9 Popular Design Trends

a clean, rustic kitchen

Looking for a fresh start? Get a new perspective and brighten up your interior with some cheery new vibes.

1. Light-Filled Space

Chase away the blues and grays of winter by creating a light filled space in your home. Glass doors and floor to ceiling windows are obvious fixes. If you've already got them, or if you have a skylight that's collected leaves from the last story, clean it off to take advantage of the natural light spilling inside.

Got none of these? Add French doors on your to-do list to replace a set of underwhelming windows to help coax those last few rays of light into that darkened space.

2. Neon Lighting

room lit by neon light led strips

Since we're talking about light, how about adding some unnatural light, too, or instead? Because we don't mean to nag...

These days neon isn’t just for the Vegas strip or advertising on the exterior of businesses. LED light strips add a kick of color to a cool contemporary space, giving you a mod look in the bathroom or living room, or anywhere you'd else you'd like to add a bit of glam to your life.

3. Mix it Up

While there’s nothing wrong with sticking predominantly to one style when decorating, we love the look of a mashup interior. We’re thinking rustic + modern in the living room or vintage + contemporary in the bathroom. Why not? ‘Cause you know, a cozy cabin is great when you’re, you know, in a cabin. In an urban space, that look can be a bit overbearing. Besides, too much match-y match-y can make things boring. Bring in some contemporary elements to change it up, adding interest to a mainly one-note look.

4. Style-up the Home Office

Being able to work from home has been pretty important to us these days. If you suffered through 2020 using your kitchen table as a place to work, eat, homeschool, and fold laundry, time to organize and give your workspace some much needed TLC.

If you're short on space, there are ways to designate it as yours and “separate” from the rest of the household. Of course, we can't guarantee the kids and significant other will respect that separation, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask Santa for some noise-canceling headphones for Christmas.

5. Create a 24-7 Outdoor Space

We’ve always been a fan of our outdoor spaces for social gatherings. If you haven’t embraced this idea yet, you may be considering it now that we’ve all been spending more social time outdoors.

If you live in an area with moderate weather, make that space comfortable during the cooler and warmer months to maximize time spent in fresh air. Patio heaters or chimeneas add coziness in winter without sacrificing aesthetics. And a patio mister or ceiling fan can work wonders in the summer.

6. Find Beauty in Dried Flowers

If your only experience with dried flowers is through potpourri or keepsakes from weddings or the prom, we’re about to blow your mind. Unlike using live plants to bring in elements of nature, decorating with dried flowers means you don’t have to worry about it dying because, you know--it’s already dead.

You can even go beyond the dried yarrow and hydrangea your grandmother kept in vases, and incorporate other natural elements like dried branches, palm fronds, or grasses. They add so much character to an otherwise minimalistic room.

7. Embrace Granny Chic

colorful yarn and knitting project

You know the expression “what’s old is new again.” So, yeah. Grandma’s house is a trend that looks like it’s coming back around, although we’re unclear whether or not this was ever a trend. We-thinks it was just a “thing,” and that grandma’s house simply was a universal look.

Regardless, the trend seems to be that younger folks, particularly Millennials, are embracing this aesthetic. And we're liking what we’re seing! Old-fashioned prints mixed with modern elements keep it from looking frumpy, and give it an overall sense of comfortable familiarity. Just like grandma's.

8. Add Texture Not Color

That’s not to say don’t paint at all. Paint to your heart’s content, but don’t neglect the use of textures. Fabrics, pillows, plants, and textiles, such as baskets or other woven elements, make it comfy, cozy while adding movement to the room.

9. Go Cottagecore

It’s a trend that seems to have taken political sides on social media. While we aren’t promoting an agenda, we do admire the romantic decorative style that evokes a bucolic lifestyle in the countryside. Festoon your space with fabrics of ruffles, lace, paisleys and gingham in soft, natural colors.

Add in some kitschy folk items, then sit back among the lavish pillows on your cane sofa and read some poetry while you sip tea from a heritage piece of crockery.

It's been a long year. Get past it with some fresh new looks for 2021!