After a visit from Santa Claus and several days spent recovering from the overeating feast that is Christmas, it is the start of a new year and that is something that really excites us at Norse Stone. For 2020 doesn’t just bring about the start of a new year and a new decade, it also brings new opportunities, new connections, new projects and can also bring new trends.

Working with private and professional clients alike, we can get a good idea of how things are shaping up for the coming seasons but we aren’t talking fashion catwalks and must buy gadgets, we are looking at interior, architectural and landscape design. Words like texture, colour palette and innovation all play their parts tied together with an environmentally sustainable bow. But how can these come together in the real world outside of show homes and designer magazines?

1.Texture

Texture, creates a combination of appearance and physical feeling to a space. It sets the scene of just what design style the space reflects.

Industrial is a great example of design which shows how to seamlessly incorporate different materials with different surfaces that just somehow works! Metal, wood, stone, brick and even recycled materials can all be combined with simple lines to create this effect. More minimalist approaches often rely on fewer textures within the space. No matter where this space is, textures are regularly smooth and polished sometimes with a single piece of contrasting texture such as a feature wall. A rustic design style has also been pushing its way forward in trends using more natural, unprocessed materials to create a rougher overall texture and some major character in the chosen space!

2.Colour

Colour choices can create real depth and meaning to a space but can sometimes be tricky to judge.

Although pastels continue to creep in adding a refreshing change of pace, its richer and more contrasting tones that maintain the top of this trend. Greys, neutrals and black add a luxurious and sophisticated finish with some art deco styling becoming a resurfaced trend. With this, brings combinations of colours, shapes and materials enhancing the opulent feel. A pop of bold colour is a great way of adding a bit of a wow factor! Combinations of colours and patterns can increase the visual impact of a space when used properly and when material textures are also considered, the overall design will really shine!

3.Innovation

Innovation can mean many things. There can be innovating designs to create the feeling of more space, techniques used to process materials, methods to actually construct your project and so many more! Innovation is thinking outside of the box, being flexible and open to new ideas whether using your space in an unusual way you may have never considered before or using a traditional material to create a contemporary product. There are no rules but true innovation comes from truly creative thinking.

4.Environmentally Sustainable

To some, this seems obvious. To others, it can be a bit of a minefield! To be environmentally sustainable, a design, product or material should minimise any negative effects on the environment whilst providing maximum economic and social benefits. Often read as - recycle, reuse, reclaim and go natural!

Recycling, reusing and reclaiming can all prove to be quite labour intensive however their environment impact and the character it can give a design makes it worthwhile! Another option is to use more natural materials. These aren’t man made and heavily processed such as cement and metal, we are talking about materials like wood and stone. Available in so many different textures, colours and also incredibly versatile, these tick all the above boxes as well as this one! With more calling for reductions in imported materials and, instead, focusing on the uses of indigenous natural materials, this trend doesn’t look to be going away anytime soon.

So that’s the 2020 trends we are seeing but who knows what will be around the corner? All of the above areas create truly brilliant designs and although the particulars may change season on season, their influence remains for years to come.

Have you got a project you would like to uses Caithness flagstone for? Get in touch with our team today.