In my opinion, the greatest designer ever was the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs. His product, the iPhone, revolutionized our world not just because of its sleek, futuristic look, but because of its amazing functionality.
Jobs once said:
- “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
In honor of Mr. Jobs, today we are going to look at 7 easy ways to functionally modernize your house in 2020:
Clutter-Free and Minimalist
In 2019 Marie Kondo became an international star when her books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy, became instant bestsellers. Kondo has been featured everywhere from USA Today to ABC Nightly News since then, always emphasizing the value of tidying up.
In her books, Kondo argues that having a clutter-free, minimalist approach to design is the best way to stay centered and at peace in your home and in life. In 2020, her style goes right along with modern trends. Clean lines, minimal clutter, well-organized spaces, it all makes for a more modern look.
Staying clutter-free can be difficult of course. Living in a materialistic world means accumulating a lot of stuff that can be hard to get rid of.
Kondo emphasizes the emotional connection we have to the objects in our lives and argues we should rank their importance based on this connection and the item’s actual functionality alone. That way it’s far easier to find and get rid of those items we don’t really need.
If you want to modernize your house in 2020, it may pay to start reading some Kondo.
Make it A Smart Home
Your phone is smart, your car is smart, why not your house?
Making your home a smart home in 2020 is easier than ever. Apple, Amazon, and Google all offer quality smart home systems that have thousands of third party connections available. That means you can now control the lights, temperature, sound, security system and much more all from your phone.
These days you can even get robot helpers to make everything from cleaning the floors and windows to securing your home easier. Having a smart home may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but in 2020, it’s far more common than you may think.
Bring the Outside In
According to a recent article from the Long Island Press, Danish and Japanese design trends have begun to take hold in the U.S. In particular, the article touches on a Japanese style called Wabi-Sabi that emphasizes the use of natural-looking pieces which show wear over time.
If you want to stay up with the times, then you should be bringing the outside in, adding more natural pieces to your home.
Many of the most modern architectural designs bring in aspects from nature, not just Wabi-Sabi. However, if you want to follow the Sabi trend, in particular, that means not only bringing in plants to give your home warmth and life, but also adding textures like rock and wood, and removing sleek man-made pieces.
Adding a little nature to your home can make things far more relaxing and inviting.
There are even Smart Pots that can measure light levels, temperature, soil moisture, and fertilizer levels to make things easy if you don’t exactly have a green thumb. These are a great way to add to your smart home tech while bringing the outside in, Wabi-Sabi style.
New Curtains or Blinds
Getting new curtains or blinds is another easy way to modernize your home in 2020. The days of using those annoying long white blinds are over. These days fashionable roller blinds are the way to go. If you are looking for quality, try this unique Norwegian rullegardin (roller blinds).
Or if you want to continue the smart home theme then you can wait until IKEA releases their smart blinds, which will be compatible with Amazon and Google’s smart home features, but not Apple’s.
Blinds are perhaps the easiest way to modernize your home on a budget this year.
A Contemporary Rug
On the other hand, if you have the cash, changing out your old rug for something contemporary can make a world of difference in modernizing your home’s style.
Contemporary rugs can be expensive, but they bring art and light into an otherwise dull room. Rugs also help to create defined spaces within the now ultra-popular open concept design.
Contemporary rugs are a great way to add sophistication to any room and they can help tie in color patterns. If you don’t have a modern rug in 2020, now is the time to make the purchase.
Bring the Fire
Ok, so you can’t just easily add a regular fireplace to your home, but you can bring the fire with a cheaper add-on fireplace. There are a number of fireplace options that can be installed without any professional help for under $300.
Having a fireplace is a great feature during those colder months, and especially during the holidays. Gathering around a nice, warm fireplace on Christmas morning is a real treat.
You can also find really cool smart fireplaces that can turn on and off at the touch of a button if you want to keep the smart home theme going.
Modernizing your home in 2020 is easier than ever, and thankfully modern styling revels in functionality. That means your house will be warm and inviting, but also—above all—livable and functional.
