The Top 2021 Home Trends

We talked to designers, gathered search trends and compared style reports. The top home trends are in, and there's one thing they all have in common: a happy ambiance for a bright year ahead.

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January 11, 2021

By: Caroline Alkire

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The Trends Are In

Home decor in 2021 is giving us a hug after the year we've had — in the form of cozy cottagecore spaces, curved and welcoming furnishings, comforting color palettes and playful designs. We’re blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors and turning our homes into functional and organized (and cute!) havens. Keep scrolling for a full 2021 trends report.

From: Marie Flanigan Interiors

Cottagecore

And by cottagecore we mean dried flowers, floral curtains, taper candles (with gold holders, of course), ruffled bedding, reclaimed wood. Think Taylor Swift’s Folklore album art, and why not throw in Evermore for extra inspo. Cottagecore is Euro-rustic, woodsy and cozy, and it’s one of the top five most Googled home trends, according to Share to Buy. Leanne Ford even renovated her kitchen cottagecore-style, which is reason enough to assume the style is here to stay.

Cozy Bathroom Sanctuaries

As Eyeswoon designer Athena Caldrone says, a bathroom is a means of escape: a quiet, relaxing space to decompress. So, we’re extra-happy about the fact that Yelp cited sanctuary-like bathrooms as a 2021 trend. Some simple ways to create a moody bathroom: dimmed lighting, candles and eucalyptus. Plus, Athena suggests reglazing (she’s done it in her own home!), a cost-effective alternative to buying a new tub or installing new tile. “It’s the best way to give a bathroom an extra-clean, new feel,” she says.

See More Photos: 75 Dreamy, Spa-Inspired Bathrooms

Shelfies

Say hello to the shelfie: a cozy shelving setup in the corner of your kitchen. Pinterest saw a rise in searches for clay dishes, kitchen plate racks, colored glasses and copper pots. We’ll gladly invest in some extra-cute accessories just to show them off on open shelves. Our inspo: A Beautiful Mess blogger Elsie Larson’s colorful corner (she decorated her shelves with vintage dishes).

See More Photos: 6 Creative Ways to Use Rainbow In Any Space

From: HGTV Magazine

Indoor/Outdoor Living Spaces

Yes, we want to leave the house without actually leaving the house. Enter outdoor cooking and dining spaces, the cool spots to hang in 2021, according to Yelp. And then there’s “friluftsliv,” the Norwegian concept of getting outdoors. Etsy’s calling it the new hygge. We can’t wait.

See More Photos: The Best Porch, Patio and Deck Ideas From Across America

From: HGTV Magazine

Natural Everything

No, we’re not tired of natural textures and accessories just yet. Bringing the outside inside can help our minds and spirits, says Jenna Rivers, co-founder and creative director of Anaya Home. "Accent pieces in natural elements such as cane wicker can transport you to tropical destinations and add a touch of wanderlust," she says. And Roxy Te Owens, founder and creative director of Society Social agrees naming rattan, wicker, cane, grasscloth and teak as popular materials for home design in 2021. Colors and patterns are taking on a more natural aesthetic as well: Floral wallpaper is a top Google trend, according to Share to Buy, while designers cited an uptick in warm, earthy color palettes in the annual 1st Dibs Design Survey.

Decorating With Antiques

Your grandma’s furniture is cool again. The Grandmillennial movement we’ve all come to know and love popped into 2020 like a breath of dusty, old air (in a really good way, of course) and it’s piqued our inner antique-dealer. It’s now acceptable to collect as many gold framed paintings, stone vases and creaky wooden rocking chairs as possible. Yep, Leanne Ford’s carriage house bedroom — complete with vintage bed frames — is our ideal 2021 aesthetic.

See More: Erin Napier Is an Early Adopter of the Grandmillennial Trend

Multipurpose Living Spaces

We all spent way more time at home this year than expected, and now we’re ready to get creative. According to Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson, 2021 is all about restoring balance (yes, it’s time to make the most of your office/bedroom/home gym). Multi-functional furniture and accessories — murphy beds, foldable desks, room dividers — are must-haves. Plus, if you’ve got unused space, try transforming it into a cozy nook, like Pinterest’s pinnacle home trend, the cloffice (one part closet, one part office).

See More Photos: 5 Creative Ways to Use the Spare Space Under Your Staircase

From: HGTV Magazine

Modern Rustic

Home design is going modern — but with a twist. Traditional materials such as marble, stone and wood are taking on contemporary shapes in round end tables, curved chairs and circular coffee tables. Plus, designers, like Eyeswoon’s Athena, are warming up stark, modern vignettes with rustic, wooden touches and gold accessories (“Try mixing traditional heirlooms with edgy pieces,” says Athena). Expert Nancy Fire agrees. In the High Point Market Style Report she says, “Adding dimensional texture through updated material mixing allows one to see the beauty and sophistication of style.”

From: Caroline Alkire

Japandi Aesthetic

Japanese design meets Scandinavian style in Pinterest’s now-popular iteration of minimalism, Japandi. Let us paint a picture for you: sleek lines, earthy color palettes, wooden furniture, pampas grass and modern accessories. In other words, the Japandi aesthetic is a majorly mellow 2021 mood (as is Athena's super-cool Japandi home office).

Kitchen Refresh

We’ve all been spending ample time in the kitchen (cooking and eating) — so a revival may be in the works. Kitchen trends to look out for, according to Yelp: islands and quartz countertops (for an inexpensive alternative to quartz, try quartz-look concrete). And if you really want a refresh: “Switching out countertops and changing out finishes is totally transformational,” says Athena. “Try painting over honey-colored cabinets or installing stylish (yet cost-effective) butcher block countertops.” And to be clear, refresh doesn’t mean gut-reno. Small touches — like black grout against white tile, for a graphic punch, or a vertical subway-tiled backsplash — make a difference.

See More Photos: 35+ Kitchen Design Ideas for From Top Designers

Color, Color, Color

On the bright side of 2021, get ready for color and playful design. For Beth Diana Smith, owner and principal designer of Beth Diana Smith Interior Design and HomeGoods style expert, this means, “bold statement pieces like ceramic vases and decorative boxes, and of course art which is an important element in any home.” So yes, you’ll be seeing vibrant hues this year, specifically neon, according to Pinterest. The company cited neon lights as up-and-coming. Say hello to color-drenched lighting and super-cool, moody spaces.

See More Photos: 50+ Paint Shades We Love and How You Can Use Them

Celebrate Cultural Heritage

"This year, we saw a greater focus on cultural design tied to embracing one’s ethnicity, background and traditions, which I hope will continue far past 2021," says Beth. Do like she does, and frame old family photos and keepsakes using a mix of metal and wooden frames, varying in sizes and styles. “The different frame styles will help to showcase stages of your family and life,” says Beth.

Home Offices

Organization is key for a functional home office, but so is aesthetic. “As we spend more time in our homes many rooms are playing double duty, whether it’s the dining room that is also a home office, or an alcove turned into a Zoom school area it’s especially important to stay organized,” says Tara Lewis, Yelp trend expert. Shelving, small cabinets and lidded baskets can get your space organized while art, framed photos and cool desk calendars make it cozy. Peep author Jason Reynold's super-organized, decked out home office.

See More Photos: The Story of Jason Reynolds' Cool and Creative Row Home

From: HGTV Magazine

Curves

Three words: Round-edged furniture. We mean sofas, chairs, coffee tables and end tables. “Large boxy sectionals are being swapped out for pieces with a softer, more shapely design aesthetic,” says designer Don Ricardo Massenburg in the Highpoint Style Report. And accessories are following suit as well. Designer Lily Bunn cites round pillows a delightful new trend. “You can add them to your outdoor furniture or even lay them on the floor in the living room," says designer and HomeGoods Style Expert Lilly Bunn.

From: SPG Architects

Sky Blue

With renewal in mind, Etsy trends experts named its Color of the Year sweet Sky Blue. Hello, tranquility. We’ll happily layer blue accessories into our spaces, like Lilly did here, if it means we can finally relax in 2021. And designer Rachel Cannon cited soft shades as an up-and-coming staple in home color palettes, according to the High Point Market Style Report. She means seafoams, pastel pinks and corals — tones that pair beautifully with Sky Blue.

Cozy Materials

We want it cozy and neutral. In the High Point Style Report, designer Joanna Hawley-McBride cites textural wovens, snuggly sherpa and faux furs, slubby chenilles and shaggy upholstery as popular 2021 materials. “It’s almost like letting your home decor give you a great big hug, especially when displayed in conjunction with the curvilinear trend we’re seeing now, too,” says Joanna.

From: Allison Lind

The Top 2021 Home Trends

Shop This Look

The Trends Are In

Cottagecore

Cozy Bathroom Sanctuaries

Shelfies

Indoor/Outdoor Living Spaces

Natural Everything

Decorating With Antiques

Multipurpose Living Spaces

Modern Rustic

Japandi Aesthetic

Kitchen Refresh

Color, Color, Color

Celebrate Cultural Heritage

Home Offices

Curves

Sky Blue

Cozy Materials

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