2020 may be remembered as the year that we all became a little more acquainted with the four walls around us that we call ‘home’. But even before we began to experience exactly what a ‘lockdown’ was, and no doubt for many months after it has been lifted, home improvement is a trend that simply keeps on growing. Here are some of the most popular to consider as you plan how to spruce up your home in the coming months.
Emerging brands take the driving seat
Even before the global economy felt the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, the desire for luxury homes, interiors and brands was already dwindling. While there will always be a market for the more high-end, established brands, more and more consumers and homeowners are now becoming attracted to emerging names.
And cost is actually only part of the boost behind this trend – people actually see lesser-known brands as key to adding originality, and personality to their home.
Protecting against the inevitable
Did I say cost was only part of the boost behind the above trend? Good. Because saving money for essential – as opposed to desired home improvements – is also on the rise. While many contractors are now able to offer finance packages to pay for home improvements, the idea of debt is even less attractive, now, than it has ever been.
And as we never know when we’ll need an electrician in Watford, a plumber in Wakefield, or a roofer in Washington, people are preparing more effectively for the inevitable, unforeseen home improvements we all need from time to time.
Sustainable. Green. Safe.
At the Home Improvement Research Institute summit, in late 2019, the demand for future-proof home improvements was laid bare: “Eighty-two percent of millennials are anxious about how climate change will affect their children’s quality of life,” said Susan Shelton, President and CEO at Shelton Group.
Across brands, materials, and services, the demand for environments to reflect a growing need for eco-friendly living only looks set to continue over the coming years and months.
Natural materials and colour schemes
It comes as no surprise, then, that this thriving need for nature is even reflected in the latest home decor trends. Glamour Magazine also link this trend to an increased awareness of mental health, with calmer colours, natural materials, and classic, multi-cultural themes perceived as being the ideal environment for a more relaxed mind.
But to embrace this trend in your own interiors, it’s entirely possible to avoid mass-manufactured furniture and furnishings – charity shops, flea markets and clearance sales may have everything you need to create a calm interior all of your own.
Working from home, for good?
During spring, hundreds of millions of employees all around the world began to discover that working from home was actually, entirely possible. Subsequently, millions of businesses are set to realign their strategies – choosing from fixed locations at high costs, or entirely mobile workforces built on trust.
Although this is far from a new trend, it is only set to grow and grow – meaning millions of new home offices being built, in spare bedrooms, lofts, and garages around the world. Over time, we may actually find that the ‘latest’ trends in home improvement of 2020, eventually become lasting principles upon which our home and work lives are founded.
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