Interior Design Trends for “The New Normal”

Kevin Bary Art Advisory presents some art concepts that pair nicely with current interior design trends for 2020.

In a typical year, this is the time when we would be presenting art concepts that pair nicely with current interior design trends.

However, you may have noticed that this is not a typical year.

Even so, the design world isn’t stopping. If anything, trends that we have seen percolating for a while may even be accelerating.

While it may be difficult to forecast just about anything during this time that some of us are calling “the new normal”, we have three good leads on design trends you should expect to see more of this year. We are also including some artist pairings you’ll want to make note of that can turn each of these trends into an art moment.

Transitional Spaces

Transitional spaces that offer a point of pause and decompression between outside and inside spaces— such as mud rooms or the Japanese genka—are top of mind these days. More common across much of the world, many parts of the United States are less familiar with the function of these interior features. Now that everyone’s focus is on wellness and cleanliness, coming up with ways to symbolically and literally decontaminate ourselves from the outdoors looks to be an increasingly desired feature of interior design.

Adding a functional element like a mudroom may not bring to mind exciting art moments, but we see these spaces as an opportunity for statement pieces that welcome your guests into a space.

Artist Pairings:

Lauren Williams

Lilo On Paper

Biophilia

Biophilic design was already seeing an increased presence in interior design concepts, but now this trend is accelerating. It’s easy to see why: at a time when most of us have been inside for long stretches, wanting to add some greenery to our interiors makes a lot of sense. As biophilia experts know, the benefits of placing plants in interiors are well-documented from a wellness perspective. Surrounding ourselves with greenery is more popular than ever at a time when being healthy is dominant in our minds.

Need more proof that people are craving the great outdoors while staying inside? Since mid-March, plant sales have been skyrocketing around the country, taking many nurseries by surprise as people request more indoor plants than ever before.

How do you find the right piece of art to complement the infusion of plant life into a room? We can think of a few artists whose work pairs beautifully with whatever fern, fiddle leaf or ficus you decide to bring into your space.

Artist Pairings:

Amanda McCavour

Jenny Wong/ Art of Plants

Celebrating the Hand of the Maker

While the other two trends are reactions to the “new normal” that we are living in, this trend is more of an extension of a conversation.

During the weeks and months that many states instituted stay-at-home policies, even casual users of social media noticed a surprising increase in hands-on, homemaking projects popping up in their feed. Whether it was bread-baking, needlepoint, carpentry, planting a garden, or raising chickens, the idea of trying your hand at something new is having a moment. Stemming from this engagement with the handmade comes a new appreciation for seeing “the hand of the maker” in artwork. Perfection is less important than artwork that tells a story and connects the viewer to the person behind the work. This shift leads us to believe that a more tactile, natural, visceral kind of art is going to be increasing in popularity in the coming months.

At KBFA we know and love many artisans whose work reflects this trend, and we’ve selected a few that spring immediately to mind when we think of handcrafted artisanry.

Artist Pairings: