2021 Home Design Trends

There’s no debating that the events of 2020 have had a huge effect on every part of our lives – including interior design. More time at home means our homes now need to serve slightly different purposes, with space for work, leisure and entertaining.

As a multi-award-winning builder specialising in luxury homes, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the trends we expect to dominate home design in 2021. Here are just a few of our favourites.

Back to nature

The Australian lifestyle is naturally associated with being outdoors, but 2020 took this up a notch, with more of us realising just how important it was to connect with nature. As a result, we’re seeing a move towards organic, earthy styles inside, with natural textures, green-based colour palettes and cocoon-like spaces.

Within this style, warm beige walls are complemented by cool green tones and warm mustard and terracotta accents. Textures play a huge role: think a mix of rattan, wool, velvets, gauze and wood, with no gloss – everything is designed to look lived-in. Perfection isn’t pertinent, so flaws are embraced across furnishings, fixtures and finishes. Vintage or antique furniture is also a large contributor to this style, adding a one-of-a-kind element to your home.

We embraced this trend in our recent Bokarina Beach project, where timber played an essential part of the overall aesthetic. By complementing the timber-centric design with woven lamp shades and rattan rugs, we were able to evoke an earthy look and feel, creating a strong connection to the tropical exterior.

Industrial

On the other side of the coin sits the industrial style. While it has been popular for a number of years, this aesthetic shows no sign of slowing down, with many clients opting for a modern and sleek look. In recent years, we have seen quite a literal interpretation of the style, with exposed brick and bulbs, leather textures and concrete accents. However, the design has now evolved to be slightly softer, embracing marble textures and soft furnishings for a modern and elegant appeal.

This doesn’t mean the industrial elements have completely disappeared through. Polished concrete brings a touch of durable luxury to the overall design, offset by the warm tones of smooth timber. A monochrome colour palette, relaxed by grey accents, is complemented by sleek tile textures and black or silver fittings.

In our Sunshine Beach kitchen, concrete benchtops were paired with clean-lined timber cabinetry, creating a look that was both refined and relaxed. Soft furnishings such as throws, cushions and blankets were introduced to provide a contrast against the concrete flooring and we installed round shapes in the form of light shades, taps and mosaic tiles to soften the design’s clean lines.

Room for calm

It’s not just interior styles that have shifted over the last 12 months. Larger design changes have inevitably filtered through – after all, the pandemic has changed the way we live in our homes, and therefore what we need and want our homes to do for us.

Understandably, we’ve seen a huge shift towards the need for tranquillity in the home, creating serene spaces that can be used for the likes of yoga, meditation or general relaxation, without the pull of technology. This goes beyond the look of a room – we are now seeing house plans with separate rooms for indoor exercise, introducing the ideal space to foster daily rituals and making everyday living that little bit calmer.

This shift also extends to outdoor spaces, with many clients now placing increased importance on having large exterior areas. The outdoor space now has to be multi-functional, going beyond the classic entertaining area to include calming break-out zones, perfect for a slow morning, coffee in hand, or an afternoon with a cup of tea and a good book!

Separating home from work

One of the largest shifts in our lifestyle has to be the increase in working from home. As such, home offices are now back en vogue, with home designs incorporating a completely separate space for Monday-Friday.

Instead of makeshift offices on dining tables or study nooks off the living spaces, the home office is now a dedicated room, with all the amenities to make working from home seamless. This includes a large natural light source, plenty of power outlets, an ergonomic desk and the opportunity to close the door for complete privacy.

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Should you be considering building your dream home in 2021, get in touch with our team. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.