Trends
How your living room should look in 2019, according to designers
Photography: Stacey Brandford | Story: The clutter-free, kid-friendly home you never thought was possible
Trends
How your living room should look in 2019, according to designers
Designers reveal the hottest design trends for your living room family room, media room, den—whatever you call it—in 2019.
We've seen quite the evolution of living rooms over the years. What used to commonly be a rarely-used room reserved for guests on special occasions has morphed into a kid-friendly hub of the home. So, what's next for this high-traffic space? Below, what the living room will look like in 2019.
1. It'll be a hybrid room.
“I’m really starting to see living rooms trend toward more casual spaces,” says Holly Baker, designer and host of Vacation Rental Potential on A&E. “Some new televisions actually even look like art when they aren’t on! It’s becoming easier for families to create spaces that are perfect for both entertaining as well as day-to-day life. I love that I’m seeing a lot more art in living rooms as well. Thanks to sites like Etsy, it’s so easy to find creative, original pieces or prints that make a statement.”
2. I'll include vintage favourites.
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According to Andrea Haraldsen, lead designer with Harlow & Thistle, living rooms in 2019 are going to see the return of favourite vintage elements in terms of patterns and shapes. Think: shell back furniture and retro tartans.
3. It'll offer comfortable seating.
Photography: Alex Lukey | Story: Before & after: An Edwardian-style home gets a contemporary update
“The living room is becoming more comfortable,” says interior decorator Vanessa Francis. “Seating like a deep sofa with chaise or a sectional is becoming more common,” she says. “Sofas with one seat cushion with top stitch details rather than piping lends itself to the casual, relaxed look.”
4. It'll feature multi-purpose lighting.
Photography: Monic Richard | Story: A Montreal home that's a little bit country and a little bit contemporary
“Lighting will play a big role in 2019, whether to subtly change the hue of the room, cascade a delicate shadow or transition with the mood throughout the day,” says Haraldsen. “Lighting will be used to add colour and texture to the walls.”
5. It'll reflect the homeowners' needs.
Photography: Monic Richard | Story: A Montreal home that's a little bit country and a little bit contemporary
Jordy Fagan and Alana Firestone, the creative duo behind Collective Studio, believe the living room in 2019 will be a space that truly reflects a person’s way of life. “More and more, our clients are opting to keep the living room informal,” they say. “Clients will often use the space as an additional, casual spot to entertain, sans TV. Our clients with young children opt to include baskets for kids’ toys and make it feel like more of a family-friendly space than the formal living rooms we were so used to seeing in the past, that often went untouched. Alternatively, young couples without children often want to create a lounge-like feel with lots of seating, a bar-cart, and tables for putting down drinks.”
6. It'll be casual.
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“We’re seeing a more casual approach to living rooms in general, from the perspective of a relaxed area for family hangouts and accommodating for larger gatherings in a comfortable and practical way,” says Nyla Free, Principal Designer with Nyla Free Designs. She says that some of the design elements we can expect to see in 2019 to create this casually comfortable feeling include rich paint colours or wallpapering all walls to make a bold statement. We'll see sophisticated but durable fabrics for a laidback luxe feel, and artisanal, handmade and sustainable products.
7. It won't be like the stuffy ones of yesteryear.
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Many designers note that living rooms in 2019 are moving farther and farther away from the formal, stuffy and often unused living rooms of decades past. “The formal living room is rarely used in most of today’s busy homes where most people gather in the kitchen or family room,” says Colleen McGill, president and founder of interior design firm McGill Design Group Inc. “A huge part of our decorating business is creating beautiful living rooms for people,” she says. “We either see our clients wanting an updated elegant living room with sofas and chairs that have more of a clean line or we encourage our clients to break free from the traditional furniture of a living room and preconceived notions of what it should be used for.” These days, McGill says she’s creating spaces that are more contemporary and compelling, inviting and comfortable. “We have done large benches in front of fireplaces, statement sculptural chairs, incredible oversized pieces of art and sculptures,” she says. “The room then becomes a place to unwind at the end of the day and have a glass of wine, enjoying the fireplace or a room that creates a compelling atmosphere to host a party without feeling stuffy and formal.”
Katie Hodges, Principal Designer at Katie Hodges Designs, echoes this sentiment. “In 2019, formal living rooms will continue to become something of the past. Twenty-five to 100 years ago, almost every home had a formal living room, which was only used during entertaining and well … formalities. It often housed the nicest furnishings in the house, as a display of status.” These days, she says, her clients want functional and approachable spaces that don’t feel too fussy or over-designed.
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