With all of us spending much more time at home, many of us have enthusiastically tackled projects and renovations to make our surroundings work better and look prettier. Here are some of the 2021 home décor trends to consider as you re-energize and refresh your own spaces this year.
This throwback aesthetic offers serious nostalgia. In some ways, it’s the opposite of the tonal, all-white look that has reigned supreme on Instagram. Dubbed “granny-chic” this style embraces floral and toile wallpaper, deeply stained furniture, a mix of textures, embellishments like pleats and fringe—but all approached with a modern sensibility. It’s about blending Grandma’s delicate china with chunky, vintage pieces or clean modern accents, antique and contemporary art working together in spaces, layering pattern but consistently and cohesively to make your design feel intentional. Personally, I’m finding this style really exciting. While I naturally gravitate towards a neutral palette, I love grounding that approach with darker, moodier accents like mahogany and walnut furniture, vintage art and pattern play—I’m inspired to re-think areas where I can totally lean into this grandmillennial styling.
Tonality has had a major moment for some time, and while I think the neutral/tone-on-tone approach is timeless, there’s a perceptible shift towards adding more color, or even going tonal with bolder hues. There are two sub-trends I’m seeing/reading about in terms of color. One is a gravitation towards deep earthy colors—greens especially. Think bringing the outside in with deep shades of emerald and moss, rich aubergines and plums, warm chocolate browns, beautiful rust and garnet hues.
The other trend I’ve noticed is incorporating vibrant pops of color within a neutral aesthetic: sultry jeweled-toned hues to liven up spaces where we hope to gather once again.
Similarly, cottage-inspired interiors have been making a comeback, specifically in kitchens. For the past few years, we’ve seen a shift towards creating kitchen spaces that feel like a natural extension of the home. That’s why we’re seeing more art leaning against a backsplash, lamps tucked into a corner on a countertop, more natural materials instead of your typical tile, or built-in cabinetry with open shelving for styling. But specifically, there’s an intensifying desire to evoke that English cottage feel in a modern way. It’s about layering in the old and new, mixing metals, making spaces feel cozy and grounded, incorporating deeper, earthier tones and aged textures. Dark green cabinetry and shelving is especially appealing, as well as mix-and-match shades in richer colors and visible grains. To me, this feels like the evolution to the modern farmhouse aesthetic, and one that’s a lot more inspired to me. This if my very favorite trend and it makes me want to demo my entire kitchen and start all over! For now though, give me all the inspo because I’m seriously obsessed.
My Insta feed was populated with diamond-patterned flooring the latter part of 2020. And while I normally and honestly wouldn’t gravitate towards such “themed” design choices, I’m absolutely loving the way it’s been approached by some designers. These floors can look so chic and cozy in dark, moody rooms. We’re also seeing this pattern comprised with smaller tiles. Consider me convinced on this one.
And lastly, many of us have learned the hard way this past year that open-concept spaces don’t always work when you’re working from home, your kids are around, and you desperately crave a little alone time or quiet. I expect we’ll see more walls coming up to keep spaces discrete and really focus on making those spaces multifunctional. Furniture that can work double duty is huge here too. Ultimately, it’s refreshing the flow of your home in a way that allows families to work and play harmoniously.