In everything from fashion and hairstyles, to wellness and fitness, to home architecture and design, trends come and go. They can change by the season, year or decade, depending on our culture, environment and other influences.
Homes, with their size and appearance of permanence, are more difficult to dramatically change on a whim than a haircut or diet (and more costly). That’s perhaps why trends in residential architecture and design tend to be longer-lasting than trends in categories like hair and fashion. Imagine painting your siding a new color or remodeling your kitchen every year. Yeah, we’ll take a hard pass on that thought, too.
But although trends that require dramatic, whole-home changes can emerge relatively slowly, there are always some changes in homeowner preferences year-over-year. These home trends are typically more décor-focused or can be achieved with a minor cosmetic upgrade.
Though our focus here at ODL is on doorglass, staying abreast of current trends in all areas of the home helps us as we aim to develop products to meet the design needs of today’s homeowners. Let’s take a look at some of the residential design trends we’ve seen in 2020.
Gallery walls
This fun way to group collections of framed art, photographs and framed mementos seems to have taken over Instagram feeds. Gallery walls are appealing to the eye, a way to bring personality to a room and allow for a level of creativity that can’t be achieved by just hanging frames in a level row.
Industrial-looking doors and windows
Doors and windows with industrial-looking features are officially in style and popular in trendy urban loft-style apartments and modern farmhouse homes. Bold, black or metal-colored grilles, in particular, are favored for dividing window and doorglass panes. With this trend in mind, ODL introduced new color options, including black, bronze and two-tone white and bronze, for our Grilles Between Glass products for entry doors.
These colors not only make a statement but simultaneously complement and add contrast to surrounding décor and architecture. Our Your Door Stylizer™ tool lets you envision how different doorglass styles will look in your home.
Curvature
From arched doorways to curved furniture, rounded features are replacing sharp angles. This trend is an homage to styles popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
Statement tiles
White kitchen backsplashes and bathroom floors had their turn, but it’s now the statement tile’s time to shine. Homeowners are embracing bold looks with patterned, colorful tiles. We’ve noticed this trend is especially popular in smaller areas of the home, such as bathrooms and enclosed parts of kitchens, where the tiles can make their statement without overpowering a space. This trend is a great way to incorporate a splash of pattern into an otherwise clean, simple and neutral design aesthetic.
Canopy beds
If you thought canopy beds had their heyday in colonial times, think again. An increasing number of homeowners are coming around to the charm of canopy beds. However, they’re forgoing the heavy curtains of centuries past in favor of airy, translucent fabrics, which add a subtle, soft and romantic element to a room.
Minimalism
In 2020, homeowners favor clean surfaces and finishes, free from unnecessary design elements and distraction. Those minimalistic preferences translate to all corners of the home, from smooth, white countertops to flat-profile doorglass frames. That’s right; doorglass frames can play a significant role in achieving the right design aesthetic.
We introduced ZEEL™, a flat-profile doorglass frame that appeals to modern, minimalistic tastes. ZEEL protrudes only a quarter of an inch from the door, allowing for a sleek, cohesive entryway look. Additionally, the frame uses a clipping system that eliminates the need for screw holes and cumbersome screw hole covers, further contributing to smoothness and consistency.
Earth tones
Pantone may have named “Classic Blue” as color of the year, but we’re seeing far more homeowners leaning toward earth tones than the bold blue shade. Instead, colors like olive green, rust orange and sienna brown are bringing warmth to homes, as well as a connection to the outdoors.
Wide windows
On the subject of connecting with the outdoors, wide windows and walls of windows are also increasingly popular this year. The large panes of clear glass commonly found in prairie-style homes have made a comeback to help bring natural light into a home. While adding a window wall, doesn’t necessarily fall into the “just a cosmetic change” category, it’s still a relatively quick project that won’t disrupt your entire living space for weeks on end.
Read our recent blog, “Lighten Up Your Home with Spring Neutrals and Natural Light,” to learn more about the appeal of natural light for homeowners. For information on how using the right glass on large windows can reduce your utility costs, read our recent energy efficiency blog.
The list we compiled above is far from all-inclusive. We know homeowner tastes vary, no matter what the design blogs say is on trend. However, these are some of our favorite elements that can appeal to a broad spectrum of homeowners’ styles.
