5 Design Trends Taking Shape for 2021
Here are five design trends we’re seeing as we head into 2021.
1. Raw Earth
Raw earth is a design theme that captures how many of us are feeling during these difficult times. In some ways, we feel unbalanced, insecure, and vulnerable because we have no control over what will happen next. Politics, nature in turmoil, and continued civil unrest have converged in new ways. Future design will reflect the raw and rough edges of this time, as well as solutions that work to soothe, relax, and provide comfort.
2. Imaginovation
Many of us have taken advantage of the gifts we have received in the past months, like the ability to think deeper and play harder. We have reprioritized our lives, and what may have seemed so important 10 months ago is deemed irrelevant today. Time to think allows new forms of creativity to converge, for an opportunity to accelerate how and why we use technology, and the ability to make space for explosive innovative concepts and ideas. Future design will be an extension of this theme and show up in playful, vibrant, colorful, and expressive elements.
3. Yesteryears
Seasons change and tastes evolve, but what never goes out of style is an appreciation and reverence for classic, timeless design. Form often follows feeling, so when we look back in time, we feel sentimental and long for those places and things that elicit happiness. Because designers have different experiences and reflections, design becomes a mixture of styles with personality from every era.
4. Geometrical
When we find a desire to simplify our lives, to clean up the clutter and get more organized, it can be seen in the décor and style of the space we inhabit. Reducing the art of expression into basic forms of colors, lines, shapes, and geometric patterns can create a feeling of structure, and cleanliness. This theme will show up in a variety of ways—from fashion to design with twists, turns, and warped shapes and color to perfect, organic, or grid-like patterns with pure unsaturated color: A modern picture of today’s reality.
5. Escapism
When we are faced with travel bans, isolation, and physical distancing, emotionally we need to find our happy places—maybe a lakeside retreat or a field of sunshine and wheat. We bring these images and design elements into our minds, homes, and workspaces because they help make us feel calmer, soothed, and more relaxed. For the past several years Zen and spa-like themes have been integrated in all kinds of space designs. Looking ahead, we will likely see more imaginative and innovative concepts, colors, and imagery that will reflect new feelings of health and well-being.
View and share some of our favorite design ideas, palettes, and trends on Pinterest.