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 Style trends come and go when it comes to interior design and can leave your home looking outdated and not exactly fresh.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.

by Shalini Misra

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.

by Shalini Misra

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.

by Shalini Misra

How to Design a Listed Building

Most listed buildings have some kind of architectural importance. Historic England decides whether or not a building meets the criteria to be classed as listed. In the UK, there are currently over 500,000 listed buildings.

Most architects love the idea of working on listed buildings. But while these projects are often more interesting, they do need to be handled more sensitively. The key to achieving a successful result is investing plenty of time in the design process and understanding the building itself.

What should we know about the building before we start taking on this huge challenge, and where do we start? Here are some general rules you should follow if you want to make the most out of designing your listed property:

Assess the Building Before Designing

Before designing a listed building, you need to assess the original structure. You need to think about the key features of the property and find out whether it has already been extended in the past. You will also need to think about producing a plan that highlights the different ages of the house. Most conservation officers will want you to avoid knocking down historic walls, but you may be able to make a few small changes if you have a good reason.

It’s important to pay close attention to the features of a listed building. These features will need to be incorporated into your design. Retaining existing features such as windows and fireplaces is important unless you have good reason to replace them e.g. they’re unsafe. If the current features of the property don’t fit with your design idea, then it might be an idea to cover them up instead of removing them.

Expose Period Features

The original features in most listed buildings are hidden behind previous renovations or wallpaper. If you're planning on re-designing a property, then it’s a good idea to expose these features before you finalise your design. This may need you to have to remove internal fittings. The best design ideas accentuate the period features of a property. You can accentuate the period features of a property by using lights.

Maximise Space

The majority of listed buildings in the UK are small in size. If you’re looking to increase the amount of space in your listed property, then why not consider opening up the previously hidden roof voids. Doing this will not only make your property feel more spacious but it will also add character too.

The Interior Layout

If you want to make the most out of your property, remove internal walls to extend smaller darker rooms into bigger open-plan spaces. While doing this, consider whether it’s worth changing the layout of the property. Remember, living and kitchen spaces are used more regularly than other rooms, so these spaces should benefit from the best views.

Anyone can successfully design a listed building as long as they embrace and understand the building’s character. Just think, when the building work is complete, not only will you have a beautiful home to be proud of, but you’ll also ensure its historic contribution and longevity for years to come.

by Shalini Misra

Keeping Living Walls in the Home

Lots of people want to add a bit of colour and personality to their homes. One way you can do this is by adding a living wall. Over the last few years, the popularity of living walls has increased tremendously. This DIY project is a brilliant addition to your home and is super simple to create. If you want to know more about living walls and how to take care of one, then keep reading below:

Preparation is Key When Building Your Living Wall

Before building your living wall you need to decide where it will be located in your home. You will also need to work out whether you want it to be large or small. Once you’ve done this you can start searching for the best plants. You will need to find out information about the plants you choose e.g. how to care for them properly, how much space they require, and whether or not they like sunlight. This will help you to take care of your living wall.

credit: looklocalmagazine.com

Choose Healthy Plants For Your Living Wall

If you want your living wall to look amazing, make sure you purchase healthy plants. When choosing your plants, it’s a good idea to check to make sure that they are in good condition and have been well looked after.

Remember to Water Your Plants

It’s important to remember to water your plants as soon as you get them. If you’re not going to use them straight away, store them in a safe area at the right temperature. Remember, not all plants have the same care requirements, so it’s important to do some research into the best ways to care for a particular plant.

Top Tips for Keeping a Plant Wall

Here are some of our top tips for keeping a plant wall in the home:

• Living plant walls should be watered every 2-3 days depending on the climate. Remember, plants need more water in summer. Dry compost indicates the plants need water; wet compost means they are fine.
• Attach a waterproof membrane to the wall – this will help prevent damp issues on the wall
• Plant care – if you purchase flowering plants, you’ll need to remember to remove dead blooms. This will help encourage new flowers later in the season. If you're thinking of adding some foliage plants to your flower wall, then you'll need to remember to snip off dead leaves and tidy them up when needed. If you want to include annual plants in your flower wall, then it’s a good idea to give them some liquid feed every few weeks in summer.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen living walls becoming one of the hottest trends around, and this is unlikely to change in the near future. But how do you go about keeping living walls at home? If you’re interested in keeping a living wall in your home, then follow some of our advice above. Don’t forget, you can create an attractive focal point using artificial flowers too!

by Shalini Misra

How to Use Natural Materials in the Home

A number of things can affect how we feel – our diet, sleep, and exercise – but did you know that the environment can also have an impact? It’s true, the amount of sunlight we get, the colour of our walls, and the materials we use in our homes can make a massive difference to how we feel.

It’s therefore important to know that introducing natural materials into your homes can have a positive impact on your well-being and your health. In fact, research has shown that using natural materials in your home can actually make you healthier.

In the past, using natural materials in the home evoked images of dreary colour tones and sackcloth. However, this has now changed. Nowadays, natural materials are more popular than ever. While many of us like the idea of using natural materials in our homes, it's often hard to know where to start. So, in order to help you, we’ve made a list of some of the ways you can include natural materials in your home:

Look for the Unusual When Redesigning Your Home

When it comes to redesigning your home, it pays to be innovative. Instead of purchasing ready-made items, why not look for something a little bit different? For example, you could use a piece of driftwood or an old railway sleeper as a mantelpiece above a fire. Not only does this look great and save money, but it’s also more environmentally friendly too.

Use Natural Stone To Add Texture

If you're wanting to add some natural materials into your kitchen or bathroom, why not consider using marble? This material is perfect for giving you the texture, tone, and patterns that man-made alternatives cannot match. Marble is a brilliant choice of material for a kitchen, as it can withstand high heats and is easily cleaned, but it’s important to be aware of its drawbacks, too.

 Create a Firewood Display

One way to add natural materials to your home if you have a log-burning stove or open fire is to create a firewood display where you can store all of your unused firewood. Having this on display will introduce natural tones and textures to the environment and make it feel cosier.

Use Recycles or Reclaimed Materials

Upcycling, recycling, and using reclaimed materials always looks good in a home. You could turn old doors into shelving, or you could use old scaffolding planks to make some storage units.

Contrast Natural Materials with Metallic Objects

Contrasting your natural materials with metallic objects will help to make your home look and feel amazing. Metallic objects help to add warmth to a home. Over the last few years, we’ve noticed a huge increase in the number of people adding copper accessories and items to their homes. However, unless they are complemented by natural materials, these items may make a room feel dark and dismal.

No matter what type of property you own, you’ll be able to find a way to successfully include natural materials in your home. For example, if you own a luxurious modern apartment, then travertine tiles might be a good choice for you, but if you own an old cottage, then a cobbled wall fireplace would look amazing. If you're wanting to use natural materials in your home, then why not try out some of our ideas above?

by Shalini Misra

Lockdown Luxuries: Adding Comfort to Your Home

Over the past few months, many of us have found ourselves working from home or spending more time at home because of the coronavirus. While staying at home isn’t ideal, there are some things we can do to make the experience more enjoyable. One way we can do this is by making our homes a more inviting and comfortable space.

The minute we walk into a space we can tell whether or not it feels comfortable, warm, and inviting. And by warm, we don’t mean turning up the heating. It’s the personal touches such as the lighting and the way your furniture is arranged that can make your home feel more relaxing. There are a few simple things you can do to make any space feel more comfortable. Here are some of our top tips to help you add comfort to your home:

Improve the Lighting in Your Home

The type of lighting you have in your home can have a huge impact on how comfortable it is. Why not install an innovative pendant or a luxury chandelier from Tom Dixon in your home? These items will make any space feel more luxurious and comfortable. There are some amazing options available to suit any space or room.

Credit: Tom Dixon

Use Luxury Candles in Your Home

No space is complete without a candle. Candles help to make us feel relaxed and comfortable in our homes. If you’re looking for a bit of luxury, consider purchasing a handmade natural wax scented candle. The candles from Lauren Dickinson Clarke, for example, are the perfect choice as they’re full of personality and are crafted using the best possible ingredients. These candles come in a range of designs and smells to suit your taste, including the Moody Muse Collection and the Performer Scented Candle.

Credit: Lauren Dickinson Clarke

Use Handcrafted Furniture

In an age of instant gratification and constant upgrades, people often don’t consider investing in handcrafted furniture, but there’s nothing more luxurious than a home full of furniture made by hand. This type of furniture is an investment and unlike flat-pack furniture, it’s built to last. Handcrafted furniture will look amazing in your home for many years to come.

Giobagnara is a luxury brand that is well known for its elegance and distinctive creations. Their pieces are available in a range of colours. This means that no matter what colour scheme you have in your home, you’ll be able to find the perfect item for you.

Credit: Giobagnara

Add Textiles - Luxury Throws & Cushions

Lots of us are trying to make our homes feel more relaxed and comfortable at the minute. After all, we’re having to spend much more time in them than we used to. One way you can do this is by adding luxury throws and cushions to a room. You can find these items in a range of textures and designs to suit your needs.

We all need a little bit of luxury in our lives. Thanks to coronavirus, the last few months have been tough for us all, and that’s unlikely to change in the near future. This is why we need to make our time at home more comfortable and enjoyable. Making your home feel more comfortable doesn’t have to be difficult.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that can make a home feel more relaxing. For example, displaying some fresh flowers, the smell of freshly baked cookies, and adding some pillows or throws to the furniture. Why not try out some of our ideas above to make your home feel more luxurious and comfortable?

by Shalini Misra

Interior Guide to Halloween

Get really creative

Halloween is a great opportunity to play around with the design and decoration of your home without committing to any long-term changes. It’s also one of the chances you have through the year to get really creative and to break some boundaries that would normally raise a few eyebrows. But as fun as decorating for the spooky season can be, it can also come with some strings attached that people often tend to ignore.

Play with What You Already Have

You probably already have various opportunities around the house that can be leveraged for Halloween decorations without even realizing it. A lot can be done with pre-existing furniture and decorations without changing the current setup too much. Wallpapers can add a lot to the atmosphere of a room, and with a little creativity you might be able to play on the existing images to create a new scene. Take a special look at your lighting too. If you have any adjustable lights, you can easily shift the tone of the aesthetics in your home with just a few small changes. Proper lighting can add a lot to that perfect spooky atmosphere!

Use the Opportunity to Experiment

This is also a great chance to try out some new ideas that you might have had in your head but were never brave enough to attempt. After all, you’re doing everything with the idea that it’s temporary and will be taken down once the holiday is over. So, use the opportunity to throw in some extra changes that don’t necessarily have to do with Halloween, but are rather ideas you want to iterate on. Worst case scenario, you’ll only have to deal with them until Halloween is over, and then you’ll know exactly what works and what doesn’t – and why.

by Shalini Misra

How to Pivot Your Space

For many people, 2020 has been the year they were forced to work remotely from their home. With so many businesses shuttered either temporarily or indefinitely, employees have had to create new office space at home, with short notice and probably not much vision. If you’ve come to the realisation that this will be a more long-term reality for you – working from home – then it’s probably worth putting some time, effort, and planning into your office space so that it works in a more effective way.

Here we’ll take a look at how you can pivot your space, in particular your dining room. We’ll give you tips and ideas on how a dining room can act as the perfect office during the day, and then back to a dining room at night or on the weekends.

Choose a Comfortable Dining Set

In order for your home office space to be comfortable you need to have a comfortable dining set that will play double duty. It needs to give you ample space to spread out during your working hours, and feature a chair that is comfortable and supportive, and it needs to also serve as the perfect dining table for you and your guests.

Take a look at this set. As you can see the table itself is very modern, streamlined, and understated acting as a perfect complement to the decor, but you can see it would also give more than enough space as your work station during the day. Pivoting from one use to the next is simple with a set like this.

Ensure You Have Enough Storage Space

In order to pivot a space you also need to be able to clear away any signs that the space was used for another purpose. For example, shoving all your files and computer to the edge of the table is not pivoting, and you won’t get that true sense of multi-purpose space.

What this means is that you need enough storage space to pack up your gear at the end of your workday and turn your office back into a dining room. Keep in mind storage doesn’t have to look like typical office storage space, you can get creative with your solutions so that it blends better into the décor of that room.

Use a Tri-Fold Privacy Screen

If you have other people at home with you during the day and you’re finding that you’re struggling for privacy, a privacy screen could work out perfect. These folding screens can act as décor when not in use, and also provide that practical solution that you are so desperately in need of. Because you can fold them and move them around the room, they aren’t a permanent fixture you have to worry about.

Your Dining Room Can Easily Work as Two Rooms

By following these simple tips, you’ll find that it’s very easy to pivot from home office space during the day, to a fully functional and stylish dining room in the evenings.

by Shalini Misra

Maximising A Small Outdoor Space

Outdoor space is something many people long for, that private space to call your own. Having your own slice of nature that you don’t have to share with others can really drive a person’s home property purchase or rental decision. So what happens if you are lucky to have found a home with outdoor space but the space itself is quite small? It could be a small terrace, a balcony, a small garden, or even a patio. How can you maximise it so you get the most use and enjoyment out of it?

Here we’ve put together a few basic and specific design steps you can follow that will make it possible for you to really make the most of your outdoor space, and even have it feel bigger than it actually is.

Choose Furniture that Fits the Space

The first tip is to ensure you’re picking furniture that fits the space. All too often homeowners can get lost in the aesthetic of a particular piece not thinking how it will work in terms of size. If you have a small space then you will likely want to veer away from the typical oversized outdoor furniture that is popular and trendy.

Instead opt for streamlined and minimal pieces, such as these.

As you can see the emphasis is placed on the decor rather than the actual furniture pieces, which are kept small and basic.

Opt for a Vertical Garden

If you don't have a lot of ground space to work with but you're itching for your own garden, a vertical garden or flower wall can be the perfect solution. These styles of gardens use vertical space rather than horizontal, making them ideal for small spaces. Popular plants to grow on outside walls include climbing bushes and flowers, and think about things like ivy.

Just make sure that when shopping for plants you also give thought to your light/shade conditions as this will determine which plants work best for you.
And if a garden wall isn't possible either, you can always go the route of potted plants.

Decor Will Help to Set the Stage

Now just because your outdoor space may be on the small side doesn't mean you should skip out on decor. In fact decor is an excellent way to make a small space feel more cohesive and well thought out. Some of the most popular décor items include throw pillows, blankets, table décor like candles and lanterns, dishes, and more.

Use an Outdoor Rug as an Anchor

Another trick is to use an outdoor rug to define and anchor the space. You can also choose a pattern that plays tricks on the eyes and actually makes the space look bigger. Just be sure it is in fact suited for outdoor use so that it doesn’t end up getting ruined.

A Small Space that Feels Big

Using these tips will not only help you to maximise your outdoor space, but it will help create the illusion of space and style.

by Shalini Misra