Some trends are clear as day to see, and 2020 was a year full of them. From the sharp increase in ethical consumerism to the overnight adoption of alternative working arrangements such as working from home, all have been further exacerbated by social media. Interior design trends are a little harder to distinguish but are just as powerful.
With more and more people spending time at home, it begs the question, what are they doing in their homes? What seeds of creative interior design have taken hold and grown? What interior design trends are about to explode all over our community living spaces and our screens and seep into our collective consciousness?
We asked expert interior designers to get to bottom of this and to build a zeitgeist of the most interesting decor trends emerging in a post-covid world.
Organic Feel
Long gone is the age of over-modernism. We proved it, we eliminated any hint of nature in our environment, stopped, and reversed our trajectory for the better. Now, people see the physiological benefits of incorporating plants into our habitats. Know scientifically as biophilic design, bringing the outside in is a trend with a huge amount of current that comes from our deep need to connect with nature, not only for visual interest but also for our health. Our interiors are going to be vastly more green as whole cities galvanize to implement eco-solutions to our environmental problems.
Our expert says:
In my opinion, the design trend of giving an interior space an organic feel or giving an interior space an “outdoor garden feel” is very interesting and creative and is applicable when decorating with planters.
Adriana Salinas, Newcomb Landscaping Service
Adapting to the times
The pandemic that started in 2019 forced change in every aspect of our lives. In a historic moment, our species was unified in our challenges and our opportunities.
Plants have become particularly useful in commercial settings where social distancing needs to be quietly enforced. Evenly spaced plant pots are an unconscious reminder to stay within your private personal space. Just like how plant pots had been used to divide rooms, in terms of style and theme, now they find another purpose for personal safety.
Our expert says:
I call it “Pandemic Design.” We were forced to change how we work and live over the last year. I’ve installed planters for video chat backgrounds, social distance barriers, and to designate parking spaces for curbside take-out. Plants are generally known to improve mood and well-being, and planters are an attractive, eco-friendly means of embracing our new normal.
Allyson Wiggins, Portico Planters
With an increase in flexible working patterns, more people revel in the opportunity to work from home. When we control our working space, we tend to blend in a little more nature, and plant pots are the first call and one-stop solution to get the environment you need to comfortably continue your career in the comfort of your own living room.
Our expert says:
In the wake of Covid-19, now more than ever, people are expanding the useful space of their homes to the outdoors, so it is the perfect time to decorate with planters!
Daniel Keeley, DK Design
As we sit on the cusp of returning to our traditional routines, the interior design trends that evolved in private homes will be forced into the public sphere. One example is how the new normal is very conscious of air quality and health. As we go back into public spaces, such as the office, we will expect the same level of aesthetic beauty and natural plant life that we cultivated in our home.
Our expert says:
For our industry, it will be most interesting to see how the transition goes from the home office back to a shared space. Plants may be used as gentle, healthy partitions to create interior environments that align with the new social norms. Work from home has created a huge rise in houseplant hobbyists. People returning to the office may feel more comfortable when offices reflect health which thriving plants can provide.
Janelle Meyer, Texas Tropical Plants
Maximum minimalism
With more professionals working from home, classic styles have become more contemporary. Modern decor, the likes of which were found in corporate headquarters, have been translated into the humble home. Minimalism, the creative design of anti-clutter and clarity, has long been a staunch supporter of professionalism and productivity, which is why this style has ripped through home offices up and down the nation. Consumer choice in plants and plant pot design has never been wider with more block colors and straighter lines being used to push the boundaries of minimalist decor.
Our expert says:
The most interesting design trend I’ve seen is the minimalist approach to decorating. More and more planter manufacturers are offering beautiful contemporary planter styles. Planters, and the plants that go in them, aren’t just the typical cottage style they used to be. It has been fun to decorate with more clean lines and singularly bold statements.
Anne Griffin, Mangold Horticulture Designer & Horticulturist
Faux for life
Though our society demands more green in our environment, we are beginning to see rapidly developing views on the best way to do this. For example, organic plants are expensive and energy-intensive to produce, but only last a few days at their peak beauty before decaying into oblivion. A much more conservative tact is to invest in faux plants that will last a lifetime. Manufacturers have seen this gap in the market widen to become a huge industry with every kind of customer, from home-owners to corporations, using artificial plants to provide organic decor experiences in modern and classic spaces.
Our expert says:
As much as I hate to say it (I’m a horticulturalist), the most interesting design trend currently is artificial plant material. I’ve got to give it to some of these companies, they have really invested in making their products look real. As an interior designer, these options are exciting because we can go beyond the environmental limitations for the plant requirements.
Claire Goldman, R&R Landscaping
Flexibility in a busy world
The march of technology is always spawning trends in the creative sphere. As big-tech begins to build smart buildings, we are starting to see planters with futuristic technology like automatic irrigation, and superior planter manufacturing is using stronger and lighter materials to produce ever-better products.
The benefits are becoming clear, gardening is becoming easier, and hobbyists are becoming numerous. The barrier to entry has been lowered with the internet providing everything from gardening supplies to the advice of interior designers at the touch of a button. As our lives get busier, planter technology is keeping pace to keep life simple.
Our expert says:
Mobility [is the developing trend], planters that can be easily moved and relocated. Low maintenance succulents that cut the maintenance required down to manageable levels. Sub-irrigation in planters to cut out the guesswork involved in watering.
Daniel Gerdes, Christy Webber Landscapes
Naturally designed
People vary in their preferred color palettes, where some people lean towards corporate black and white tones, there are those with an inclination towards earthy interiors. Classic decor trends that utilize natural materials and the organic art created by plants have continued unabated. An organic style like this is great in a room with wood floors and will complement walls of any color. That’s why this trend is still going strong and will infact be timeless.
Our expert says:
I love the design trend of natural materials that you can bring in with planters that are made of beautiful clay, terra cotta, or natural fibers and baskets. Not only are they beautiful but plants love being planted in natural porous materials such as clay and terra cotta. I also love the vertical design trend using plants as artwork on your walls, a breath of fresh air!
Jennifer B. Perez, Growing Roots
Ethically driven
Increased awareness of global issues, such as conservation and sustainability, is already having a ripple effect on unsuspecting industries. The business of commercial and home decor is well within the blast radius of the upcoming eco-revolution. Consumers are demanding more ecology in their life and the design that surrounds them. No longer is chic enough, now modern interiors must reflect our political and ethical tones.
Our expert says:
I believe the design community as well as the consumer is leaning towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle as a whole. This trend lends itself naturally to adding live plants to the home and work environment.
Nickole Krupa, The Lab – Creative Design Studio
To trend, or not to trend
With all that about trends being said, people are free to follow or ignore popular styles as they please. Style, as it were, is a purely subjective concept judged through the ever-changing lens of time, place, and culture. A good interior designer will know the latest trends but ultimately the needs of the interior will govern the design.
Our expert says:
I try to stay away from trendy items—“here today and gone tomorrow.” So I analyze each project and interior to determine what size, shape and color would fit best.
Kenneth Crawford, Kenneth Crawford Interiors
Playful and trendy
Planters are a pawn in our game of decor, and they come in every size imaginable. An interior designer will use this flexibility to tweak, bend, and break orthodox styles as they see fit which leads to variations on a theme.
An interior designer, just like any other human being, will take a trend and add their own flavor before it is copied again by another. A trend then, by its very nature, is an evolving concept transmitted imperfectly by the ones who consume it. The bottom line is, never be afraid to play with the trend!
Our expert says:
Mismatched Planters and I LIVE! I love playing around with different textures and gradients in my designs. It adds life to any space!
Weslie Pierre, Wesleaf Designs and Decor
Big and bold
As our devices get smaller our style gets bigger. Some are pushing this juxtaposition further with bold tones on big planters. There are many reasons for a choice like this. Big planters are very useful at drawing attention, they may be deployed in restaurants or large entranceways to deliver a statement, or to simply anchor the core color scheme against a wall. With all the other clutter in our lives, big planters won’t add to the noise but rather make a small space look big by emphasizing the vertical.
Our expert says:
Lately, I like to use one or two oversize (50″ tall) planters as a focus point rather than multiple smaller planters.
Puay Soh, an independent contractor
There is no steady hand to guide trends as they are passed along. It’s the millions of people who pitched in their creativity that drives modern design forward. Whether the trend is making a statement, oxygenating our life at home or at work, or part of a social redesign that demands more greenery, planters and plants are at the epicenter of these changes.
Design may be daunting, but if you want more practical tips on planter arrangement, check out our guide. It’s full of expert advice from designers working in the industry, and packed with plant know-how.