Written by Lisa Proffitt | 13th November 2020
In this year like no other, 2020 has seen most of us spending more time confined to our own four walls than ever before. Long overdue home improvement jobs were tackled, rooms freshly painted, cupboards decluttered and gardens planted. Chicken keeping went stratospheric.
In the currently vibrant housing market, home offices and outdoor entertaining spaces are top of many home buyers’ wish lists after the experience of the summer lockdown. Design trends for 2021 have been influenced by the pandemic too. So what top trends can we expect to see in fashion-forward homes next year?
1. Pink bathrooms: Most of us love a hotel bathroom or a spa and pink is the surprising colour being touted as the shade to brave if you’re considering a 2021 bathroom makeover. Hot pink will appeal to a psychedelic minority, but subtle blush tones alongside greys and other darker colours work beautifully together for a statement look. Glossy tiles and chunky brass taps complete the look.
2. Luxury vintage: Buying vintage is far more environmentally friendly than buying new, but rather than junk shop finds, the emphasis for 2021 is on quality antique furniture. Local auction houses have online sales now and you can often pick up exactly what you’re looking for on vintage websites such as Vinterior, 1st Dibs, and Ebay.
3. All-white kitchens: Sales of hand sanitisers and anti-bacterial sprays skyrocketed as a result of the pandemic. An obsession with cleanliness has gripped us all and with it a return to a penchant for all-white kitchens. While other rooms in the home are predicted to feature bolder and brighter colour choices in 2021, there has been a significant rise in searches for ‘white kitchen’ this year, including white worktops, reflecting a desire for clean-looking cooking spaces.
4. Brave Ground: With positive vaccine news lifting the country’s spirits, hope is high for more time spent outdoors in 2021. The classic interior design trend of bringing the outside in has been important to our mental health this year and will continue to be so in 2021. Organic materials that are rich in texture will feature heavily - from raw, untreated woods to marble, stone tiles, linens and ceramics. Dulux’s colour of 2021 is Brave Ground, a warm putty neutral. The team at Dulux surely had a sixth sense as the colour was chosen and named before the pandemic, making it sound a symbol of hope for 2021.
5. Smart homes: Once the preserve of homes of the super wealthy, automated household items are now a feature of homes across price brackets. Covid-19 has accelerated the trend with no-touch tech like voice and sensor-controlled taps and lights set to become a boom industry in 2021.
6. Keeping chickens: Along with growing your own veg this year, during the summer lockdown chicken keeping became so popular that there were waiting lists for hens and coops. In 2021 more people than ever will follow through on their chicken keeping dreams. Contact Fresh Start for Hens and The Hen Welfare Trust if you’d like to give an ex-bat hen a second chance at life.
7. Houseplants: According to the Royal Horticultural Society, living with house plants has a positive effect on our mood, productivity, concentration and creativity. Not only that, plants have been proven to help reduce stress and potentially improve air quality. Larger plants such as tropical palm trees and plants with large foliage can separate spaces and reduce noise levels, useful if your home office is in an open plan part of the house.
8. Outdoor rooms: Outside entertaining spaces, whether a large party barn, converted car port or small terrace have been life-savers this year. Sales of rattan furniture and hot tubs soared. This trend will continue apace in 2021 and these outdoor rooms will be styled as carefully as indoor rooms with sofas, dining tables and all the sort furnishings that can be mustered to make the space as cosy and inviting as possible.
9. Sustainability: Mass-produced plastics are the enemy of the environment. Think instead of wicker or rattan chairs, knitted blankets and jute rugs. Items made of recycled plastics or bioplastics - plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources - will become the norm in 2021 as we aspire to zero waste in our homes.
10. Luxury items: After Big Ben bonged in 2020 this year, excited talk of the new roaring twenties was short lived. With holidays cancelled and shops and restaurants closed, many of us felt justified in splashing out on some of life's little luxuries. Cashmere blankets, scented candles and artisan soaps all add a touch of luxe in the home. The Danes have a word for it. 'Hygge' - the Danish concept of cosiness and comfort that we all need a bit more of in these socially distant times.
11. Sunshine Yellow: The world would be a happier place if we all had one sunshine yellow wall or canary yellow sofa in our homes. Sunshine shades lift our mood and fill us with optimism. Spring daffodils are one of the cheeriest sights in the world. By the time jugs of them decorate our kitchen tables in 2021 let’s hope we’ll have left the gloom of 2020 far behind.
If you’re thinking of making 2021 the year of your next house move, why not contact us about a free market appraisal? Our Michael Graham team are standing by and would love to help get you moving safely towards your new 2021 home.