2020… Wow! This is great, we celebrate the New Year every year and it’s always fun and exciting. However, this year feels a bit different… a new decade. Symbolism of vision for the future… eyesight 20/20 and hindsight 20/20. The ‘20s… takes my mind to the 1920’s. I wonder if there was a similar air of possibility on January 1, 1920. I wonder if anyone foresaw the things that would happen throughout that decade, one of the most monumental decades in every way. I love the 1920’s because this era of economic prosperity encouraged significant changes in lifestyle and culture, fashion and wide spread love of style. It was really the birth of common placed desire for beautiful homes, and that is my thing!

The Roaring ‘20s, so it was pegged. Full of life changing inventions and events. From the telephone, picture shows and radio to the explosion of the use of automobiles. Media really took off in the 20’s prompting mass market advertising largely focusing on movie stars and sports heroes. People were intrigued by the glamorous lifestyle. They wanted to see more of it and began to desire the looks they saw in their own homes!

The 20’s was a very glamorous era in fashion. It brought with it the flapper era. Beads, sequins, fringes and feathers as well as showy hats and gloves. In home decor, we saw plentiful woods and richly colored fabrics that covered sofas, chairs and draperies. Think – The Great Gatsby. There was a wide use of area rugs not only for the look they provided, but also for function, as the hardwood floors in most homes were cold. Rich color palettes were widely used, with jade greens, taupe, dark rose, yellows being commonly put together, palettes of rose, tan, violet, green, and ivories. These colors not only upholstered furniture, but also were painted on the walls and widely use in wallpaper. Alongside the wood floors came the use of boldly patterned linoleum.

When I scroll through pictures of 1920’s homes and home decor, it is quite evident that history repeats itself! The rebirth of wallpaper is very much a trend that we have seen come and go several times in the past century. Patterns and colors may change but the trend comes and goes every few decades and wallpaper happens to be on trend right now. Patterned linoleums have also taken their turn in the spotlight and are hot, hot, hot, right now. Vinyl plank floors have taken patterns and the still popular hardwood look and turned them into one very popular floor covering choice. Area rugs are back in a massive way, with so many people choosing hard surface floors throughout their homes. While they still help to warm up the space, they also have become a huge influence in the overall style and look of your home. I always say that every home should have an average of two area rugs. The most popular rug locations being the centre of the living room, centering the room, and underneath the dining room table, bringing in color and keeping the crumbs in one place! It is also nice to place an area rug underneath the edges of your bed so it is the first thing your toes touch when you hop out of bed.

Along with the above trends repeating themselves in more modern versions, expect to see repetition in furniture styles throughout the 2020’s. From the draping of rich fabrics such as velvets and ornate and classic wood accents, we are seeing on sofas and accent chairs to the styles of new low profile and simplistic bedroom sets, we are definitely reminded of many of the styles of the 1920’s. I always say, there are only so many colors in the rainbow, so they all get their turn, and in the same way, fashion trends are recycled adding new twists to make them current by incorporating what we have learned to make the old new and improved.

I predict that the 2020’s will see equal changes and advancements to those of the 1920’s in all areas from technology to culture. If we are smart, we will use 20/20 hindsight to learn from our mistakes of the past and use our 20/20 eyesight to head into a new decade with the clearest of vision.