Updated for 2022. Link here.

As an interior color consultant this is my favorite time of year to blog about color and design. It’s a great opportunity to sort through my year of tags, dog eared magazines and photos saved online, gleaning trends from what seems utterly random. Here are 11 interior design trends for 2019. The collection is a combination of ideas that have been percolating for a while with others that are genuinely new.

1. White walls with strong pops of color

White walls never go out of style but how such rooms are dressed really determines the ambience. When white monochrome rooms were in style the visual interest could only be created by emphasizing texture and shade. These days, white rooms have a bit more personality with strong color in the decor.

2. Desert Chic

Imagine Cali Cool and Boho had a baby. They’d name it Desert Chic. It’s white walls and lots of light, many pops of color ( see #1), natural materials, a casual youth and of course  cacti. Born out west with a hat tip to the house plant trend of 2018, Desert Chic originated in places like Palm Springs, LA and Arizona.

3. Mixing different shades and tones of the same hue

During the past couple of years tone on tone decorating was trending. Those interiors used the same shade of the same color on the walls and furnishings. You might have a navy wall, a navy rug and a navy console. The interiors were sophisticated but unstimulating as the eye found no focal point to settle on. There was no contrast nor any variety in color, saturation or value. This year the same room would be a mix of different shades and tones of the same color giving the eye the variation it thirsts for.

4. Goodbye throw rugs

OK, OK don’t get your knickers in a twist. I love a throw rug as much as the next person, maybe more. They’re not gone in interior design by any means but we’re seeing more and more rooms, most often dining rooms, but sometimes living rooms, without the omnipresent throw rug. Seems naked to you? I’m not sure I’ll advise going this route, especially for a living space which delights in something cushy underfoot to pull the decor together.

5. Caning, rattan, wicker and rush

Born of the maker trend towards organic, natural and the handmade in decor we see a lot of these materials. Caning especially is hot this year, particularly in seating. I love both its naturalness as well as the geometry and order of its form.

6.  Natural unstained kitchen cabinets with creamy countertops & pale neutral walls

We’re well aware that the all white kitchen morphed into a dark gray, green or blue cabinet kitchen a couple of years ago. That was a welcomed evolution, adding dynamism that was lacking in this all important space. Seemingly out of the blue, medium light wood cabinets with cream walls and pale counters are here. These kitchen are warm and inviting. They have a soft appeal with wood that appears natural and uncontrived.

7. The bright sofa

Last year’s sofa talk was about the blue velvet sofa. 2019 sofa trends include every manor of bright hue. It’s the kind of decor which really makes a white /neutral space sing.

8. Natural wood floors

The Scandinavian influence in interior design seems never ending. From mid mod furniture to bleached wide plank flooring this trend still exerts its appeal. But now bleached wood Scandi floors have given way to a more natural look in hard wood. Sealed using matte sealants or waxes the floors appear raw and unfinished.

9. Brightly painted interior front doors

One element of the ever so popular modern farmhouse look is painting the interior of a front door black. A light foyer with a black door is imposing but creates a twist in the context of the modern farmhouse, a more casual esthetic. Recently, the colors employed for the inside of the front door have branched out to include the bright and the playful.

10.  Exposed wood occasional chairs

Since 2017 there’s been an uptick in the use of exposed wood accent chairs in the living room. This likely stems from a number of influences like the maker movement’s emphasis on materials like wood, the bohemian look and the popularity of mid century modern.

11. Pattern Tiles

Few design trends make me happier than the still growing use of patterned tiles. Whether cement, mosaic or ceramic they’re being used on floors and walls, interiors and exteriors, kitchens, bathrooms and other rooms as well. They add so much personality to a space and I foresee this trend going strong for many more years.