9 Interior Design Trend Predictions for 2021
As we enter a new year, it’s the perfect time to upgrade your home and embrace the latest interior design trends for 2021.
If you’ve spent a lot more time than usual in your home this year, like so many others, then there’s a good chance you’ve been looking around and making a mental list of all the interior décor changes you’d love to make. Style trends come and go when it comes to interior design and can leave your home looking outdated and not exactly fresh. Whether you’re living in a detached family property, a chic apartment, or a luxurious bungalow, incorporating new styles into your living environment will give your home a whole new feel.
Once you’re ready to make some big or small design changes in your home, you may be curious to know what the trends will be for 2021. So, before you get started, here are some predictions on what home décor will focus on next year.
1. Creating A Space Where Relaxing is the Key Function
During these unpredictable times, we recommend designing a spot in your home where relaxing is the only key function. You can move a comfortable chair or sofa to an area that gets natural light or has a view you love. This puts a barrier between you and distractions and foot traffic.
You don’t need to set aside an entire room, just select a spot that’s out of the main flow of relaxing activity, whether that’s reading, listening to music, or meditating.
2. Lighter Tone Wood Will be All the Rage
For many years now, dark rich coloured wood has been what’s considered stylish, but 2021 is looking to shake things up. There is a real departure from these dark heavy looking pieces to lighter brighter options in the form of light-toned wood.
When shopping for pieces, look for the terms light oak and blonde to perfectly capture the trendy vibe. Not only will the room look modern and stylish, but the light wood can also make a space feel more open and bigger.
3. It's All About Traditional and Comfortable Pieces
Here's a design trend that homeowners will be thrilled to embrace as there will be a real focus on traditional and comfortable pieces. Think about all those items that were popular in the 1990s where furniture was concerned and look for them to make a huge comeback. Anything formal will be out of style; instead, you want soft curves, overstuffed furniture, and items that offer support and comfort.
4. Opt for a Rich Bold Colour Palette
When it comes to paint colours, it's all about rich bold colours that may seem a bit intimidating at first but then really grow on you. As far as any particular colour palettes to play with, think bold as in dark charcoal grey, black, rich green or navy, or even a deep dark burgundy. It’s all about making a statement on your walls.
Don’t worry about the room feeling too dark and heavy, as you can use your furniture and décor to bright light back into the space.

Golden Orb Sculpture by Anish Kapoor
5. Create a Sense of Nature with Plants
Another big decor trend for 2021 is to create a sense of the outdoors and nature inside your home, which can be done with house plants. You want to choose a variety of sizes, shapes, and types so that you create something really interesting looking. Where this trend gets really fun is that you can find some spectacular pots to put them in that will act like décor pieces all on their own.
As an added bonus, indoor plants are excellent for improving the air quality in the home.
6. Cottagecore
Sometimes known as countrycore, this delightful interior design encompasses natural living and allows you to make the most of your surroundings. Perfect for homes in urban or inner-city areas, cottagecore incorporates the best of rural living and brings it right to your doorstep.
If you want to feature cottagecore in your home, think greenery, vintage crockery, and rustic furniture and you’re already halfway there. As many people enjoy a simpler life amid lockdowns, this trend is sure to be one of the most popular in 2021 and you can get ahead of the game by embracing it now.
7. Herringbone Flooring
Characterised by rectangular boards sitting diagonally against one another, herringbone flooring is instantly recognisable and you’re about to see a whole lot more of it. Available in an array of materials, you can choose shades and styles of herringbone flooring to suit any home. From golden, vintage, and natural oak to light grey or white for a more modern feel, there are plenty of designs to consider.
A major advantage of herringbone flooring is its versatility and durability. The placement of the boards ensures it works well in smaller areas, such as hallways, while its diagonal design also looks fabulous in larger areas, like kitchens and living areas. East to maintain and spectacular to look at, a herringbone floor is a must-have design feature in stylish homes.
8. Vintage Bathrooms
Contemporary and modern bathrooms have been en vogue for years, so it’s not surprising that vintage bathrooms are about to make a comeback. Of course, you won’t have to eschew all mod cons in order to incorporate a vintage feel, so don’t panic just yet!
The trend for vintage bathrooms is more focused on luxury than bare essentials, so look out for antique mirrors, traditional bathroom furniture, and timeless accessories. With freestanding contemporary fixtures and vintage décor, you can combine trends effortlessly and create a stunning addition to your home.
9. Outdoor Living
In 2021, we’re going to see an emphasis on outdoor living, so make the most of balconies, terraces, patios, and gardens. Create a more permanent outdoor space by installing furniture and even cooking facilities, if you really want to maximise the space you have available. Perfect for socially distanced entertaining, start planning your summer events now by embracing outdoor living and enhancing with verandas, pagodas, and sleek awnings.
Staying up to date with the latest interior design trends gives you an ideal way to keep your home feeling fresh and new. At a time when we’re spending more time indoors than ever before, updating your surroundings and incorporating the newest trends into your designs will mean you can enjoy a more luxurious home. If your home is in desperate need of some décor updates, these trends are the ones that will be big in 2021 and can act as the perfect jumping-off point or inspiration that you need.
How Using Artwork Brings Colour and Playfulness to the Home

Credit: Shalini Misra
How many times have you flipped through a home décor magazine only to spot a room or a design that you absolutely love, yet aren’t exactly sure how to accomplish in your own home? Or maybe it’s the fact you visit someone’s house, and you find yourself looking around at how well everything is put together and how unique the space feels? Here’s the thing, it’s usually the little touches that make all the difference in the world, and that’s little touches like artwork.
Artwork for your home brings a sense of playfulness and colour to the space where it is currently lacking. Of course, the artwork you choose still has to be thought out and picked with purpose.
Let’s look at some tips that will help you to take full advantage of using beautiful artwork throughout your home.
No Need to Go Bold When You Paint a Room
For many homeowners, the mere thought of painting a room a bright bold shade is intimidating and can feel like too big of a step to make. Putting that colour up on the walls involves commitment and a sense of confidence that not everyone has. Does that mean you can’t have colour in the space? Not at all, as artwork can replace the need for bright paint colours.
If you’ve got a neutral room or space, rather than changing up the furniture and getting out the paintbrushes, try experimenting with different types of artwork to play off the other tones in the room.
This is also a great tip for people who have a problem making a decision that they feel confident about, as you won't be stuck with a colour on the walls that you don't like.
Help to Carry a Colour Palette through the Home
Another thing that homeowners can struggle with is how to carry a colour palette throughout the entire home, make it feel cohesive, and yet not boring with the same old stuff in each room. Artwork is able to bridge that gap between the various spaces and act as that one constant throughout. Maybe you want to stick with a few main pops of colour, or even a theme.
Credit: Mel Brochner Artwork
It’s Hard to Make a Room Feel Unique without Artwork
Then there is the uniqueness that artwork brings to a space. It can be rather hard to make each room in your house feel customised and suited to your particular tastes. Because furniture acts as more than just décor – it has a functional purpose – it’s not always going to pop.
Artwork is something that is truly personal, as each person finds beauty in different pieces. We love how Mel Bochner’s cool artwork brings playfulness to a room. No one else is going to have the exact same pieces as you, displayed in the exact same ways, so you can instantly customise the space and make it feel more luxe.
A Space Simply Isn’t Complete without Artwork
At the end of the day, a room and a home just isn’t complete without the final touches – which is artwork.
Celebrating Christmas With These Simple Designs
Christmas is an exciting celebration that allows you to spend time with the people you love. If it is your turn to accommodate this year’s Christmas festivities, or you enjoy being the host, finding ways to celebrate Christmas using these simple design ideas will make the celebrations memorable for the right reasons. The key to successful results is to dedicate time and research into the design process. This can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have knowledge in this area. If you are wondering where to start, then here are some general rules to follow when designing a Christmas entertaining space.
Get the Lighting Right at Christmas
Lights are a huge part of Christmas. When designing a Christmas entertaining space, you should evaluate the area and find innovative ways to improve the lighting system. As well as using Christmas decorations, this can be done by using different coloured bulbs in your original lighting, which can make the room feel more Christmassy. Scented candles can create the perfect mood, as they feel cosy and influence the aroma.
Create Plenty of Space
Having enough space to accommodate for all of your friends and family this Christmas is essential for keeping everyone happy and comfortable in your home. If you have enough seating, but it isn’t in one room, then rearranging your furniture to fit all of your guests into your entertaining space is highly recommended. Decluttering your shelves and investing in multifunctional furniture is also a smart and cheap way to create space in your home.
Use What You Have
There is a high chance that your home already has various opportunities that could be leveraged for Christmas decorations without you realising. When you use your imagination and allow yourself to be really creative, you will be able to do loads with your pre-existing decorations and furniture. This can include your fireplace, seating, lighting and even your wallpaper. This way, you don’t have to make any long-term commitments.
Try Some New Ideas with Christmas Decorations
Using this opportunity to experiment with your Christmas decorations and design ideas is highly recommended. You will have the chance to try some great ideas that you may have thought about in the past, but didn’t feel brave enough to carry out at the time. Break out of the red and green mould and try using the warm toasty shades of spices and gingerbread to get into the festive spirit. Most of these changes can be temporary, but you could also use this time to throw in some extra non-Christmas ideas that you want to iterate on.
Decorate Your Christmas Tree
Your Christmas tree will be the main feature in your home during the festive season. This means you should make it highly visible to your guests by placing one in the entrance and/or the main room that they will spend time in. You should let your creativity run wild and make sure that your home is decorated to meet the theme of your Christmas tree. An impressive tree and matching decorations in the home will amaze everyone.
Designing an attractive Christmas entertaining space requires time and creativity, but the results will make it worthwhile. When done correctly, you will be able to host Christmas and impress your guests with ease.
Happy Christmas from everyone at Shalini Misra.