The Home Front: Sofa design trends for 2020

Credit to Author: rebeccakeillor| Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2020 13:31:19 +0000

This time last year, sofa design was heavily influenced by classic mid-century modern styling, says Zoe Garred, director of product development at online furniture and home furnishings company Article. Now, however, it’s all about the ’70s and ’80s, with olive greens, mustard yellows and golds, and unconventional shapes like rounded arms trending strongly.

“We’ve introduced a new sofa called the Rio, which has that rounded back and wood detailing, which is definitely that ’70s and ’80s trend,” Garred says.

We’ll also be seeing more interesting tufting details in sofa design, she says. “It’s a look that has that earthiness of the ’70s, and luxe feel from the ’80s.”

This year, people will be embracing comfort and functionality in the home, as opposed to striving for perfection, says Heena Saini, commercial PR specialist for Ikea.

“This certainly extends to the living room and sofa, which we truly see as the heart of the home,” Saini says. “It is all about creating peace and harmony in our homes by having a meaningful relationship with the objects that surround us.”

At Ikea, they’re seeing a growing demand for sofa covers, with people looking to update their sofas, rather than replacing the whole piece, Saini says.

“It’s both a sustainable and affordable option and a fantastic way to transform your entire living space,” she says.

Something Saini says they’re also excited about for 2020 are sofa designs that reflect the Pantone colour of the year: Classic Blue.

“This is a stunning tone that can really anchor the room – and our go-to choice is the Lindome Sofa,” she says.

Modular sofas will continue to be popular this year with more and more people living in smaller spaces, says Victoria Stan Harold, research and development project manager at EQ3.

“So instead of one large sofa, you can assemble whatever configuration you want with lots of smaller pieces,” she says.

Lane Sectional by EQ3. Photo credit: EQ3 for The Home Front: Sofa design trends for 2020 by Rebecca Keillor [PNG Merlin Archive] PNG

They’re definitely feeling the ’70s influence at EQ3, says Stan Harold, with sofa designs that are lower to the ground, more “loungier” in feel and in softer, richer colours.

“We’re also seeing a lot of texture in cover materials, things like velvet, thicker basket weave, and full grain leather, which is really soft and buttery, but feels very textural at the same time,” she says.

There is a growing demand for good quality sofa sleepers that don’t look like sofa sleepers, says Stan Harold, something  she believes is driven by the baby boomer generation.

“They’re very style focused and conscious of what they want their space to look like, but are moving into smaller places and wanting family to come stay,” she says.

EQ3 is moving toward more sustainable methods in sofa production, says Stan Harold, now producing some of the feather pillows and cushions in-house.

“It dramatically reduces the cost of manufacturing, gives us more control over manufacturing and reduces our environmental impact because we’re not shipping things as much.”

“Transitional” styled sofas are proving popular at the moment, says Alexa Battista, spokesperson for Wayfair.ca, the Canadian arm of the American online home-goods and furniture giant Wayfair. She says this injects both personality and sophistication into a space.

Transitional sofa by Wayfair.ca. Photo credit: Wayfair.ca for The Home Front: Sofa design trends for 2020 by Rebecca Keillor [PNG Merlin Archive] PNG

“This trend blends modern and traditional designs – clean, sleek lines and fun textures including velvet or suede, to help balance the two styles,” she says.

They’ve also noticed an increasing demand for small sofa options, she adds.

“Shoppers seem more inclined to scale back their seating to allow for more decorative and functional pieces, including houseplants, floor lamps and storage ottomans,” she says.

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