet color with accent of White Oak.
4) Simple profiles. Get ready to see a lot of other modified shakers, but with more of a contemporary spin. Think flat panels with small outside profiles. My designer pal Julia Miller of Julia Miller Design in Minneapolis did this beautifully in her own kitchen remodel, which is totally swoon worthy! Less fussy cabinet details and designs will have some staying power.
Thin profile cabinet fronts. Photo and Design courtesy of Julia Miller of Julia Miller Interiors, Minneapolis, MN
Thin profile cabinet fronts. Modern and classic at the same time. Photo and Design courtesy of Julia Miller of Julia Miller Interiors, Minneapolis, MN
Detail shot. Photo and Design courtesy of Julia Miller of Julia Miller Interiors, Minneapolis, MN
5) Wallpaper ceilings & painted ceilings. My very talented designer friend in Boston, Amy Lynn of Amy Lynn Interiors thinks we will be seeing a lot of attention to Ceilings…Wallpaper, Painted, and other fun treatments. This is a trend I am very excited for! We just completed a beautiful collaboration with the talented Lisa Gilmore of Lisa Gilmore Design where she and her team utilized a wallpaper ceiling in a kid’s bedroom and a painted ceiling in a bathroom- both were stunning! Ceilings are another surface to consider when designing. Note- you need to be extra careful about everything else that resides in the ceiling: lights, sprinklers, fire systems, air vents- so not to disrupt a focal feature. Luckily, Aria Vent, make drywall air vents that can hide seamlessly into the design.
This beautiful bathroom was an amazing collaboration with the Lisa Gilmore Design team. We helped layout the new space and supplied cabinetry. Lisa and her team nailed the finishes and overall vibe. Look at that blush ceiling they incorporated! Photo by: Amy Lamb with Nativehouse Photography.
6) Separation of spaces. Open concept living was a buzz word we heard a lot of over the last 10 years, but it was more than just a word- it was a way of living. Large open spaces with little separation. I think this is a trend that will start to morph again as we see more individual spaces coming back into home design. Perhaps kitchens off the family room, but more formal spaces will be brought back into the mix. Think formal dining and living rooms.
7) Shimmer, Metallic, Texture. As tile, fabric, and wallpaper continues to introduce new and exciting things into the market, we will see more of this in interior design. We have a kitchen upcoming with brass inlay in cement tile!
8) Velvet. Velvet will be more seen upcoming, especially with the introduction of more performance and indoor/outdoor fabrics. AKA Kid-proof! Every families dream.
9) Rattan/ Wicker/ Caning. So a little story about me and my family. In 1989, we were living in the midwest. My family wanted to relocate to Florida and run a business. My dad came down and scoped out businesses to buy, settling on a rattan factory called Sea Breeze Rattan. They created chairs, barstools and tables. We became St.Pete residents when I was in the second grade. I still remember going to visit my dad at the factory where they had large steamers to steam the rattan and then they would put them on machines to bend the wood. Unfortunately, the import price of rattan more than tripled during that time, so it shut it’s doors a few years later. My dad is always a little shocked when I go to furniture markets and send him pictures of rattan making a comeback. Wicker and caning are also two design elements we will be seeing more of in the upcoming years. These materials add warmth, texture, and softness!
Woven stools add warmth in this space. These are indoor/outdoor too, so extra durable for this kitchen nook! Design by: Bee Studios Design. Photos by: Rickie Agapito of AO Fotos
Custom cabinets we completed for Lisa Gilmore Design. Check out that caning detail in the built-ins, so lovely! Photos by: Amy Lamb of Nativehouse Photography
10) More focus on laundry, pantries, butler’s areas and bars. These secondary spaces are not to be overlooked. Crossover spaces off kitchens. Think walk-in pantries with a sink and dishwasher. Or a laundry rooms with multi-purpose. Or a “7-to-7” bar, one that goes from 7am coffee to 7pm cocktail! We just installed a “wetsuit drying station” in our own laundry room. If you have extra space- we can make your home even more functional! Below is one of our all time favs.
The “7 to 7” bar. From 7am to 7pm, this unit has you covered. Design by: Bee Studios Design. Photos by: Rickie Agapito of AO Fotos.
I hope you enjoyed our decade round-up of design elements and trends. We look forward to your thoughts and opinions - Leave us a comment below! What do you want to see in your home?
-Brooke Eversoll, CMKBD of Bee Studios. Reach for press/ comment: brooke@beestudios.design. IG: @Beestudiosdesign