People everywhere are looking for a fresh start this year and for many, that will include the purchase of a new home. That’s because the pandemic, and the more consistent staying at home, has caused people to want more from their home now than ever before. More could mean more space—like the growing shift of people moving out of urban areas—but more, in terms of home design trends, could also mean more space for a work from home office, more of a place to escape and relax, and even, for some, more of a homeschooling situation too.

The Hunt for a New Home During the Great American Move

Americans are on the move. It’s not uncommon—in fact 35-40 million moves take place across America every year, typically between May and September. But this year, as a result of the pandemic and changes in working and schooling from home, about 28% of Americans are at least considering a relocation. And households that are planning a move in 2021 increased by 20 percentage points from 2020, to 56%. 

There is one problem with all of that, though. There are about half as many homes for sale on the market right now as there were last winter. For some, that could mean building new home design trends into a remodeling project. For others, that could lead to an increased interest in new home builders.

Rising Demands of a Work-from-Home Office

A big reason why many are considering purchasing a new home or undergoing a new home remodel is the increased acceptance of working from home. The number of jobs that have become permanently remote increased from 4% to 5% according to a recent study. And people’s desire to find fully remote positions has also increased.

Thirty percent of working adults said they would move to a different city or state if they were able to do their jobs entirely from home, and 41% of employed adults would be willing to accept a pay cut in order to work remotely from any location. So, how have new home design trends shifted to accommodate this new working lifestyle?

2021 Interior Designs Trends for a Work-from-Home Life

About 25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021, according to some experts. With such a large shift, things at home have to change. Here are some of the top 2021 interior design trends that will add convenience to your life and give you the space you need to do your job.

Find Focus: Designated Office Space & Creative Storage

Whether you have the space to have an entire room designated to your home office or you’re using the corner of a large, flexible living space—it’s important for people working from home to feel like they have a clearly defined space for work. With this, also comes a need for creative storage solutions, especially if your space leans towards the multi-purpose end.

One interior design trend that has been popping up in 2021, especially in open-concept living spaces, is extended cabinets. Extended cabinets provide the opportunity for remote workers to create an entire section of cabinets that are dedicated to storing work papers. This could be ideal in a work-from-home office setup for people working just outside of the kitchen area.

Storage that helps divide the space is also a convenient addition. And with labels, you can designate some storage cubbies to work while leaving others for homeschool, homework, or other hobbies. But even in a multi-use space, it's ideal for the area to always be used for the same type of goal—in this case, productivity. This type of sectioning off will make it easier to focus when you need to, and help you have a more productive work from home experience by staying organized.

Make Meetings Easier: Built-In Privacy and Noise Solutions

Another issue of working from home is finding the quiet space you need to focus on the task at hand. This issue becomes even more difficult for couples who both have work-from-home office hours. There are levels of adjustments to consider, but some of the interior design trends for 2021 can help you adjust so both working parties have space to privately answer a call. Here are just a few of the options available:

Save Space & Get More Flexibility with Sliding Doors

For some people, having an office door is essential. If this isn’t an option for you due to space, sliding doors may help solve the issue and give the privacy you need to focus.

Leverage Nooks for Quiet Pods

Concurrent video chats or calls have also become an issue. This has prompted some couples to get creative with their space, using previously untapped areas like below the stairs for dedicated meeting spots. This could be a good way to use a small space, as long as the expectation is that you’ll spend a short amount of time there during a conference call and then have the opportunity to return to a more open and naturally-lit space.

Make Life Easier with Smart Home Technology

There are a number of ways that smart home technology can improve your work-from-home office space. Whether that means helping you increase energy efficiency, make everyday tasks more accessible, or helping you multi-task and stay on top of things.

For people considering new homes, you’ll find that some new home builders offer smart home technology packages that you can add on. Others include smart home pre-wiring as a base feature. These small details can help you get started on building a smarter home. They can also help improve small frustrations, like poor Wi-Fi, which can plague video phone calls and slow down at home productivity.

Smart home technology can add more fun and convenience to your day. With smart home technology you can set your coffee machine up to brew at a certain time every morning, conserve energy on devices you aren’t using, and control lighting to go on or off throughout the day—all with smart home plugs and a compatible device. You can use your mobile device for convenience or commit to one of the growing voice-activated devices that are designed to automate even your grocery shopping.

Something else that’s growing in popularity is smart home maintenance sensors—devices that automatically detect possible issues in your home. Similar to sensors in your car, they have the ability to alert you when something is going wrong so you can worry less about the things you can’t always see.

Embrace Kitchen Design Trends for a Healthier Work-from-Home Office

The one thing that’s likely to get more use during your work-from-home hours is your kitchen. There are plenty of 2021 design trends to consider in the kitchen, but as it applies to working from home—smart home technology might still be taking over. In this case, smart faucets and other healthy home features.

There is a growing popularity in smart faucets that filter drinking water or automatically pour a set amount of water. Pre-measure pours mean you aren’t constantly forgetting the right proportions for your best morning cup. Another thing to consider here is wellness, but we’ll get more into that next.

Health & Wellness in the Home Space

The pandemic has done more than encourage people to work from home, though. It has also enforced the idea that your home should be your greatest escape. From incorporating elements of nature to making sure your home helps you achieve a better lifestyle; 2021 home design trends reflect just how much people are wanting from their existing home—or a new home.

Wellness Home Design Trends for 2021

Improve Productivity with Better Lighting

Access to lighting is important. It’s long been acknowledged that natural light can lead to increased wellness and productivity. While it may have been impossible to control the amount of natural light you get at work in the past, working from home has created more incentive for increasing access to the sun’s rays.

That could mean installing more windows in your home, for more natural light. Or creating different layers of lighting with different bulbs and fixtures. With smart home technology, people have the opportunity to dim lights or even change their colors. Some people even buy UV lights, or put screens on their window so they can enjoy at least a small amount of Vitamin D from inside their homes.

Simplify Your Everyday with Added Function

Another 2021 home design trend that has picked up steam from last year is a growing interest in minimalism. While most people favor better storage over throwing out all of their worldly possessions, the idea that everyday life should feel simple and accessible is increasing.

Smart home technology has helped to drive a lot of simplicity in the home, but innovative storage and organization tools also help. It’s important to note though, that these things should also consider the environment. One the lures of a simple and functional home is also the idea that you can do better for yourself and the planet, at the same time.

Make Healthy Habits More Accessible

After better lighting, there is also an emphasis on cleaner air and more spaces for quiet—even outside of people working from home. As people move away from cities, better access to walking trails or amenities that encourage healthier lifestyles is becoming more of a consideration. There are also small measures you can take to build a healthier home, including ways to reduce bacteria and the spread of germs.

Interior Color & Texture Trends to Inspire Wellness

Natural colors and textures continue to dominate new interior color trends. From sandy browns to sage greens, the term “biophilia” helps to lead the inspiration for this 2021 home design trend, defined as the human tendency of being drawn to nature. The belief is that natural tones help inspire feelings of calm and wellness, though there are other ways to find colors that match your mood.

Colors aside, natural textures tend to take the form of linens, natural woods paired with matte-painted woods or matte finished metal, mosaic tiling, abstract walls with intertwining pieces or full natural murals, and indoor plants. In some cases, you might use an industrial-styled piece to set it all off—but the tendency to lean towards feelings of wellness has definitely taken over.

Bedroom & Living Room Trends to Create an Escape

It’s no surprise that people have also drawn more towards the idea of “nesting” or “cocooning.” But the pandemic has forced even the most social people to find more comfort in their homes.

While the term hygge—defined as a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being—was a trend more than a few years ago, the principles behind it are very present in 2021 home interior trends.

For living room trends, that may look something more like an increase in indoor plants or a color palette that inspires a spa-like feel. But for bedroom trends, people are taking it even more seriously. That could mean going as far as a corner of the room that’s designed to inspire a meditative-like state, or an off-master suite space that’s a full-on hideaway from the stress of the day.

Establishing your home as a place for health and wellness makes sense during a time when the outside world has felt so overwhelming and divided. For that reason, it’s no surprise that many 2021 interior design trends push even further on the idea that your home should be your greatest escape.

Luckily, with the help of smart home technology and interior color trends that focus on increasing calm—existing and new homeowners won’t be far away from achieving their goals. That’s good news as people start spending more and more time from home, either because of remote jobs that promote work-from-home offices or simply because spending more time from home has become the preferred way of life.

With that said, while it’s good to have a home that inspires health and wellness, remember to also make your home a place that’s perfect for work, and still ready for play.

2021 has already been shaping up to be an interesting year, and its top home design trends help to reflect the shifts and changes we saw in 2020. Whether you are looking for inspiration in your own home, or envision a new home in your future, we hope these quick recap of 2021 interior design trends can help to spark some inspiration.

Contributed to Your Home blog 

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Published 3.7.2021