Join us for a fun panel discussion with our experts on design trends in 2021! Click the link below to listen to the podcast or read on to see what this year’s trends consist of.

2021 Home Design Trends Podcast

What is one of the overarching trends you’re seeing? After a few years of more cool colors, we are transitioning into warmer colors. There still may be whites and grays, but they’ll be a bit warmer versus bright white.

Do you think these color changes reflect the mood of our current environment? It’s more so a natural transition as time goes on versus what’s happening in our world. Gray has been such a popular color, and before that was builder beige, and now we’re ready for a new change. Everything tends to circle back after some time. However, since we’ve been spending more time in our homes, we are looking more for cozy and homey colors rather than having sterile colors. At this point, we’ve spent a lot of time in our homes and we’ve been able to analyze what we like and don’t like.

What do you think of the saturated colors such as greens and blues making an appearance? We’re really seeing people want different spaces in their home that are different colors to make it feel like a separate space that’s not like the rest of the home. We’re also seeing floor planning changes. Many of us are still working from home, so we may want that space to feel different than a living room where we relax.

Another trend we’re seeing is a “statement office” making it more exciting to work from home. We’re definitely seeing more focus on home work space and the flexibility in spaces that can function as an office, but also something else such as a playroom or den. With that, we’re also seeing creative room dividers such as custom glass dividers to create separate spaces for homeschooling and office areas. More people are even morphing spaces into dedicated exercising areas.

In regard to floor planning, we’re also seeing that it’s important to have places for people to gather and sit together, making sure that there is room to accommodate everyone. It’s also prevalent to have separate suites in case someone needs to quarantine within the home and needs their own space.

Due to entertaining restrictions, we are seeing a trend of outdoor spaces and having a great outdoor entertainment space that can be used. A lot of people are looking at pools because they’re not going out as much. Outdoor seating at a deck and figuring out where the grill should go is of high importance. We’ve even done outdoor spaces with a flip down counter for the outdoor space that’s useful when needed and can easily be put out of the way.

It’s also crucial to have separate spaces for kids at home for a play area and a school area since many kids are doing virtual schooling. This space needs to be separate from a working parent, separate from any siblings, yet open enough where parents can make sure they are doing what they should be!

What trends are we seeing in kitchens? We are seeing a lot of black and color like certain blues. Quartz for counters is still really popular. Warmer wood stains such as white oak variations are trending.

Having spaces be more functional and organized is critical. Having larger pantries and just an overall focus on organization is important. Many who used to go out to eat a lot may be eating at home more than before and that also has led to many wanting professional ranges and other appliances that are being used more than before.

Is there a trend behind the warmer woods? We were in the industrial phase for a while with mid-toned woods and it’s now morphing into lighter tones. Luxury vinyl plank flooring is also becoming a lot more popular than in the past. We think that many people have adopted pets, and being home, we realize we need to clean more! Luxury vinyl planks are easy to maintain and clean and are durable for animals and kids. With the lighter tones, clients are thinking “beachy” and “coastal” to create the feeling of being on vacation. The lighter colors also make the space feel larger.

What about more traditional looks that are coming back? Applied molding and other woodwork is a bit nostalgic when we don’t know what’s coming next in the world around us. Many of us are clinging to something that’s familiar from the past. We still may see the flat stock base and casing, but we expect that clients will soften this look with some rounded corners to get a healthy mix of modern and traditional.

What do we think about archways? They are back! More clients have been asking about incorporating these. We’re definitely heading back to adding full radius archways and plaster with more tactile materials and subtle textures throughout. A lot of 70’s style furniture is also coming back and influences design with a more organic, curved approach.

What are we seeing for additional trim details? We are shifting away from the classic shiplap look, but are doing more stained options. This is similar to what we’ve done with subway tile by switching direction and finish. We’re also seeing a lot of applied moldings where they use the thinner wood to create a texture or pattern. People are also using shiplap in touches instead of the whole room. Another way to change it up with shiplap is doing the wall color versus the trim color to make it more subtle.

Do you think bead board is coming back? It never left! We think it’s one of those features that won’t ever go out of style. There are ways to lay it differently to make it feel new and exciting.

We’re also seeing a lot of detailed cabinetry and glass. How do you feel about reeded details? It’s definitely a fun feature to use for mantel legs or a mantel top to give just a touch of texture. We’ve also seen it as part of a chair rail trim and in cabinets. Glass textures are also making a comeback! We see this in shower doors and cabinets. We have to be innovative so it’s not just functional, but also pretty.

Are we seeing trends in tile? We are loving the tile trends! We’re not seeing as many patterned tile, but rather tile created into a pattern. Dimensional tile has been exciting, and people haven’t been doing as many decorative decos, but are selecting more dimensional options for texture without being too bold. The linen texture tile is a great way to have a solid color but also have a bit of texture without being overwhelming. Even pairing different shapes and sizes such as 12x24 tile with a subway tile or laying some of the tile horizontally and some of it vertically can be done in a strategic manner.

What about wallpaper? We are seeing a mix of geometric patterns and more curves and even some florals for wallpaper. Most are using this to accent a space such as one wall in a dining room or one wall in a powder bathroom. It also looks great on a ceiling or in the laundry room.

How about laundry rooms? We are seeing these as a big focus now that more of us are at home and laundry is done frequently. There is an LG steamer cabinet that can steam and sanitize clothing and we’re seeing the laundry room and mudroom incorporate more space for pets for clean up and food storage.

If you’d like to experience and work with one trend this year, what would it be? The return of plaster and the craftsmanship of old world features. We’d love to have a client have more focus on trim details and a jump toward traditional and more curved features would be a lot of fun. It would be neat to see the continuation of fireplace surrounds with the beam mantels, but also more beams in the ceiling and using paint color to accent the space. We also like the stucco look around a fireplace versus tile or even doing quartz for the fireplace surround to make it more subtle.

Do you see people continuing to use contrasting colored interior doors? We may not see so many intense contrasts, but more subtle options like using a trim that matches the cabinets or wall color. In general, we want colors to flow and be more seamless and cohesive versus super contrasting.

What about technology? We are definitely seeing a big jump into smart technology with smart appliances such as washers and dryers that you can operate with a phone. There are many different settings, lightings, automatic blinds, etc. that are becoming more popular.

All in all, there are so many features trending and it was great to hear the conversation for this year. We hope you enjoyed hearing what’s to come for 2021!