It is fair to say that COVID19 changed not only how we interact with others but how we interact with our spaces at home. After being locked down for more than a year homes have become not just the place we take time away but our offices, our schools, our studios, and more. All across the world people have had to get creative with their space in order to make the most of their increased time at home. Furthermore, style is not the sole point of a home anymore. Due to the increased amount of time people spend in their living spaces comfort has become increasingly important to most, often surpassing visual aesthetics in terms of importance. All of this has shaped the way people design their homes and the pieces they decide to bring in. Going into the Summer of 2021 here are our five favorite design trends everyone has to look out for.
COVID saw many people escaping densely populated urban areas during lockdown. Not only was it hard to not feel trapped when you don’t have a yard, but many felt safer not being in crowded cities and sought the fresh air of the countryside. The boom of Cottagecore is in large part due to this trend. Following the escape from the cities many people found refuge in a simpler, quieter life in rural areas and thus a re-awakened romanticism of country life was born.
At its center Cottagecore focuses on simplicity and comfort. Feeling cozy in one’s home is of the utmost importance, in addition to an appreciation of nature and the simpler things in life. For this style think of softer colors, rounded furniture, a home garden, and a sudden love of knitting (yes even in the dead of Summer). Imagine your home was a picturesque cottage for fairies in your favorite childhood story mixed with a smidgen of design tips from your beloved grandmother.
We’ve seen waves of Minimalism come and go over the years. Clean lines, and less clutter has become increasingly popular since Marie Kondo taught us to only keep the things in our lives that bring us joy. However, this new wave of Minimalism has less to do with aesthetics and more to do with functionality.
Following the traditional Japanese approach to design people are now focusing more on how to create effective multifunctional spaces. As many of us have become full time at home employees, teachers for our kids, and more our homes have been thrown into chaos trying to juggle all that we need them to. Using lights, rugs, plants and more to create distinctive spaces in one room has become beneficial to many of us who are struggling to find balance having thrown so much into one space. Seeing that many industries, but especially the tech industry, are deciding to continue to work from home this minimalist and multifunctional trend is certainly going nowhere.
Following the romanticism of nature and rural life, earth tones and more natural color palettes have soared in popularity. Invite warm light brown hues into your home to make you feel at one with nature. Add some sage greens to complement, and as always, a light calming blue will always create a lovely serene scene in your home. As long as it is a color most likely found in nature, you are good to go.
Now more than ever people are concerned about the health of the planet, and what they can do to be more eco friendly. According to a study by the Environmental Charity Hubbub ⅙ people are making their New Year's Resolutions about being more green. One way that we’ve seen people make more environmentally friendly choices is through their décor. More and more people are buying used or restored furniture. When secondhand cannot be bought the quality of materials has become a focal point of discussion in addition to how long the item will last and what is the exact carbon footprint of such a purchase. If you’re looking for sustainable materials Bamboo is a great choice. It absorbs twice the carbon than traditional trees, is incredibly strong, grows very quickly, and is naturally antibacterial so there is no need for any scary chemicals to keep the bacteria at bay.
As we all know, one of the best things about Summer are the longer days and increased amounts of sunshine. This summer buy some new sheer drapery to let in all the light you can. If possible opt for a living space with large open windows and if you can get lights that mimic the light given by the sun, you won’t regret it.
