In this 2019 design‑trend podcast, host Debra Dobbs interviews Chicago architect Elissa Scrofano. They explore how homeowners are balancing classic exteriors with modern interiors, moving away from fully open‑plan layouts toward partially screened spaces that give visual separation without sacrificing flow. A resurgence of wall coverings—especially graphic, textured, and culturally inspired treatments—is highlighted, along with a growing love for mixed‑metal finishes that blend stainless, brass, oil‑rubbed brass, and iron. Color trends lean toward chartreuse accents, continued gray palettes, and natural wood tones, while darker, intimate powder‑room designs using bold wall coverings gain popularity. The conversation also notes a shift toward open shelving, curated displays, and the removal of upper cabinets to create airy kitchens that showcase objects rather than hide them. Throughout, both speakers convey enthusiasm for eclectic, personalized interiors that respect both function and aesthetic storytelling.
Chapters
2019 design trends. Debra Dobbs talks to Chicago's leading lady of architecture, Alyssa Scrofano, about the upcoming trends in real estate.
So one of the things that I'm seeing is that people love older sort of classic houses with character from the exterior, but they don't necessarily want to live on the interior how they did in, you know, 1920 or 1990, right? So there's definitely the trend to sort of have this classic exterior with living on the interior more modern, but there was trend going on for many years where everything was too open. The kitchen was open to the living room, the dining room, the family room, and I think the trend is now— it's still open and modern and efficient, and you still want to see all the spaces, but not completely. Like, there's a little bit more of screening going on.
And I would agree with that. I think the idea of having your kitchen open to your living room, open to your family room, open to your dining room. So almost other than— no walls other than around the powder room and maybe the pantry. It shows well, that floor plan shows beautifully and is open and light and airy. But the reality is that living like that every day, you're always looking at your kitchen.
Yeah.
So if your kitchen is not spotless at every moment, then you're looking at dirty dishes.
Everything's on too much on display.
Correct. I expect a trend in 2019 to be not the concept of the galley kitchen, that we will see kitchens that have some family room or living space attached to them, but there will be partition walls or there will be another space where you can get away and sit and read a book and have a dinner party and not be looking at the tons of dishes.
And right, but as a family or as having a group of friends over, you still like that sort of casual sort of family room, watch TV, and then also be adjacent to the kitchen and have the kitchen adjacent to the other spaces, but not completely open to them. So I think this idea of everyone living in sort of this one big loft open space, I think I'm seeing a trend that people do want some spaces where they can actually go and read a book and not listen to the dishes being washed in the kitchen, or people can have a smaller, without it being 1940s small rooms. So that's what I'm seeing more of a change.
Another trend that I expect to see in 2019 is a return to wall covering. Yes. I'm not going to call it old-fashioned wallpaper because that will make us think of grandma's house. I loved my grandma's house, with the gold dot wallpaper.
Mm-hmm, same.
So wall treatments. So as we're sitting here fireside, our audience doesn't, our listening audience does not know that, but we're sitting here by the fire in my beautiful living room, in a home, by the way, designed and architected by the illustrious Elissa Scrofano and Carol Barrett, as a matter of fact. And we're looking at this extraordinarily beautiful, organic, kind of Indian theme, wall treatment, which is— that I love.
Well, it's stunning because it's also like you walk in from the entry and then you sort of pop into the living room and your eye is immediately drawn to this incredible graphic, but it's sophisticated, it's warm, it's not too harsh or too stark, and it gives your eye an interest without having to spend enormous amount of money on, let's say, stone or—
Exactly. And it's warm and it's textured, so when you touch it, it has almost like an e-cat. It is. Yes, that is exactly right, with beautiful fireplace. So that's one trend that I expect to see, the mixing of metals, which I love doing. And I know that if it goes out of style, that I'll still be happy with my mixed metals. But I think the mixing of metals will be stainless and iron and brass and polished brass, oil-rubbed brass. So you'll see lots of different colors and textures.
I don't think that's going to go for a little while out of style, let's say. No, I think it's now everything is becoming more eclectic, and you can put a brass fixture with polished chrome with stainless steel, and as long as you've touched on all several surfaces, it works.
Correct. So I think done well, right? Like anything else, if someone is going to create an eclectic environment in terms of design and decor, it can be done well, or it can look like you went to 18 different furniture shops and bought 18 different styles. Um, so another trend, let's see. Okay, are we going to see the demise of charcoal gray and Statuario marble in the kitchen?
I think gray will still be in fashion. I think what hopefully is not going to come back into fashion is the Jerusalem gold flooring or the shiny black, um, Absolute Black flooring that was around for quite a while. And I think wood— I think people are going more to natural wood and less about the dark stained wood. I think that— I think the gray tones are here for a little while though because they're so neutral, but you're seeing more like gray and brown or gray and chartreuse, let's say.
Well, it's funny that you say chartreuse because someone earlier today said to me that chartreuse is supposed to be the color for 2019.
Oh, I love that.
I happen to love chartreuse, so I think that would be fun. Although I can't find a place that I could even bring it in in terms of my house. Well, I've got— I know you have the amazing wall. I have black, more wall covering in my bathroom, fringed burlap stained a color called Ink by Benjamin Moore. I love it. Or as my friend Jennifer would say, Oh my gosh, your powder room is sick.
Which you wouldn't think a small powder room clad in a black wall covering would work, but it works perfectly in there. It's like you feel cozy, it's not oppressive, it's—
I actually like taking small spaces and creating dark, intimate, like I love the sort of the burnished, the moody walls with the burnished and that totally like over-the-top light fixture chandelier that you wouldn't expect to find in a powder room. So I love my little powder room. Well, I'm happy to hear that gray may stay in because I'm about to paint my kitchen cabinets Kendall Charcoal. Mariusz will be very happy. He stopped over this morning. After 5 years of dithering back and forth about my kitchen, I will get rid of the plywood countertops and I'm going naked on the top, no cabinets. I'm only going to have open— I'll have open shelves, two open shelves. I think that's actually a trend that we're going to see a little bit.
That's a trend that's coming back, I think too. I think people are actually proud again to display more stuff, and people are also— I don't know if it's that book I'm Tidying Up that everybody's been reading.
Oh yes.
But they're definitely more interested in display and curated display. So everybody, you know, there's an elimination of stuff, and that is true. Basics of—
I will say the impetus for my decision to get rid of my upper cabinets has nothing to do with displaying my motley crew of wine glasses and white plates and spices. But working in a tiny kitchen, the upper cabinets just make everything feel closed in. So we'll get rid of those. That will things up. And I actually like the ease of not having to open a door. I want to be able to grab—
saves what it is.
It saves a step, and I can see everything that is— it's right there, and it's all good.
And you'll get rid of that one or two vases that you don't like. Will be exactly donated, so they're given back.
I'm going to fill all my overflow vases with flowers and deliver them to my favorite friends and clients. How's that? You'll be getting one as soon as you're back in Chicago.
