2020 was a busy year for amateur interior decorators. A radical and sudden change in living conditions was enough to push many of us into rethinking how we wanted our home lives to be. Spare bedrooms, attics, and garages were transformed into home offices. Tired-looking lounges were given that long-overdue lick of paint. Research by Zopa last summer revealed that 43% of us had given DIY a try by mid-July, and that a further 44% intended to do so by the end of the year.
If you didn’t get around to restyling your home in 2020, then 2021 might just be the year to get on with it. But exactly how might you do it? Let’s see if we can provide some inspiration.
Incorporating Colour
Your restyling will need to take colour seriously. So, what’s in for 2021? Somewhat unusually, Pantone have named two colours as their shades of the year: Illuminating (13-0647), a zingy yellow, and Ultimate Gray (17-5104), a pale grey. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, explained the decision thusly: “Practical and rock-solid, but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope.”
Ocean Hues
The blue of the ocean is sure to make life feel a little more steady and tranquil. That’s why Benjamin Moore have nominated Aegean Teal as their colour of the year. If you want to make your living room feel that little bit more chilled out, then here’s the way to do it. Blues have long been a great choice for kitchens, too.
Earth colours
For much the same reason, earthy tones are also set to be popular for accent walls and statement furniture. The trick here is to be subtle about it – those browns and dark-greens will nicely offset those ocean hues.
Structured simplicity
This trend is an extension of the Nordic trend. It’s stripped back and vaguely minimalistic, while still offering that hygge vibe that we’ve come to depend on throughout winter.
Cottagecore
If you’re looking to create a comfortable environment, then trying to replicate the feeling of an English country cottage is a great way to do it. It’s a great way to offset the clinical sterility of a modern home or to emphasize the natural character of a barn conversion or a cottage.
Grandmillennial
This trend has its roots in comfort. It’s what you get when millennials deliberately dress their bedrooms up as though it belonged to a pensioner. Is this overly ironic? Possibly. But it also provides a steadying sense of nostalgia that will steer us through turbulent times. Choose pieces and shades that are straightforward and which match your colour palette.
