DECORATING TRENDS FOR 2021
Oh, we all love decorating trends! They give us a feel for what directions the interior design industry will be going in. And I particularly love them for their “train wreck” value! No matter your motive decorating trends are fun to know about! Here’s a look at decorating trends for 2021.
I always start my decorating trend posts with this disclaimer…
Trend are just that, trends!
DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER
Seriously, friends! I’m just sharing what I am seeing! You may be happy about these trends or not. But please know that it’s my job and joy to share them.
You have no idea how many emails I get every time I do a trends post! And sometimes they can be a bit testy! So be kind!
UNDERSTANDING TRENDS
First, all trends are just great guesses. The design industry (including blogs) look ahead to see what they feel will be showing up strong in the near future.
Second, trends are just that. Trends!
That does not mean you can’t love what you have or are in any way compelled to change. When I do trend posts I get tons of emails from upset readers telling me why they love what they have and won’t embrace change!
Trends are not about changing your style, but offering you thought-provoking ways to see how design changes the way we live.
For example, I see wallpaper coming in very strong in 2021. And I love wallpaper.
I have a beautiful wallpaper to put in our powder room. But I’m not going to paper the whole house! That’s just not my style!
And lastly, trends often contradict one another. And yes, that can be confusing.
Here’s what I mean. This year I see warm neutrals and naturals will still having a big, big presence. And I’m also seeing beautiful colors like saturated yellows and blues big this year.
That’s because design is like fashion. There is not a one size fits all trend! Designers have different niches and manufacturers carry many different styles to satisfy consumers’ different tastes.
So think of competing trends as offering fresh ideas in decor for everyone’s decorating preferences.
Now let’s look at 10 decorating trends for 2021 that are pushing forward this year.
NEUTRALS ARE STILL STRONG CONTENDERS
Neutrals have taken on a much warmer tone last year and this trend will be picking up even more in 2021.
Can you believe beige is a trending color?
Warmer tones like camel and sand and even taupe are making it big in the design industry for 2021.
INDUSTRY VIEW
Again, it’s all about the effect of Covid and staying at home. Warm neutrals are welcoming and cozy and soothing! And they help one space flow into another effortlessly!
MY TWO CENTS
Of course, I love this trend! I’m all about warm and welcoming neutrals. One big thing to remember when decorating with neutrals is to add tons of texture! That makes neutral rooms look beautiful!
I think we are moving away, and have been the last couple of years, from so much white! This thrills me. I adore white, but it does look a bit sterile if not warmed up by toastier tones and other accent colors.
Neutrals might not always be the hot thing. But they are classic. And an economical way to decorate!
PEEL AND STICK WALLPAPER
Wallpaper is making a HUGE comeback! It started last year and has built up so much momentum! You will be seeing lots of pretty, updated patterns and style coming your way in 2021.
INDUSTRY VIEW
This is not your mother’s wallpaper! The trend towards peel and stick repositional wallpaper is riding high right now!
Now renters can wallpaper their apartments and homes. And all kinds of nooks and crannies can benefit from a little design!
And we no longer have to chisel, scrape and steam paper off of our walls.
Wallpaper something B-I-G this year.
MY TWO CENTS
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LOVE! I am 100 percent all over this trend.
I love the idea of a little bit of wallpaper. You will not see the Tanglewood house slathered in wallpaper! However, I am going to wallpaper our powder room with the pretty wallpaper above! It’s sitting next to me in my study as I am typing this post!
I like the idea of being able to easily remove wallpaper without mess and lots of struggle.
This trend is very appealing to me! And it should be to you too!
GRANDMILLINIAL STYLE
The pendulum swings! Move out Scandinavian and Mid Century Modern and welcome the newest and biggest design change of the decade… Grandmillinial!
THE INDUSTRY VIEW
The style is called “millennial” because the younger crowd of decorators are discovering the joys of patterns and embellishments and layer upon layer. It’s the millennial’s counterpoint to Mid Century Modern.
It’s a bit over the top with modernized chintz and color and “granny chic”.
The young set are taking the patterned traditional furnishing of their parents and grandparents and using it in their own way.
This style is maximal to the max!
MY TWO CENTS
If you are old enough to remember the 90’s and the big hair, big shoulder pads and big ostentatious homes then you will probably think, “been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and don’t need to do it again”.
However, I am very interested in this style.
I sort of love it because I love color and pattern and it is really fun and over the top. It’s a fresh take on traditional meets shabby chic style.
This style’s roots reach back to icons like Sister Parish. It is bold and fun and a mix of color and pattern!
And part of me thinks, “this style is a trendy trainwreck”! “What are YOU thinking”? I would not be caught dead with this in my house. At least not now!
But again, I sort of love it! There is just something about the grandmillennial style.
This is definitely a young, young at heart and adventurous trend.
DARKER MOODY COLORS
Darker colors will take their place beside their alter ego neutrals this year!
INDUSTRY VIEW
These colors are dramatic and cozy and again the opposite of airy, open neutrals.
Moody blues were all the rage last year and this year dark greens and spicy pumpkins and almost black bronze will take their place along with darker blues.
These darker colors will show up on walls and kitchen cabinets and on sofas and chairs.
MY TWO CENTS
I love the look but you really have to commit to pull off dark colors.
Moody colors look best on walls in a bedroom or in studies. They also look amazing on sofas, but again the furnishing in a room with a dark and moody colored sofa must also be just about as strong.
One thing I’m seeing is dark cabinetry in kitchens. I adore them. But a word of caution. They are trendy and what happens when they look oh so 2021? Replacing them or painting them will be costly!
Here’s my take on almost any trend. LOVE the trends! But the bigger the ticket price of a trendy thing the more I’d think about adding it to my home.
So I’d play it safe on dark moody kitchen cabinets and paint the walls a darker color or use moody accents.
WICKER, CANING, AND RATTAN
Wood and wicker and natural furnishing are big in 20201. We will see less chippy painted furniture and more wood in the coming years.
Wood equals comfort! Any natural product, especially in a lighter color will be coveted in 2021!
INDUSTRY VIEW:
I’ve seen this trend coming from afar for a couple of years now. But since Covid I think we all want the texture and warmth of real wood!
Again lots of 2021 trends go back to feathering our nest with traditional comforts.
MY TWO CENTS
Bring it on! I love the look of most woods! They are textural and tactile and add warmth to our homes.
I still love painted furniture but not the chippy kind. Real wood and painted furniture work beautifully together.
Just me personally, I could live without golden oak. I’m working on getting that wood out of our Tanglewood house.
TRADITIONAL STYLING IS ON THE RISE
Again, because of Covid, a need for safety and familiar things is strong. No wonder traditional styling is coming back.
INDUSTRY VIEW
Traditional styling has never really lost its luster, even though it has just not been the most popular style on the decor block.
Traditional styling is tried and true and in uncertain times it is a comforting style. It’s often known as new-traditionalism.
MY TWO CENTS
Like wallpaper, traditional style is not your mother’s traditional style. It’s a bit streamlined but the love of things like symmetry, gorgeous fabrics great proportion and timeless beauty is wanted more than ever.
It’s all about nostalgic times brought on by the pandemic and the overexposure and overuse of Mid Century Modern styling!
Choose timeless pieces done in modern fabrics and pay close attention to design concepts that promote beauty of this classic style.
My style is Transitional- a mix of a few styles with a strong foundation of new Traditional furnishings.
COLORFUL KITCHENS
Again we are seeing a shift. This time it’s away from white kitchen to more colorful versions.
INDUSTRY VIEW
Color is the new trendy thing in kitchens in 2021! Colored cabinets and appliances. Blues and green kitchens are big this year. Classy black kitchens with black and white checked floors are going to be the hot, hot new kitchen trend.
MY TWO CENTS
I talked about this trend above discussing moody darker colors. I love the look of blue painted cabinets! And a dark bronze/almost black kitchen makes me swoon! Just remember that almost anything in a kitchen is expensive to replace or repaint.
Maybe white is not on trend but white kitchens are classic. They like wood kitchens are here to stay.
If you are itching for some painted cabinets in your kitchen and have an island think about painting that! I think it might give you the change you are yearning for.
OPEN SHELVES IN KITCHENS
Open shelving is still a strong trend especially in a kitchen.
INDUSTRY VIEW
The interior design industry has had a long time love affair with open shelves.
MY TWO CENTS
Open shelves are practical and pretty! But my aversion to the greasy dust they collect makes them OUT in my book!
LESS OPEN FLOOR PLANS
Since we have spent more time at home and covet areas in our homes to work, open floor plans are proving less than perfect!
INDUSTRY VIEW
This is a huge byproduct of the way the pandemic has changed how many of us live and do business. We have moved en masse from outside the home workplace to at home workspaces.
Many companies no longer see the need to open offices again and many workers are working from home.
Open concept homes, where all the living is done in one large space, have been challenging for everyone from babies to school age children to working parents.
MY TWO CENTS
I agree that again the pandemic has changed the way we look and live and work in our homes.
Many families are seeking a less open home and one that has multi function rooms for work and play.
I don’t think we will go back to homes that are chopped up with many rooms but I do think home offices will be in great demand!
LIVABLE OUTDOOR SPACES
Livable outdoor spaces have been popular for a while now and are still trending in 2021!
INDUSTRY VIEW
The pandemic strikes again! We are seeing a sift from expansive lawns to livable space. A hammock and reading nook or a place to take Zoom calls.
It has become important to expand our living to our outside spaces.
MY TWO CENTS
This is smart living no matter where you live. I particularly love the idea of outdoor living rooms and dining rooms.
There are so many great innovations to make the outdoors comfortable like heaters and outdoor air conditioners and sound systems that work wonderfully outdoors.
Think of all the way you can expand the use of your porches, patios and lawns to be livable spaces.
There are 10 of the most notable decorating trends for 2021. Which do you love? Which will you try? Any trainwrecks? I’d love to hear from you!
I have already embraced the rattan trend by ordering an occasional chair for our living room. It has a rattan back, an upholstered solid neutral color seat & black legs & arms.. Now patiently waiting for it to arrive.
Pat, I LOVE those chairs. I think I’ll add one to my sunroom this spring. Your chair sounds beautiful. Send me a pic.
I loved this post. Fun, informative, trendy! In your opinion, what market is the best to go to? I love to decorate and am thinking of going to one this year.
There are so many fun interior design markets to attend. I went to High Point in NC and it was beyond fabulous! That is the best in the US.
Loved reading about the new trends. I personally find comfort in traditional decor, using family pieces that have been passed down to me. I can update this classic look with new area rugs, lanterns and lighting. Now more than ever so grateful for my home!
Yes, many of us are so grateful! Me too!
Yvonne, Like you I love to read the coming trends for 2021 but all decorating goes back to a couple of basic rules that you always remind d us of. First is that our homes should reflect who we are and the things we love,second is that these trends are just that and should be used or discarded as we judge best. We do not want our rooms to look like magazine layouts and third is that less is more so we must be cautious about how many new trends we adopt. Thankyou for all your great decorating advice. I can always count on you to show me how to make my home look its best.
Hi Kathy! You are a smart one! Yes, you have so deftly explained exactly how we should think about trends! Thank you!
Something for everyone. I love all the new industry trends, some more than others. Thanks for your prospective.
I love a lot of them too. They exude comfort and familiarity!
Outdoor ‘rooms’ can serve multi purposes during most of the year with outdoor fans in the summer or heaters in the winter. The issue we have in our part of the country is the wind, dust and allergies so there will be no outdoor kitchen to have to keep clean for this family. Love so many of your useful ideas.
Outdoor rooms are not for everyone. Sorry you cannot enjoy the outdoors, Carol!
I hesitate with an outdoor room adjacent to my house because it will block out all the natural light we currently get from the bank of windows across the back of our house. Maybe a cabana or something when we build the pool we’ve wanted for the last 30 years! Bugs, heat and allergens keep us from enjoying our yard.
Only someone who lives in the windy part of the country as we two do understand the downsides of an ‘outside’ room. Living in OK I feel your pain. (Ha,ha)
This post was another one of your all time bests! Having grown up in the ’50’s, I have seen it all. Mid-century modern, colonial, the avocado era, etc., etc., etc. I would just like to say and recommend that everyone love what they have and don’t let consumerism take hold and make you feel your home is less than it should be!! We built a new beautiful home in the early ’90’s. I love going to our local decorator show homes. When our home was just 2 years old, I was speaking to a designer there and asking a few questions about decor. She promptly told me that our home was “dated”. Really? I do love many of the new trends and if you like something try adding a touch of a new color, etc. and make it work with your existing design.
What a great post! Although I love many of the trends I always worry that the dark moody colors will be a hot trend. I find when I walk into a dark room it feels very ominous and I just want to run out the nearest door! If they become a real thing I will just have to ride out the storm! Kudos to those who love it and can pull it off. I guess I just need light and bright and always find myself drawn to creamy whites. Thank you again for the wonderful post.
Marcia, you don’t have to ever follow a trend. Most people don’t go all in. I will never (oops, never say never) paint a room a dark color. I feel much like you! I love to look at them but I could not live in a moody colored room.
I think I like most of the new trends, but like you, I might add some of them sparingly. I love the idea of wallpaper, but maybe on one wall in a bedroom or bathroom. Thanks for sharing!!
I went into a house the other day and their new colors were dark green and burgundy. Oh-my-lanta, talk about been there done that, no t-shirt ever again. Glad the millennials are coming to their senses with a style they won’t regret later. Well, fingers crossed. And I wish that peel and stick wall paper wasn’t so expensive. Thanks for the updates!
I loved this post. I like the fact that the trends are moving towards what I have been doing for years. I can finally feel trendy.
Oh, I love a new trend post! I’m a neutral loving gal. You won’t see lots of color on my walls or furniture. I pick up color in accessories that are easily replaced and at very little cost. I do love looking at the moody rooms and painted cupboards but not in my house.
As for millennial granny style..NO! I don’t think it will have a big following even amongst the young.
I have never liked nor understood open shelving in your kitchen. Why sacrifice cupboard space for decor in a functional kitchen? And, as you said the dust and grease from cooking. So that has been a big NO for me. I really thought that design trend would be passé by now.
I can understand why those working from home with kids online learning would want more closed spaces but I think most older retirees like the open concept.There is and will always be a market for both.
I would love to have an outdoor covered space with a fireplace but it’s not going to happen. Far too expensive at this point. I do have a covered front porch that we use a lot and a pergola out back that is perfect for drinks on a warm night.
I’m considering the peel and stick wallpaper for my main bath. Nothing loud or busy but simple like stripes. I love your choice too but with more of a warm taupe background.
Thank you for sharing the trends Yvonne!
I love the Grandmillenial style! And I also like Traditional. I’ve been combining these without giving them a title for years…Grandtraditional?
The best part of this post was reading what you thought about each of the trends!
Well, now that I’ve gone through six captchas, wow, I love to read about the trends. I’ve never done it as I love French country cottage, vintage chic and will be staying with that. I love looking though. Good post. My goodness, now I’m going through my THIRD set of captcha’s.
I found your blog when you did your last Trends of 2021 post in the late summer/early fall and have been wanting to read more about Country Chic since I’m pretty sure that’s where I’m heading. When will that post be out? Love reading your stuff and following you on social!
Yes, I have a whole post about Country Chic coming this spring.
Very good insight in your post. I especially like “You’r Two Cents” because you have experience with decorating trends and a very artistic and “livable” family “eye”. We are so limited with our little 1100 sq ft home here that changes have to be made with much thought and planning. Most times, we just can’t figure it out with a limited floor plan and how our home is designed. It is always nice to see where we might be able to make a nice change and where we might save some money while wanting to update a little bit. Thank you for the continued inspiration Yvonne.
What a fun post! I find something interesting, or at least amusing in every decor style. I’m often surprised at how one creative person can use items I’d never want and pull it all together into something pretty interesting and cool. I love the clean and calm look of neutrals, I’ve never been a fan of mid century modern, although there are a few pieces I like once in a great while. I don’t care too much for the grand millenial look, but there again some people are really talented in creating something unique. Since childhood, my all time, absolute favorite are the Dark, moody, gloomy looks, whether they lean towards rustic, primitive, or the spooky Gothic, I will take the dark over all else every time. The dark elegance of photo above was what required me to see more of this post. It may be a coming trend, however it has always had a timelessness for any age or year.
Yvonne
Thank you for a very informative breakdown. I love how you go through it all. It was an easy read. Thanks for your hard work!
Marlise
I love the woven dome shaped light hanging above the dining table. Where can I find that?
This is such a cool, textural light. See it here:https://rstyle.me/+67_wHQ2Aq_JeHP-ZWuUmWg
Good morning Yvonne,
I always look forward to your take on the years trends. I am wondering if you know about using peel and stick on a mirror and being able to remove it if I so choose at a later time. I have two pieces that are mirrored. I am not certain about covering the back of my piece in the dining room because that room along with open kitchen has a porch at both ends and I think the mirror might help reflect light., but I have a very bright southern exposure living room with another storage piece which I have redone and would like to try peel and stick there. I know the trend and product is fairly new so I am hoping someone has had it long enough on a mirror and removed it. Vicky
Not sure, Vicky! Give it a try on a small mirror that is not so precious first.
I have had white cabinets and black counter tops in my kitchen since we moved into our house in 1991. I went through a phase in 2004 where I wanted my cabinets a different color and I chose a soft shade of sage, which I did love but got tired of it pretty quick and went back to white. I will never get tired of my white cabinets! Dark moody colors are not my style, it really effects my mood, almost depressing! Gotta have open airy spaces! I don’t mind my dark barn doors and tv console because those are the darkest pieces I have in my house. The warmer woods in light caramel, honey and burlap tones makes me happy they are trending as well as baskets!! Yay!
In the picture labeled Traditional Styling is on the Rise, I love the table with the white X framed legs & wooden top. Where can I find that?
I found this on Overstocks years and years ago. Sorry I don’t have a link for it.