Farmhouse Chic, Rustic Industrial are so out, what’s in for 2020?

[Steve K.]

I’ve got some design-savvy clients right now that are looking for a nice new home. We looked at several properties recently (practicing strict social distancing protocols of course, now that showings are once again considered an essential activity here) and the wife has got me thinking because she says farmhouse chic and rustic industrial themes have been done to death recently and are already “so passé, like peaked in 2016”. She does have a point that there’s just too much of those trends being done for them to last much longer (unfortunately for most of the new-builds here in Boulder, and entire neighborhoods in Denver (looking at you RiNo and Highlands) that consist almost entirely of these two styles). What’s next? Clean modern? Bond Villain/ 70’s porno themes coming back? Mid-century modern again (and again, and again)? If wood paneling and shag carpet is back, my garage man-cave is on point. Seriously though, I know white cabinets, dark wood trim, white painted brick (a cardinal sin to paint brick anyway IMO so good riddance there), glass block bathrooms, Tuscan kitchens, brass hardware, reclaimed wood, Edison bulbs, furniture and fixtures made out of black pipe and distressed wood, interior sliding barn doors, pastels, too much granite, chevron patterns, whicker furniture, etc. have all been way overdone recently and are on their way out now, and brightly painted cabinets are in, but beyond that I’m not sure what the “next” design trends are currently. We seem to be at a point where a few styles have dominated over the past decade, and they have finally been grossly overdone, and I’m wondering what’s next? Flippers, designers, architects, stagers, etc., what do you think will replace Farmhouse Chic and Rustic Industrial as the dominant design themes in the next few years?