This year completely changed the way in which we perceive, and live, our lives as the pandemic made us understand the importance of being adaptable, being able to transform ourselves and develop our surroundings too.We didn’t expect our home to become the only place we had to do everything: sleep, eat, work, study, develop our hobbies and entertain ourselves.The last few months have made us realise how our homes represent a relaxing and safe refuge for us, but they are also an important place where we have to manage our study and work lives.In 2021 we will have to improve the functionality of our spaces, making them both more practical and more efficient.To predict 2021 trends, Modsy – an online interior design service – analysed all the data gathered through its website and also spoke with lots of interior designers.Let’s take a look at the results of the research and the new trends for next year.

Mid-century style will still be fashionable

Mid-century style, inspired by the wonderful 1950s and 1960s, and featuring clean and pared back designs, will be one of the trends for 2021.Early in 2020 it looked like it was destined to fade away, leaving the spotlight on other styles and trends. However, this year its popularity has increased, mostly thanks to its simplicity.Mid-century style is famous for its functionality, especially in small spaces, and its increasing popularity is probably due to our need to use practical furniture to maximise our space while also making it aesthetically pleasing.

Classic and traditional styles will increase in popularity

In the last few years, classic and traditional styles have generally been less appealing; however, in 2020, the requests for interior designs using them increased substantially.But what’s the reason for that?The answer might be that, during uncertain times, people like to rely on something that feels safe and long-lasting when choosing furniture and accessories for their homes.The feeling of familiarity that people find in classic designs can also offer them a sense of relief from anxiety and uncertainty. In addition, the increased demand for this style could also reflect the increasing numbers of people moving from urban areas to more suburban and rural ones.

The return of eclectic styles

Bold eclectic styles had recently lost some of their appeal, in favour of more stereotypical styles.However, this year their popularity has returned and doesn’t seem likely to decline in 2021 because, as we are all spending more time at home, we want our homes to reflect our personalities. Eclectic styles can express the personality of the owner of the house. A mix of colours and styles to make the place where we live really special – a window to show people who we are.

Colours and trends

The colour of 2020 was Classic Blue and was, in fact, the most requested colour from people together with other ‘cold’ shades.However, neutral colours have been equally popular, maybe because they are simple and easy to clean.It looks like the trend for cold shades and neutral colours will probably continue in 2021 as they help make homes feel bright and clean.

Bestsellers in 2020 and trends for 2021

The best selling furnishing products in 2020 have been storage and organisation units to help people reorganise their things, like chests of drawers and cabinets, and all styles of chairs – armchairs, sofas and even deck chairs and chaises longues.But why this popularity for deck chairs and chaises longues?They are perfect to create a relaxing space at home, a quiet corner where you can unwind and enjoy a moment of tranquillity.2021 seems to confirm this trend, as it looks like we will continue to invest in making our home more comfortable as well as more functional.

Renovations and structural changes

Once it got started it was easy to see how 2020 was going to entail the need to rethink our homes.In 2021 priority will be given to projects aimed at designing home offices or adding functionality to spaces, because Covid-19 made us understand how areas of our homes are often underutilised or not used properly.We will keep developing modern and minimal home offices with increasingly advanced technologies and stronger and more reliable internet connections.We will pay more attention to the luminosity of our homes choosing innovative window treatments, even capable of managing sunlight remotely thanks to automated systems (we will talk about this in a minute), like double glazing blinds.The use of home automation systems, that will make our homes smarter and capable of responding to our needs in a quicker and more efficient way, will be one of the most important trends of 2021.

The importance of natural light and functional blind systems

One of the principal things we learned about our homes in 2020 is the importance of natural lighting and windows.An absolute priority, especially when we are using our home as an office, as natural light is beneficial to both our mood and mental health as well as improving the quality of our video calls.This helps us understand how one of the most important trends of 2021 will be to try to have as much natural light as possible in our homes and to be able to manage it as we like depending on the time of the day.To do this, automated blind systems will come to our aid as, thanks to them, we will be able to manage blinds remotely while sitting comfortably on the sofa or at our work station.

Conclusions

2021 will be marked by ideas like functionality and family entertainment, as our home will continue to be a multifunctional space where we’ll spend the majority of our time.That’s why priorities will be serviceability and spaces for family entertainment, followed by the need for aesthetically pleasing rooms that can help improve productivity.