Popular Austin designer predicts how COVID-19 will affect home decor in 2021

The past year has brought with it a renewed focus on the home, since the pandemic turned it into not just a place to come home to at the end of the day, but now also a workplace, schoolroom, restaurant, and entertainment hub for the entire family.

Sara Malek Barney, the founder and lead designer at Bandd Design, has been making note of what her clients have been requesting with their remodels — and especially what's working best for this unprecedented situation.

"I'm sure by now we're all sick of hearing the term 'new normal,' but the fact is that the events of 2020 have shaped the way that we live, and along with that, the future of design," she says.

Barney and her team have put together a list of their trend predictions for the year 2021, from structure changes to color predictions and beyond.

A rise in functionality
The necessity for multipurpose residential spaces has never been greater. Nowadays, more people are working remotely than ever before, and with that they are realizing they need to still maintain a healthy work-life balance.

"We have been seeing a huge spike in home office projects here at the firm within the past six months," says Barney, "and the in-stock retail options for desks and office chairs are getting slimmer with each passing day, as companies continue to realize their stay-at-home potential."

Secretary desks, close-able built-ins, and other creative foldaway storage solutions are on the rise and will continue to be in the coming year. Any means of neatly tucking the workspace away at 5 pm is a must for anyone now finding themselves both living and working within the same confined space.

Similarly, this desire for functionality has extended to our outdoor living spaces as well, Barney notes. As borders remain strictly regulated and social distancing mandates are in effect, many are now investing in curating their own backyard oases as luxe gathering and entertaining spaces.

"We've heard of bringing the outdoors in, but in 2021 expect to see the inside brought out," says Barney.

Clean and authentic materials
2020 has taught us all a lot, including that we could be doing much more to help curb the spread of germs within our own homes. Due to this — in combination with millennials' general tendency to shy away from anything inauthentic — natural and non-porous material surfaces will be everywhere in the new year.

Another big draw for this return to the organic brings us back to the work-from-home issue.

"We crave these elements in juxtaposition to the sleek technological age we're living in, and the screens at which we spend our days staring," says Barney. "Biophilic elements are a must to help counteract the negative psychological effects of our blue light intake."

Playful palettes
"Here at Bandd, we love to have fun with color so we're pretty stoked about this next one," Barney says. "Color is back, y'all, and this time it's in full swing!"

As we spend so much more of our time at home, expect to see a shift away from the endless sea of whites, blacks, and grays that followed the recent farmhouse wave. As clean as it might look, it can also feel quite cold and bleak. With all the constant change and uncertainty 2020 brought, people are seeking a cheery and peaceful change of pace.

Yellow hasn’t seen this big of a rebirth since the 1970s, with several bold and friendly shades en vogue at the moment including ochre, mustard, warm beige, and blonde. Expect to see the revival of chintz, wicker, cane, fringe, florals, gingham, wallpaper, and antiques as they evoke a hopeful, cozy, and nostalgic ambiance.

Additionally, as more and more people are turning to creative hobbies as a way to both pass the time and soothe anxieties, expect to see a revival of arts and crafts in the home decor realm. Handicrafts such as ceramics, quilts, macrame, knits, needlepoint, and tie-dyed pieces will be everywhere in 2021. DIYers, it is your time to shine!

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If you'd like to contact Bandd Design with more questions or for a consultation, you can reach out to them here.