With sales bannering across our internet browsers and spring-cleaning season encroaching upon us, it’s easy to start feeling the itch to switch up your space. If you’re in the mood for a revamp, we make one humble request: Try not to trash the earth while you’re doing it.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to stay away from anything too trendy and opt for items that will look cool throughout the next decade. To help you find the most sustainable and responsible home décor that reflects what the 2020s stand for, we tapped Decorist elite designer Briana Nix to share her decorating secrets. Below, she shares her design predictions for interior trends over the next 10 years—aka the 2020s—so you can switch up your space and love it for years to come.
Interior design as a wellness and sustainability tool
According to Nix, we will see even more greens brought into interiors in 2020. “Shades of green have been popping up lately, as we all continue to turn our consciousness toward sustainability and conservation of the planet,” she says. It’s easy to add a pop of earthy green into any space. The FC-recommended Coyuchi Cascade Organic Matelasse Blanket ($298) is a perfectly heavy, richly hued, moss-colored blanket that adds depth and liveliness to other neutrals—and whether you drape it over your couch or use it as a layer on your bed, it looks good anywhere. The Cascade blanket is made from 100% organic cotton sourced from India, and the environmental impact of buying this blanket is equivalent to 2,879 days of drinking water saved and 13 miles of driving emissions avoided.
“I really see this next decade as landing right in between the two,” Nix says. “We’ve seen so much of the boho scene the last few years with combinations of styles and colors. Looking forward, interiors will show more focus, less clutter, and a fuss-free approach to style in our homes. I see edited, purposeful interiors while still using layers of pattern and color to warm the spaces.” The perfect way to add personality and organization to a room is with a shelving unit. The Floyd Shelving system (starting at $695) from Floyd Detroit is perfectly modular and minimalist—so you can add to, build up, and stack up tchotchkes and books as you please.
Just as we’ve become aware of “fast fashion” and the consequences of throwaway pieces, Nix predicts that we will (thankfully) see a downtick in quick, cheap purchases for our home. “Luckily, the industry is full of stylish furniture and decor for affordable price points, but consumers will put more thought and effort into what they are buying for their home, so we’ll see less in the way of throwaway, one-use items and more in the way of vintage and antique furniture and decor.” Currently, one of our favorite vintage decor brands is Revival Rugs, which we know as the best resource for high-quality, vintage rugs made from incredibly soft and strong wool from Sardinia, New Zealand, and Afghanistan. Revival Rugs is based in Oakland, California, but has operations in Turkey, India, and now Morocco. Ben Hyman, its CEO and cofounder, knew that operating in these countries would allow them to cut out the middleman and travel regularly through Turkish regions, hand-selecting vintage rugs and hiring locals for cleaning and repairing the rugs in the traditional method before they are sold. What holds more designer allure than a patina of well-loved, carefully created vintage items—and what is a better update than a new rug?
Looking for more great ways to update your home and life with eco-friendly options? Check out our other handpicked suggestions.
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- A relatively painless guide to cutting plastic out of your life
- How to save the planet, according to people who already are
- These everyday products redefine eco-friendly design
- 10 shoe brands that reduce your carbon footprint
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