New Year, New Look Cambria’s 2020 Design Forecast

There’s already so much to look forward to in 2020: a leap year that also marks the start of a new decade, the summer Olympic Games, a presidential election, an extra day (hello, February 29), and, oh, did we mention the release of our much-anticipated trend forecast? Consider this our resolution: new year, new look.

From mixed metals and bold colors to integrated storage and light cabinetry, we’re sharing the interior looks that will be “in” this year.

And, in case you missed it, here’s what we loved in 2019 (think: boldly patterned backsplashes and dark bathroom design).

Mixing metals

Add visual interest to your interiors with a pop of metal in tones that skew either warm—like gold, brass, and copper—or cool—like chrome, nickel, and stainless steel.

In the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House kitchen, designer Christopher Peacock added a brass metal band around the edge of the Blackpool Matte countertops to bring the space together. “I like to push the envelope a little bit,” he said. “The metal detail on the island matches the shelving and hood canopy detailing.”

At Bellecour restaurant in Minnesota, Elizabeth Erin Designs added a similar metal band to the outside of the round-edged dining tables, complementing the Cambria Ella Matte tops.

“When we designed Bellecour we knew we wanted the space to exude a timeless, elegant, and comfortable look and feel,” said Gavin Kaysen, Bellecour owner and executive chef. “Cambria’s Ella Matte was the choice for our bakery and bar. The Ella Matte is both durable—so it’s okay if a guest accidentally spills a glass of rosé on our bar—and stylish. Our bakery with Cambria countertops has become our most photographed area. Two years in, we’re still as pleased with it as we were when we first opened our doors.”

Made of stone

Open stone shelving creates depth in an otherwise flat environment and extends the life of the other elements in the room, like complementary countertops or a contrasting backsplash.

In the kitchen of her Gentry project, designer Jenny Komenda amplified the Cambria Carrick Matte quartz island countertops already in the space with an easy-to-clean Brittannicca Matte backsplash and corresponding shelf, in lieu of using a back panel on the range.

“The warm gray veining in the Cambria quartz countertops also helps to add interest and character,” she said. “We really needed the range not to have a back panel to work with the quartz backsplash design. It’s functional and beautiful.”

Saturation point

We’re moving away from the minimal and monochromatic look of 2019 and instead embracing bold, saturated color in the New Year. We particularly love the look of dark cabinetry paired with light-colored countertops, like in Twin Cities blogger Wit & Delight’s recent kitchen remodel that features a Cambria Ella countertop and island with cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore’s Narragansett Green.

Or, contrastingly, we’re also fans of the aesthetic of a neutral backdrop against a pop of bold quartz, as in Destictive by Design’s project with Cambria’s blue Skye design.

Pantone called it: the blue hue will be the 2020 Color of the Year.

The thick of it

Play with the thickness of your surfaces (think one, two, or three centimeters) to draw the eye to a natural focal point that will inherently change the look of your space’s design.

Whether you go all in on one standout thickness or mix and match, as in construction2style’s kitchen renovation with a thick Cambria Delgatie island versus a thinner perimeter countertop in the same style, varying the thickness of your surfaces is a subtle way to make a design statement.

Into the light

In 2020, we’ll move away from the popular bright white spaces of years past… but, to be fair, not too far. Instead, opt for a modern Scandinavian look with pale wood cabinetry and flooring that’ll bring your design into the light.

In designer Emily Henderson’s midcentury mountain House project, she installed 200-year-old reclaimed beechwood in the kitchen with a natural-colored stain. The White Cliff Matte countertops let the wood’s texture and color be the stars of the show.

Make a statement

In the kitchen, there’s no better place to make a bold statement than with the island, and we’re continually inspired by the ways in which designers have used Cambria to showcase their creative visions.

Jean Stoffer Design highlighted the movement in Cambria’s Skara Brae Matte design with a showstopping waterfall-edge island that comfortably seats six.

Don’t forget about me

When thinking about the design of a home, it’s easy to prioritize the main living spaces, like the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom and bathroom. But you can create flow—and maintain a signature aesthetic—by carrying the look of those rooms throughout the rest of your interior.

Dina Bandman Interiors used the smaller footprint of a dual-functioning laundry room and pet wash station as an opportunity to be bolder and more daring in her design with Cambria Ella countertops that let the rich blues and patterned tile pop.

Put it away

With the rise of open-concept floor plans comes the unexpected challenge of streamlining the view from combined spaces. Instead of eyeing your kitchen blender, toaster, and appliances from the comfort of your family room’s couch, hide them behind integrated storage to avoid disrupting the feel of your home.

Designer Emily Henderson hid appliances behind cabinetry in a recent project so as not to compete with the streamlined White Cliff Matte countertops, and designer Jean Stoffer added hidden shelving behind the Cambria Brittanicca-cladded stove in a kitchen design.

Consider it the Marie Kondo–effect, but the joy of organization will carry through into 2020.

Up the wall

A custom quartz wall covering serves as both a functional backdrop and a piece of art. In a recent bathroom renovation, designer Abby Tallman of Happy Interiors Group installed approximately 300 square feet of Cambria’s Annicca design in the master bath shower, in which Annicca carries throughout and functions as the focal point for the space.

In the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach, designer Vasi Ypsilantis framed wall panels in Cambria Brittanicca Gold Warm and Blackpool Matte to create a color palette of modern black hues and earthen tones. She complemented the Beaux Art–inspired look with contemporary sconces.

Whether you’re planning to make a statement with an island or to revamp one of your ancillary spaces—or something in-between—we hope our 2020 design forecast helps you find inspiration for how to use Cambria in fresh and unexpected ways in the New Year.