Interior Design Trends On the Rise in 2021

2021 is a new year in many, many ways, interior design trends included. We’re leaving the turbulent times of last year behind. With that, we’re expanding into new design styles and home design trends. 

Here are a few of our favorite home decorating trends and overall interior design trends, which we see growing in popularity in 2021.

Our Favorite Interior Design Trends

A Focus on the Home Office

In years past, for those of us who did have home offices, it was often an afterthought. Most Americans spent most of their workdays in their real office, after a commute. After the pandemic, however, remote work is booming, and that means home offices are more valuable than ever before! This is perhaps the biggest interior design trend of 2021.

In our home office spaces, we like to see crisp, clear lines. If you’re a creative, you can add some flair with artwork or perhaps a patterned wallpaper. Meanwhile, a desk light is a great method to add a bit of style and spot lighting to your space.

The office chair and desk, naturally, are the principal components of the home office. The chair needs to be comfortable, but it needs to also match the tone. For example, if you’re looking for a more library / reading nook feel, an antique leather armchair might be perfect. This is great for writers, editors, administrators, or anyone who spends time on the phone or on call.

If you’re tackling heavier desk work, however, a modern swivel chair could fit the job. Remember, even if you do go for a modern swivel chair, you don’t have to settle for a boring black foam seat. There are many other functional options that aren’t dull. Try out mid-century velvet upholstery, perhaps!

Here are a few great options for home office desks to fit this interior design trend:

Antique Writing Desk, France 1800, Directoire Style – $4,700 $4,200

Sleek design and elegant mahogany veneer are the special features of this spacious antique writing desk. Its top is covered with green leather (later). The top is also extendable, with two pull out shelves.

Three drawers offer a lot of storage space, and you do not have to put the desk against a wall, because the back has the same mahogany veneer as the front. This desk would be the perfect piece for a home office in 2021.

Bureau Plat Desk, France, 18th to 19th Century – $7,000

This elegant bureau plat desk stands out for its stunning rosewood veneer. Additionally, the writing surface is lined with an original gilt-tooled leather surface. This desk would be the perfect piece for a stylish work-from-home office. It can stand off the wall because all four sides are decorated with the beautiful rosewood veneer and the bronze fittings.

Self-Expression

This isn’t a niche trend, per say, but it’s something we’re seeing more and more as we move into 2021. Folks have spent more time inside lately, so like the home office boom, individuals are using their homes as a sketchpad to display their creative side. Showing your personality, perhaps through a few finely placed antique pieces, is an excellent way to make your home really feel like your own space.

Video-conferencing corners, in particular, are a great spot to showcase your natural style, if you work from home. Add some artwork with historical significance, or other wall decor with character. Spend some time selecting a few pieces that really speak to you, and you’ll find immense benefit when incorporating this interior design trend.

Vintage

Vintage is a design trend that is essentially always in, but we’re seeing an increased focus on intrinsic meaning in 2021. People are spending more time in their homes, so they don’t want furniture that is factory-made. They want pieces that tell a story. Pieces that were “crafted” not “produced.”

As a result, we’re seeing an increased interest in everything antique, repurposed, and salvaged. 

The main thing to remember here is to avoid blatant reproduction. You want to reference your look, not just mirror or reproduce it. Like we always say here at Styylish, less is more.

Incorporating a few well-placed, elegant vintages pieces into your space will create a more cohesive and vibrant overall aesthetic. In that train of thought, remember to craft your vintage space incrementally. Layering is important. Find pieces that have meaning to you, personally, and incorporate them over time into your space, instead of all at once.

More Interior Design Trends

More Seating Areas

Like we’ve already discussed, everyone is spending more time at home. As a result, folks want their living space to be more comfortable and approachable. We’re seeing an increased interior design trend focusing on seating areas, with plush, comfortable chairs, and more of them than ever before. 

Since everyone is spending more quality time at home, games tables are also on the rise [if you haven’t already, check out our Antique Game Tables!] Incorporating more seating areas for reading and relaxing, along with other comfort accessories like games tables, can allow everyone to spend more time together in gathering spaces.

Shabby Chic 

This unique interior design trend focuses on unrefined luxury, coupled with a faded sense of elegance, perfect for incorporating antique pieces. Like vintage, this feel mixes modern with antique.

However, shabby chic focuses on antique pieces that promote a worn, used look. To get a “shabby chic” aesthetic, try to find accessories that aren’t in perfect condition, mixing and matching pieces that have aged with character. Furniture that feels “lived in.” With shabby chic, faded fabrics and blemishes just add to the appeal! 

Chandeliers, mirrors, secretaires, and other classic furniture pieces are all great additions to a shabby chic space. Remember, a little chipped paint or scratch here or there is a bonus. It adds a level of warmth and character you won’t find in new pieces.

Like we’ve mentioned, keep it minimalist. Overdoing the faded look will simply make the space feel faded. Mix your worn, luxurious antiques with other pieces to get the right balance.

Cottagecore

Cottagecore, which has stayed in for a while now, is probably here to stay. The nostalgic appeal is hard to match, and it provides a level of comfort you won’t find with other trends.

Naturally, this is something everyone wants more of in 2021. This design trend takes hints of minimalism added with bits of antique glamour, ending with an overall luxurious traditional aesthetic. Here we find touches like vintage barware, gold accessories, and gilded antique cutlery adding up to create a homey, rustic space that feels natural and connected. Adding a bit of European flair is always a great idea, too.

One More Interior Design Trend: Classic Traditionalism

Naturally, classic traditionalism is one of our favorite interior design trends here at Styylish, since we deal with so many antiques. However, it’s also on the rise right now! This trend harkens back to the 18th and 19th centuries, taking antiques, classic art, and other pieces with intrinsic historical value. 

Classic traditionalism will naturally add a level of order and harmony to just about any space, and the warmth of antique wood and leather is a boon, particularly in living rooms and other gathering spaces. 

These are only a few of the interior design trends we’re seeing on the horizon for 2021. Whatever trend you’re looking to match, chances are we have a few pieces in our catalogue that can help you get started. 

At Styylish, it’s our mission to find unique pieces for individual interiors… so let us help you find the right piece for your space!