Of all the areas impacted by COVID-19, you would not expect interior design to be on the list. In fact, what we are starting to see is a shift in attitudes towards style, sustainability and how we use our homes.
Think about it… all of us, for varying lengths of time, were forced to spend more time at home. Suddenly our homes became places of work, learning and entertainment, and it forced us to reconsider the design and style aspects of our home.
So, what are the design trends heading our way in 2021?
Grounded aspirations
People want to create calm and soothing spaces for feel more connected to the earth and I think we will see more and more people embracing raw and natural materials in their homes. The use of timber, leather and soft handle fabrics create a more mature, relaxed and soulful style.
This beautiful bed by Ralph Lauren Home is the perfect example of this trend toward grounded aspirations.
Warm and mature colour palettes
While bright and daring colour choices might have been popular is recent years, I am seeing a shift to more mature colour palettes with a focus and influence from nature, that create a soothing, warm and timeless colour palette. Orange, plum and mustard are all colours that create a sense of warmth and they don’t date.
Androgenous furniture
The shift from traditionally feminine and masculine furniture to more ‘gender neutral’ pieces is an interesting one and one that I personally love.
Traditional furniture design can be very feminine or very masculine, but what we are seeing now is a trend towards androgenous or non-binary furniture, which combines both strength and softness. Couches with a very classic and structured design, softened by the inclusion of rolled arms or a rounded shape to the back, like The Perkins Sofa from EJ Victor, is a good example of androgenous furniture.
Handmade and one of a kind
One of the silver linings of 2020 was the resurgence of demand for hand crafted and artisan pieces, as people start to see and value the work of the talented artisans both here in Australia.
I think we will see more people willing to spend the money on a piece of furniture that is locally made and beautifully hand crafted where the whole story of its production can be told, which is a wonderful thing.
Younger people are particularly interested in bespoke pieces that are built to last or upcycled pieces that are modernised in some way.
Combining old and new
Another interesting trend this year is forward and reverse’ design, as people rediscover influential designs from previous eras.
As the popularity of Art Deco declines, people are reverting to Art Nouveau with its organic and flowing lines drawing inspiration from nature or moving from mid-century modern back to forties Hollywood glamour or forward to seventies and eighties bohemian rock and disco.
It is fun to see clients exploring these designs again and capturing the best of different eras and bringing them into a contemporary setting to create a unique but enduring design.
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