To celebrate Homebuilding & Renovating’s 30th anniversary, the magazine is sharing a selection of design ideas, products and innovations to inspire people’s building project in 2020.
1. THE NEW INDUSTRIAL STYLE
Forget minimalist interiors — industrial style finishes, such as the Bulkhead 8-inch round lights, £99 from Industville, are now being combined with natural materials, texture and colour to create an inviting scheme.
2. KITCHEN WORKTOP INNOVATION
There’s a new worktop on the block! Porcelain worktops are now available here in the UK thanks to Italian-based company Florim’s collaboration with London-based distributor Surface Ceramics. Billed as heat resistant, stain proof, waterproof, non-porous and easy to look after, these worktops are available in a huge range of colours, patterns and finishes. They cost from £700/m2.
3. THE BROKEN PLAN
‘Broken plan living’ has been big news in the design world in recent years and will continue to influence our floorplans in 2020. So what is it? It’s a design concept that moves away from completely open-plan spaces (which many of us find impractical), and utilises devices such as bookcases, partial walls, sliding doors, internal ‘windows’, fireplaces and the like to create spaces that feel sociable and connected but have a degree of separation and privacy.
4. MEZZANINES TO USE EVERY INCH OF SPACE
Using space in the ceiling to provide extra living accommodation makes sense — it ensures every last inch of space within a house is used, without the need for new foundations or planning permission. From ‘floating’ sleeping pods to home offices or informal living spaces, mezzanines provide quiet spaces away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the home, without being cut off from the action. They need not be an expensive addition either; some of the most innovative mezzanines are created from inexpensive materials and are accessed via simple flights of stairs.
5. NEXT GENERATION COOKER HOODS: INJECTING COLOUR
A statement cooker hood can be a real focal point in a kitchen, but it’s the smart tech that’s going to put some models in 2020 a cut above the rest.
6. STYLISH BUT SUSTAINABLE
It’s fair to say self-builders and renovators have long been conscious of incorporating sustainable materials into their build projects, inside and out. So the Livingstone radiator collection (available from The Radiator Centre), formed from reconstituted marble powder– a waste product from when marble is cut – might be one sustainable product to look out for. The patented process involves binding the marble powder together with water and eco-friendly adhesive agents. It is then left to dry naturally in special moulds. The process requires only low temperatures which uses less energy, resulting in low CO2 emissions and very little environmental impact.
7. POCKET DOORS
While open-plan living spaces are still a firm favourite in self-built and renovated houses, we’re seeing a shift towards creating spaces that can adapt to cater for both intimate everyday living and occasions when family members and friends descend en masse. One sleek and discreet way of achieving this is by including pocket doors — these slide back into a cavity in the adjacent walls when not in use to open up rooms to one another.
8. SPLIT-LEVEL LAYOUTS
When you consider how plots are becoming increasingly hard to track down, as well as the fact that some of the most stunning of these plots are located on sloping sites, the increasing prominence of split-level layouts begins to make sense. While the split-level layout may often be born out of necessity, it often ends up bringing warmth and character to homes. Level changes act as a way of defining individual areas within open-plan spaces. For example, in large houses they break up vast spaces to avoid them becoming too clinical, while in small spaces they break up rooms without the need for walls.
9. SMARTER KITCHENS
The smart kitchen is all about choosing products that make our lives that bit easier — whether it’s high-tech fridges or clever gadgets that make everyday tasks a breeze, new technology is cropping up all of the time. And Grohe’s Essence tap with SmartControl technology is a perfect example. Fit for a busy family kitchen, the smart tap is lever-free — you turn it on and off with a button positioned at the end of the spout. It’s so easy to use you can push it with your elbow! It also comes with a water-saving ecomode, too.
10. ALL-IN-ONE FLOORING PACKAGE
It’s usual to have to order your underfloor heating (UFH) and levelling system separately from your solid timber flooring, but the timber floor company Junckers is launching Leveldek, a fully integrated package of solid hardwood floor, levelling and underfloor heating system, so you don’t need to order the items from separate suppliers — great idea!
11. TADELAKT
Tadelakt is a Moroccan plaster finish that has actually been around for centuries, but will make an impact in our homes in 2020. And for good reason: this lime-based plaster is water and mould resistant, making it excellent for bathrooms. What’s more, it’s low-maintenance – there’s not a single grout line in sight – and aesthetically pleasing.
12. THE RETURN OF SOLAR THERMAL PANELS
Solar PV (photovoltaic) panels have had their fair share of limelight in recent times, but the end of the Feed-in Tariffs – and the healthy(ish) incentive offered to homeowners and landlords – in April 2019 has perhaps taken the shine off specifying this renewable electricity-generating technology. However, it’s not all bad news, as our attention is slowly turning back to solar thermal. Could 2020 bring a renaissance for this sustainable technology?
13. THE BATHROOM STATEMENT WALL
The ‘feature wall’ has been around for some time, but self-builders and renovators are now turning their attention to creating one in the bathroom, providing an opportunity to splash out on a more expensive tile in one area, with moreinexpensive tiles used elsewhere in the room.
14. SMARTER BATHROOMS
Trends in the bathroom are often led by what’s hot in the kitchen, so 2020 will continue to see a rise in smart tech in this room, too. Another piece of technology from Grohe provides an example: instead of an overflow, Grohe’s Essence Ceramics bathtubs can be fitted with a pressure sensor that measures the weight of the water. An electronic control will unlock the drain as soon as the water rises beyond an overflow level, preventing overflowing if taps are left on accidentally.This is a great piece of smart tech for assisted living, too.