I spend a lot of time researching and traveling throughout the year looking at new construction/home design trade shows and studying color trends. I am passionate about deciphering where we’re heading in color/home design and I love nothing more than sharing these trends with you guys. Today I wanted to highlight some of these key colors that I have been seeing and share a glimpse of what to expect with the 2020 home decor and paint color trends.
While I don’t necessarily make color/design decisions for my clients based off of what’s trending, I do love to see the new color combinations and design possibilities. It’s so helpful to know what colors in home decor will be widely available and of course, I love to see where consumers are heading in paint color.
So let’s jump into where we are heading in color and design for 2020!
Shades of Greens
If I were to select one color that I think will be the biggest color trend in 2020 in both home decor and paint, that color would be green. I should clarify that by saying shades of green. Everything from green/blues- to deep dark emerald- to muted sage greens. We’re already starting to see the green trend gearing up in home decor and consumer paint colors. I have been amazed at all the various shades of green rugs coming out all of the sudden from Magnolia Home, Loloi and Safavieh.
I pulled together a design board showing you the main shades of greens that we will be seeing a lot of in 2020 (product source links directly below board-affiliate links):
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The interesting thing about the green trend is that the primary color green is not what we’ll be seeing much of in 2020. It’s those complex and muddy shades of green that have multiple undertones. Below are those shades of green that we’ll be seeing a lot of in the year to come:
Trending into green undertones is not a big surprise, as we as consumers are gravitating towards more organic elements in home design and accents. That means will be seeing a lot of organic elements like natural wood tones and beautiful natural stones. The color forecast reports collectively note that consumers are gravitating towards surrounding themselves with serene and calmness (unplugging from all the devices) and nothing is more calming than colors that remind us of nature and the ocean.
Here are more shades of green that we’re already seeing popular with consumers today:
Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
Sherwin Williams Liveable Green
Transitional Blues
Another color that will continue to trend into 2020 is navy and shades of blue. We’ve seen so much blue in home decor the last few years but the difference in 2020 will be that blues (for the most part) will trend warmer. Complex moody blues with a little yellow and very slight violet in the undertone (ala indigo) is the range of shades of blue we will bee seeing a lot of. Also, it is interesting as we look at the lighter shades of blue that are forecasted to trend next year, those lighter shades are expected to be slightly cooler hues.
We’re already starting to see glimpses of this trend and I pulled together a design board using all the shades of blue that we should expect to see trend in 2020 below (product links directly below image-affiliate links):
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As consumers naturally move year-to-year through the color spectrum, there are always going to be colors (like blues and grays) that will trend in some way. However, it’s the undertones of these colors is what evolves and changes with consumers. I have highlighted below the exact shades of blue that we should expect to see trend in the year to come.
Here are some other rich shades of blue that we’ll be seeing trend.
Sherwin Williams Slate Blue
Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray
Benjamin Moore Knoxville Gray
Ironically, Sherwin Williams’ 2020 Color of the Year is Naval, which is also a slightly warmer shade of navy with a very slight violet undertone. This is a stunning indigo-ish color.
Also, PPG’s 2020 Color of the Year is another even warmer shade of blue called Chinese Porcelain. This complex transitional color is another good representation of the shades of blue that I’m already seeing glimpses of gaining popularity with consumers on the paint side.
Warmer Shades of Gray
Gray will continue to trend into 2020 but we will be seeing grays continue to warm up beyond the “greige” into leaning more beige and a little more color saturation.
Below are some shades of gray that you should expect to see trend in 2010.
Sherwin Williams Acier
Benjamin Moore Fieldstone
Sherwin Williams Keystone
Dark moody grays that lean almost brown with warm undertones is the direction color forecasters have predicted we’ll move towards in 2020. In fact, we’re also already seeing this trend in home design.
Sherwin Williams Porpoise
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore
Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
Sherwin Williams Grays Harbor
Complex Blacks
Get ready because we’re going to be see a lot of black in 2020 in not only home decor but also paint. While we have started to see this trend in the last year, we’re going to be seeing it in a big way in the year to come. The difference heading into 2020 is the blacks we’ll b seeing will be complex shades-meaning the shades of black that we’ll be seeing a lot of will be almost blacks with different undertones like green/blue/brown/violet.
I personally think we will start to see more black cabinetry in the kitchen and exterior home colors. I know it sounds crazy but we’re already starting to see dark-almost black exterior home colors in new construction out west (especially California and the Salt Lake area). A big reason for this is the surge of industrial home design style that is really growing among younger home owners.
Industrial mixed with a touch of modern farmhouse is one of the biggest home design trends that you can expect to see in 2020. Exposed beams, lighter shades of wood and an emphasis on artisan metal finishes mixed with textures is something I’m really seeing a lot of in the last six months in new construction. I think we’re in the early stages of this trend and I predict we’ll be seeing this look trend break out beyond the western U.S. in the next couple of years.
Modern farmhouse design and home decor will continue to trend but it will continue to lean more modern vs. farmhouse. Black windows mixed with white exterior home colors continue to trend in a big way in new construction.
So to wrap this up, as we move into slighting warmer and a tad more color saturation in 2020, this trend from cool neutrals into warmth and from very little color to saturated colors has been a slowly moving trend over the past five years. For those of you that have followed along with me over the years and have read my color trend posts each year, you guys have also seen first hand how we’ve ever so slightly warmed up in color each year. We have now arrived at warm and somewhat saturated colors from the cool neutral undertones of five years ago.
Well my friends, what do you guys think about all these beautiful colors? Are you excited that we’re finally dipping our toes into color (even though colors are muddy and muted right now)? I’m not ready for full-on bold saturated colors but I’m pretty sure we are heading that direction in 2021. We’ll see!
Thanks for stopping by today friends! If you want to see my color trends post for 2019, you can see that here.
Cheers!
Cyndy
Nancy says
Cyndy-
I love the Warmer gray like Acier.
I always look forward to seeing your yearly colors and your boards are awesome ….
I’m loving the blue/ greens too and so many of the greens are very pretty …
I like a little warmth but don’t ever want to go back to the Tuscan look .
Thanks for sharing ….
Gail says
Such a well written, helpful article! I’m building new house with open floor plan. I love accenting with blue as well as green. Is there a warm, White paint color that could be used for great room/kitchen(bright white cabinets) and would also work well with green &/or blue accents in other rooms of the house? or perhaps two white paints that would blend well.
Again, thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us!
Doreen OConnell says
Thank you so much for sharing ! I just love these colors. Especially the Sea Salt and the warm gray! I’m building a home on the coast of Maine in the spring and I’m very excited to put all my ideas together. I’m taking a Interior Decorating course and hoping it will fall into play. I just love your expertise and your designs. Thank you!!
Molly says
I appreciate your beautifully presented keen observations. I saved a few pins. Thank you.
heido says
love. and the colors. do you have the source for the chairs in that last pic? i love those!!
Marcy Cordova says
Love this!! I think you are spot on!! ❤️❤️
Mindy M. says
Love reading your articles! I’m redoing my master bath and I am using the navy vanities with white/gray carerra marble tops. The cabinets have brass pulls and my fixtures are brass. I am using white 6” x 6” tiles in the shower. I have no natural light in there and it’s a fairly large bathroom. I am using shiplap on the ceiling in white with white base and crown. The floor is a very white washed tile with some gray and beige undertones. What wall paint color would you suggest? I have a sample of Collingwood on the wall right now but not sure if that’s really going to look right.
Nancy says
Great post !
Do you think you can mix green and blue together when decorating?
Say mix the green blue with the blues ?
I love your decorating and would love to hire you to help refresh my interior .
Nancy
Antray Jordan says
Sounds beautiful..can you post pics
Asli says
Thank you for this wonderful article.