According to the dictionary definition, a trend is a primarily a movement in a direction. Some trends will keep moving in that direction and some will fade into obscurity. Some come from nowhere - like the “pet rock”, but the ones with staying power are born out of circumstances and the need to solve a problem or enhance an experience.

There are many home design related trends that arose during our time at home that we’ll be keeping in 2021 and beyond. Here are my top 6…

A renewed interest in cooking

Bread making seemed to be a hugely popular activity in the early weeks of the pandemic - there was even a flour shortage for a while and sourdough starter was all the rage. I love sourdough, but I’m not a fan of inanimate objects that require feeding…so I tend to default to this super easy and flexible Rustic Bread recipe instead. And not only bread making, but cooking in general became a popular (and necessary) activity as we were all trapped at home needing to still eat regular meals and there is only so much pizza takeout that one should eat…. This prompted a lot of homeowners to finally do something, or at least make plans to do something, about a less than ideal kitchen. One kitchen trend that I see here to stay is the microwave drawer - much more convenient and safer than a microwave located over the range, this is the new standard for kitchen appliance packages. And it frees up the space for a much more effective (and often also decorative) range hood. The drawer microwave has been around a while, but it is now becoming the norm in new construction and kitchen renovations. Because a microwave drawer requires a specialized base cabinet, it is easiest to add when doing new cabinetry. Here is a sneak peek at a kitchen renovation in progress - we can’t wait to share the finished pictures with you later this year! In the remake of this kitchen we opted to move the microwave from a countertop model to a drawer model conveniently located in the new island.

A surge of plant parents and pet parents

You cannot scroll through any feed on social media without tripping over pictures of adorable puppies and kittens acquired while everyone was stuck at home wanting an interactive plaything. This has created an even greater demand for hard working performance fabrics on our furnishings and there are limitless options as new technologies allow just about any fabric to be treated to have these properties. Those of us with less time or with allergies opted for pandemic plants instead of pets. We even managed to keep a few of our pandemic plants alive. Here are the ones I’ve found to be hardiest (anything that can survive in my house and with relative neglect qualifies!) Performance fabrics and the addition of nature (real or faux) in our interiors are both trends that will continue.

The diva with her new stash of pandemic plants

Home offices

Nearly every home has had to create some semblance of home office or classroom in the last year. Many companies have decided that employees working from home is a more cost effective model and have downsized their corporate offices. And many people with the flexibility to work from home have embraced the option of zoom meetings and/or email communications instead of a commute and in-person meetings that require wearing pants (?!). It turns out that with the right space, for many jobs working from home can be much more productive and efficient. Home offices were already a feature of most new construction homes, but I think there will be a permanent trend toward creating dedicated office space in a home. You can read more about how my own home office, shown below, got a makeover during the fall 2020 One Room Challenge

Flexible Rooms

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that flexibility is the key to thriving in challenging circumstances, and the same holds true for our living spaces. Rooms designed with the ability to flex from bedroom to extra office to craft room to home school room for different needs and chapters of life will be the new norm. We are about to begin a project with a returning client to turn a home office that is no longer needed into a bedroom for grandchildren and guests…new chapter, new needs!

Outdoor Living Space

With the need to socialize outside this past year for safety, outdoor living spaces took on much larger importance. If you have a lovely getaway in your own back yard or porch, or balcony, it makes for a convenient place to refresh and renew in the middle of a work or school day at home. It also provides more living space for family time and entertaining friends. We’ve added all sorts of plants, lights, and even a patio heater to our own outdoor space and we’ve even left the furniture out this winter to continue to enjoy it on the milder days that come between deluges of snow. We enjoyed attracting nature with bird feeders and changing over the planters with new decor for each season.

Spring flowers and herbs

Summer relaxing on the deck

Deck pots replanted with fall color

Fall/Winter 'toasty" patio heater

Pots replanted with winter evergreens

Snowy day on the deck

Personalized surroundings

Time at home has made us all stop and assess what we REALLY want to have around us. No longer is a generic room from the pages of a catalog good enough. We don’t want a cookie cutter home that looks like every one else’s. We have discovered that we need rooms that feed our souls and support our unique lives and personalities. That are tailor made to enhance our well being and make us smile. One of my favorite work moments in the last year was when we finished hanging drapes and artwork and styling the shelves in a re-nesting project. Our client just sat down on the sofa and started chuckling, looking around and saying “this is great!”. He was re-discovering his treasured possessions that had been collected over a lifetime, and enjoying the play of light filtered through the new draperies. It was personalized decor just for them, and it enhanced their whole experience of living there.