The Biggest Design Trends For 2021

2020 is now one for the history books, but the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has made on our lives will last for years to come. And this is no more evident than in the place we've had to hunker down for the better part of that year, our homes. Here are some of the interior design trends you will be seeing in 2021 that were inspired by quarantining at home.

COTTAGE CORE AND BOHO CHIC

Cottage Core Kitchen

The Cottage Core movement has been around since the early 2010s and gets its inspiration from a romanticized interpretation of western agricultural life and centered around ideas of a simpler existence, in harmony with nature. Think Grandma's house on steroids. 

Examples of Cottage Core

The trend has been described by VOX as "the aesthetic where quarantine is romantic, not terrifying".  It's design elements include florals, natural woods, pottery, ribbon and lace, all complemented through blush and neutral hues with pops of deep earth tones.

BOHO CHIC

Boho Chic

First seen showing up on the clothes of festival goers at the likes of Coachella and more, Boho Chic is an updated version of former stye. It takes the best of Cottage Core and adds a new spin by pairing unexpected color and furniture.

Boho Chic Bedroom

If you've stepped into an Anthropologie store in recent years, you've seen this style represented beautifully. The fundamentals of Boho chic have an emphasis on colors and patterns, whether they be florals or geometric. It loves earthy tones like browns, rusts and greens but contrasted with jewel tones and metallics. Add textiles, ceramics and other accessories that reference exotic places to complete the look.

JAPANDI

Japandi Interior

It is literally the combination of Japanese and Scandinavian design styles, which have similar elements, into one beautiful interior design philosophy. People who love IKEA, but know they want items that are made extremely well, will last a long time and are willing to invest a little more are good candidates for this design aesthetic.

Japandi style isn't so much sparse, as it is intentional

Scandinavian design coupled with Japanese rustic minimalism, Japandi is more of a lifestyle than a trend. They are interiors that are aesthetically pleasing but rooted in function, with a focus on beautiful craftsmanship. Japandi interiors exude peace and serenity, something that helps reassure us in very uncertain times likes these, so it's easy to see why this style has become so popular.

Examples of Japandi Interiors

To achieve the Japandi look in your home, use calming, tranquil palettes and natural materials like wood, stone and wovens. Declutter your spaces, use sustainable materials and don't forget to bring the outside in with greenery. 

WORLD TRAVELER/GLOBAL INFLUENCE

Next to spending time again our family and friends, the longing to get out and travel is the most dominant desire people have once freed from their lockdowns. And luckily this style trend is as diverse and flexible as you want it to be, just base it on your previous travel memories or places you aspire to go in the future. 

The global influence of this room is featured in its textiles and weathered wood 

The beauty of this style is in its versatility. Dress it up with luxurious materials and high end pieces or keep it casual with rustic textiles and ethnic accessories.  Longing for travel to distant shores? Then fill your space with ocean hues and coastal elements. Want something more exotic? Use jewel tones, dark woods and patterned textiles to evoke the place you dream of visiting. 

Exotic, distant shores make for exciting dreams in this bedroom

And if you are lucky enough to have collected souvenirs and art from your travels, or just want to look like you have, the World Traveller style is made for you. Just add some select pieces to the furniture you already have, like a tribal print lithograph or an area rug in an exotic print. Eclectic interiors that feature bold accessories are good, just don't overdo it to the point that your space looks cluttered or too staged.

Dark walls accentuate the artwork and eclectic accessories of this globally inspired living room

And perhaps the easiest way to achieve the style of a jet-setting traveller is to look no further than your telephone. Photographs from places you've been, with people you love, can take you back to those happy moments just by looking at them. Make a gallery wall with photos from various trips. 

Printing photos in black and white complements the neutral interiors

Unify photographs by framing them in black, or at least frame them all in the same materials. Printing your memories in black and white can also unify photos from different places and years.

A whimsical way to display your world travels

You can enjoy your gallery wall in as little as a week. It starts with selecting your photos and using an online service to process them, all from the safety of your home. Print and frame your travel memories through any number of sites available, who will ship directly. Not sure you can hang a gallery wall perfectly straight without punching a million holes trying? Using a 'map' whether it be of the world, a country or a state, will save your walls, your time and your patience and is an art piece all on its own. 

LIVABLE LUXURY

This bedroom strikes the perfect balance between luxurious and understated

Some of us have been staring at the same four walls and sitting on the same disposable furniture for almost a year now and are yearning for something new, something better, because we've sacrificed enough already. Welcome to Livable Luxury. We want what our parents had, only updated.

Traditional furniture coupled with updated fabrics and accessories fill this cozy living room

The focus of livable luxury is on high quality materials, whether they be older pieces or newly made. Antique furniture has had a rough time over the past decade. Millennials wanted trendy interiors that changed as fast as their tastes, so well-constructed, older furniture can be bought for a song currently, but that's all about to change.

Family pieces, handed down over generations, mix with the new in this transitional living room

Whether you're seeking opulence or eclectic luxury, the fundamentals are the same. Well- crafted furniture coupled with quality upholstered pieces and accessories, is the hallmark of livable luxury. As long as the bones of a piece are good, you can breathe new life into it by upholstering in a current fabric. There's a reason antiques are still around, they endure because of their craftsmanship.

Livable luxury on a grand scale 

The photo above may look like the unattainable for many, but remove the paneled walls, chandelier, maybe even the fireplace, and what you are left with is a traditional sofa comfortably covered in a neutral fabric, some patterned pillows, solid color draperies and simple coffee table, with a coordinating rug grounding it all. Most of these items can be found either in thrift stores, or big box home goods retailers. What makes it luxurious is the layering of textures.

This room benefits from the high-low treatment with excellent results

Color can be used to exude luxury as well. Walls painted in a jewel toned blue anchor a room filled with eclectic furniture; some are investment pieces, some are not. The bold print fabric stretched over a frame makes a big statement when used on a sofa pillow as well.  Eclectic accessories showcased atop a contemporary white coffee table keep the room from feeling stuffy.

And there you have it. Theses are the predominant trends you will be seeing in furniture and accessories for 2021. With so many options, perhaps there is something inspiring to look forward to this year. I feel good about it!

2021 Color Of The Year

 

Sherwin Williams Color of the Year 2021 featured on walls and furniture

With a large part of the country hunkered down in our homes, we've had a lot of time to look around and assess the places we spend a good majority of our lives and have discovered that they, as well as ourselves, may be in need of a little TLC. 

Sherwin Williams' Color of the Year for 2021, Urbane Bronze, is the perfectly saturated neutral that's cozy and sophisticated at the same time. It is an updated interpretation of a deep 'greige', a color palette that goes with beiges, browns, grays, tans and so much more...all the soft, comforting colors that we need right now.

Light and bright dining room

Here the color is used as an accent element on the chairs and doors. The lightness of the wall color needs grounding and Urbane Bronze does this beautifully by warming up this very comfortable dining room. Mismatched chairs keep it from feeling stuffy or formal without sacrificing elegance.

Sweet dreams are to be had in this peaceful bedroom

A bedroom should be a relaxing sanctuary where we retreat each night to rejuvenate for the next day. Despite the dark color, the lightness of the flooring and bedding keep this gorgeous bedroom balanced. The deep wall color behind the bed anchors it, creating a cozy, peaceful space you may never want to leave

Browns, rusts and blues play together nicely

And before you think that you'll be limited by what you can pair with such a deep color, fear not, paint companies have provided examples to show you just how versatile Urbane Bronze really is. Their paint pros have done the work for you, so use their expertise to inspire your decorating goals.

Color forecast from Benjamin Moore shows similar hues to Sherwin Williams

Benjamin Moore is one of many companies that provide color trend forecasts, announce a color of the year and show consumers which of their offerings work best with those colors, making it easy to come up with a color scheme for your next project. Not surprisingly, the color selections from other companies often work well together, as is the case with Benjamin Moore's 2021 choice.

A kitchen you'll never want to leave

Benjamin Moore's Aegean Teal is a serene, relaxing hue that works very well with Sherwin Williams' Urbane Bronze. A blend of blue-green and gray, it's not too bold. Both colors provide the grounded, calming atmosphere we want in our interiors right now and are versatile enough to be dressed up or down, depending on your style.

Monochromatic but with lots of interest

A farmhouse casual family room gets a hint of color from accessories and a blush of Aegean Blue on upholstery trim. Most of the interest lies in the texturing of materials, from the natural plank window alcoves to the soft area rug.

A living space for the ages

Contemporary lines combine with cues from nature to achieve a timeless look in this relaxing living room. Aegean Blue plays a major role as the wall color, but the dark wood tones of the furniture echo Urbane Bronze.  The pop of color from the sofa gives a nod to Pantone's Color of the Year 2012, Tangerine Tango, reminding us of the impact and longevity good color choices can have in our homes.

A marriage of colors elevates this sleek living room

Whether you are drawn to the deep moody hue of Urbane Bronze, the tranquility of Aegean Blue or a combination of the two, 2021's color forecasts have us transforming our interiors into calm spaces we can enjoy for years to come.

The 1 Minute Commute

 

Even before the pandemic, the rise of the shed office was on the horizon. Convenient, multi- purpose and ready to use, these mini offices fit perfectly right into your own backyard. Working from home and want some privacy? Get a shed office. Need a place to decompress with yoga, art or music? A shed office fits the bill. If you have the space and a little money, one of these options may be the perfect solution to your home's space or privacy problems.

B&B Micro Manufacturing, based in Adams, Massachusetts designs, builds and manufactures tiny homes. It offers two backyard office models, The Brodie and The Richmond. Priced between $40,000-$60,000, they are customizable to fit your specific needs.

B&B Brodie Model

The Brodie is 8'6"W X 20' L  in approx. 170 square feet. It features two desks, a half bath and epoxy countertops, but can be customized. Insulated to handle a New England winter, it would work very well in other climates too.

Brodie Interior

The Richmond Model is 8'6"W X 14'L and 10'H in about 120 square feet. While it is smaller than its counterpart, it can comfortably fit two people.

Richmond Model

Richmond Interior

The Richmond includes built in storage and a kitchenette that includes a fridge, sink, microwave and storage. Both models can be shipped across the country and can even be built on a trailer for easy transportation.

Anchored Tiny Office

Anchored Tiny Homes is a Sacramento, CA company with over 30 years of construction experience. Family owned, they expanded to build tiny offices in April after the pandemic outbreak created a need for WFH spaces. Their Tiny Offices come in three sizes and with their affordable pricing and zero down financing, you can have a home office for as little as $199 a month. For entrepreneurs, that is far more affordable than leasing office space.

Anchored Tiny Office Interior

Each office comes with a keypad door lock, skylight and air conditioning, but plumbing can be added if needed. Each Tiny Office is certified as an RV, comes on wheels ready to go and costs approx. $40,000.

INshed Home Office

Elgin, IL based INshed didn't start making tiny offices until June, spurred by an explosion of demand since the covid-19 pandemic. Since then they have been busy expanding the customer options.

INshed interior

Each INshed features a desk, TV, shelving, ceiling fan and is four season insulated. Other finishes and features can be added.

INshed interior

Coming in at a sleek 96 square feet, they are built on a trailer for easy transportation and their size makes it fit more easily into a back yard. The best part is that the tiny offices cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and financing is available.

Allwood Getaway from Amazon

And look no further than Amazon, yes Amazon, for your Work From Home needs. They offer several options, including this one from Allwood. All are shipped directly to you and some require assembly upon arrival.

Allwood Estelle Model

Another offering from Allwood, the Estelle model, comes in at a very budget friendly $6395 on Amazon. It is a cabin kit, which requires assembly, and is not fitted with plumbing or air conditioning, but at that price point there's room to add your own personal touches to customize it to your needs.

As you can see, there is infinite potential in these tiny offices. Whether you need to give back some space in your home that you're currently using as a makeshift office or want a place to work that is distraction free, these little guys can pack a big punch of functionality at every price point.

The New (WFH) Normal

 As we get closer to ushering in a new year, many of us have realized that our daily routines won't return to normal any time soon. Children are remote learning. Offices are still off limits. Unfortunately a great deal of us are working from home, and have been doing so for quite some time. While the commute may be fantastic, the distractions of trying to conduct business while family members are all around us is daunting.

At first, most of us pieced together a temporary workstation, perhaps at the end of a dining room table or atop a kitchen island counter. As the pandemic dragged on, employers saw that remote working wasn't as bad as they'd feared and now, here we are. Even if you had already rushed to Ikea in hopes of transforming an existing guest room into one that could perform double duty, you probably hadn't thought out what a productive, peaceful workspace should look like. Luckily, there are designers that have done this for you.

 A dedicated home office is at the top of the list for many home buyers now and WFH employees are seeing the value of investing in a functional, attractive space where they are spending a huge portion of the day. Here is some inspiration for you... from the sky's the limit, to cold hard reality and every budget in between.

One Wall Design With Freestanding Desk

This spacious, custom office is probably not in the budget for most of us, but it has all the elements of good design that can be easily translated to a typical home. A desk is set up in front of a wall of storage. On the other end of the room is a seating area. Couple this with a comfortable desk chair and coordinating draperies and you can get a similar look for a fraction of the cost.

T Shaped Design

The above office uses a one wall design and places the desk perpendicular to it, forming a T shape. This type of design takes up less space and can accommodate two people working in the same space. You can create a similar look and function with store bought cabinets and desk as well. It is good to note that with all these examples, do not forget the importance of adequate lighting. If your room does not have recessed lighting, supplement it with floor and table lamps.

L Shaped Office Design

Walls on two adjoining sides is referred to as L shaped. This type of setup works well for someone whose work requires them to access files frequently. Carpet is not recommended, as chair wheels will have difficulty maneuvering back and forth from file and computer areas.

U Shaped Office Design

A U shaped office is just that, three walls that come together in the shape of a U. While it looks as if this style requires a lot of space, it can be achieved in spaces no larger than laundry, mud rooms or small bedrooms that used to be nurseries. The benefit of this design is that two people can comfortably work in the same space, with each having adequate storage and counter space.

Don't have a room you can dedicate to an office? No problem. Here are two examples that prove you can have a functional and good looking work area anywhere in your home.

Open Space Office Design

This homeowner utilized an unused wall bordering a staircase. This would work just as well for remote school learning as it would for traditional WFH applications. And when children return to regular school, this is great for a homework, bill paying or craft area.

One Wall Office

The above layout would look fantastic on one end of a great room, whether you have the space for one or two desks. It is the traditional one wall design, so it takes up the least amount of square footage in a home, while providing the maximum functionality.  Note: because these two examples are out in the open for everyone to see, choose appealing materials and keep the work areas clutter free when they are not in use.

What if your budget just won't accommodate a large investment right now? Again, no problem! Here are two examples of budget friendly offices.

One Wall Office With Freestanding Desk

Does that bookcase look familiar? Yes, it's from our favorite big box retailer that has awesome meatballs too. This is the same layout as the first photo, a one wall design with a free standing desk, only it is using readily available materials. Add some floating shelves and accessories and you'll have a very budget friendly office by the end of the day.

Freestanding Desk Home Office

 

Need an office, but have no money to spend? Go shopping around your house. This look was achieved with furniture they already owned. With a little style and creativity, you can come up with a warm, world traveller look. Start by removing everything from the room, leaving it a blank canvas. Bring in items one at time, starting with the desk, and move it around to different areas to find its best placement.

Then add items slowly making sure not to overcrowd the space.  And again, don't forget proper lighting. Finally, add accessories that won't distract you, only inspire.  After all, you're supposed to be working.

As you can see, whether you have a large budget or no budget at all, there's no excuse to not have a functional work from home office. Invest a little time, and invest in yourself.

Found in Translation

The UAE is a culturally diverse and stunningly beautiful country. My husband and I moved to its capital, Abu Dhabi, three years ago and proceeded to set up house.  I was inspired by Islamic architecture and motifs and wanted to bring a similar feeling to the interiors of our home. I set out on a journey to take as many photos as I could of images that resonated with me.

With so many pattern, style and color options available to me, it would've been easy to turn our place into a caricature of the surroundings. The solution was to mix old and new, to highlight traditional motifs against a backdrop of contemporary larger pieces.

A slightly modern interpretation

East/West harmony, old and new sensibilities

The contrast of these two styles translated perfectly and created a restful, yet luxe home. It also exemplified the essence of what the UAE is, a country proud of its past while embracing the future.