People have been spending a lot more time in their houses since 2020, and with all of that spare time, some of the more common trends of interior design have changed. DIY quickly became one of the highest searched terms on Google as people worldwide decided to seize control of their inevitable lockdown. Some learned to make bread, some learned to build decks and others got to work on remodelling the interior of their homes.
Below are only some of the latest trends in interior design. Have you jumped aboard the trend train?
Embrace maximalism
While minimalism dominated the 2010s, in part thanks to Marie Kondo, it seems that one of the biggest trends in design right now is the step toward maximalism. Maximalism is defined as the “step towards the excess”, meaning vibrant colours, designs and patterns strewn across the room to create a cornucopia of aesthetic.
If minimalism preaches that “less is more”, then maximalism screams that “more is more” while assaulting your senses with stimulating glee. The pandemic has helped people amass a lot of (sometimes regrettable) Amazon purchases, so maximalism is perfect for those that aren’t ready to say goodbye to their pandemic collections.
Comfort meets art with sculpted furniture
Nothing screams comfort like… geometry. More and more, homeowners are trending towards the obscure when it comes to the furniture around their TV. Gone are the traditional boxy couch and the ever-reliable recliner. Welcome to the new world order of drift wood tables and oddly shaped sectionals.
Trading comfort for aestheticism, some of these pieces of furniture look more like a centrepiece than anything to rest on, however, a lot of these sculpted pieces are actually ergonomically sound, and for the most part, are a better alternative to their traditional counterparts.
Wallpaper is back
Ask somebody below the age of 25 what wallpaper is and they will likely pull out their phone and show you what their background is. For trendy homes, wallpaper was a staple in the 1960s and 1970s, but has since been on a steady decline since the 1980s. Most homes completely ditched wallpaper in the turn of the century, but, be still your beating hearts wallpaper fans, it’s back!
While there is no discernible reason that wallpaper is making a comeback, homeowners are flocking towards floral prints for the tinier rooms in their homes, such as bathrooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. Vintage wallpaper has become a large market, with collectors selling off their rolls for a hefty payout. Perhaps it is nostalgia, or perhaps we just underestimated the lasting power that wallpaper has on interior design.
Brighten up your room with the colour of the year
It’s been a pretty gloomy year. With the constant back and forth of COVID restrictions, to the closing of certain borders separating friends and families, a lot of homeowners have decided to add a little bit of light to their homes, and not through light fixtures.
The colour of the year is a nice, bright yellow! This adds a splash of happiness to your room and has shown psychologically to improve people’s moods compared to the darker coloured counterparts. This colour is meant to symbolize hope and optimism after an otherwise pretty traumatic 18 months.
Pair this colour with a nice light grey, and you will not only up your spirits, but up your designing game with these complimenting tones.
Author bio:
Michael Elliott is a marketing and mass communications specialist from New Brunswick, Canada. He holds his Bachelor of Arts from Université de Moncton and is a writer and financial literacy educator with the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education.
