Here are Some 2021 Living Room Design Trends to Get You Started
-Karl Kennedy
The world of interior design is constantly evolving. What’s new and trendy one year doesn’t necessarily stay popular and chic the next. The evolutionary process is quite challenging to keep up with.
That’s why quick little yearly updates like this one come together. We gather the up and coming interior designs and you simply read all about it, picking and choosing what fits your home.
This time around, the focus will be on current and modern living rooms in 2021. After the year we all had in 2020, we think it’s safe to say some internal adjustments have to be made. Especially considering most households are combining things like work, education, and entertainment under one roof, most of the time all in one day.
The good ole days of sending the kids to school, heading into work, and coming home to relax and entertain has gone pretty far away from our new reality. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make improvements to our living spaces to enjoy them again (and to show off to guests when all of this craziness subsides!).
So, what are the 2021 living room trends?
Frilly/Ruffly
Frills and ruffles have not been extremely pleasing to the eye in recent years, but this year, designers are strongly encouraging them in design schemes. Think pleated lampshades. Think ruffled skirts. The drama and the warmth that they add to a space are exquisite.
It doesn’t really stop there, though. This type of ornamentation of fabric doesn’t have to take up a lot of space or make a jaw-dropping statement. Frills and ruffles can be attached to something as simple as the tablecloth delicately placed on your side table.
Comfy/Cozy
When you think of the word comfortable, what comes to mind? Do you think of puffy sofas that you can sink into, fabricated furniture that feels soft on the skin, and elevated bean bag chairs that you can quite literally fall asleep? That’s a good start.
Then, you can trail on into soft blankets and fluffy pillows. Who doesn’t want to kick their feet up on the couch and lay down after a long days’ work?
Anything that comes to mind when you think of being comfortable will work. Your definition can be different from the next person’s definition, so just find what’s comfortable and start picking up items for your living room.
The Multipurpose
Again, work, education, and entertainment are now being combined under one roof. Typically our houses have a living room, kitchen/dining area, bedrooms, bathrooms, and sometimes, a couple of spare rooms here and there, depending on the house layout.
Where does that leave the workstations? What about the classrooms or if you want an in-house gym?
Multipurpose areas and rooms are on the rise. Many living rooms are housing desks for adults to work from home. The living room is often used as a classroom for the kids if the parents prefer to set up their workshop in another room. And, it’s super easy to place a yoga mat on the living room floor to workout on while watching a fitness/exercise video on the large flat screen TV.
More Seating
To go off of the comfy/cozy design listed above, interior designers are screaming to add more seating to the living room areas. More furniture will give all the people in the house the ability to pick just where they want to sit, rest their legs, or kick up their feet.
More seating also makes the room look more approachable, functional, and usable.
All Natural
Being cooped up in the house 24/7 kind of makes us humans want to venture outside. The problem with that? We can’t always be outside. Work and school can get in the way of that. Weather can also get in the way of that. A hundred things can get in the way of that.
Yet, we still want more time outside. So, why not bring the outside, inside?
Start with some natural light; make adjustments to your living space and add some bigger windows to let the sunlight in. Pick out some wicker baskets or grasscloth covered coffee tables. Plants and trees will also get the place looking more natural, not to mention they’ll freshen the indoor air.
What else is big in this department? Marble table tops, Maple wood species, and naturally stained caning.
Curvature
Most, if not all, living rooms have coffee tables/side tables. Today, the look of those coffee tables and side tables are drastically changing - in a funky way.
To put it plain, the couches are not the only furniture items taking twists and turns. An example? Coffee tables with waterfall edges are becoming BIG this year. Our suggestion? Get on the trend before your neighbors and friends do.
Entertainment
After 2020, many homeowners are claiming that staying in is the new going out. That’s OK, because interior designers 100% agree.
That’s probably why money is being spent on bigger televisions, better sound systems, and comfier seating. It’s the best way to stay home, stay healthy, and view any and all movies/shows/concerts on the ‘big screen.’
Some decorators and homeowners are even agreeing on design elements that are technologically out-of-this-world, like 3D projectors.
Layer it up
Layering furniture is popular, popular, popular. That goes for coffee tables, consoles, chests, bookshelves, and anything in between.
Designers suggest using trays, candles, plates, pants, tablecloths, magazines, trinkets, rugs, and more. Literally, anything can be layered. It’s known as accessorizing; get with it!
For example, put a tablecloth on top of your coffee table. Then, add a tray atop that. Then, add some books on top of that tray. Then, put a nice trinket atop the books.
Or, like most decorators say, layer blankets atop a couch and rugs atop the floor.
Statement Art
Anything that makes a statement in a bland area will do perfectly fine. We’re talking posters, abstracts, even drawings. You have to personalize the blank slate that you’re working with.
If you want, start with something small and add as you go. You can make it a space filled with small stimulating paintings.
Or, head on down to your local antique shop and make a back-in-the-day gallery wall for all your throwback friends.
One big painting on that open-spaced wall can even do the trick, giving it that zen look.
Heck, start painting or creating your own art and show some of your design specialties and design flaws. Really make it your own.
Splash Some Color
Neutral tones will likely never go out of style; their popularity doesn’t really dim.
However, stronger colors are starting to make an appearance in a lot of living room areas. Designers and decorators think it’s because the brighter colors show off the homeowner’s personality in a unique way. Color is very, very important for communicating certain messages, so be open and communicate your message!
Go with blue to show a calming effect on the room, transition to red if you’re willing to show off a vibrant room, and go all out with yellow if you’re trying to achieve an energetic vibe.
Well, there you have it! The design trends of this year that we’re living in.
See what works for you. Experiment, if you will. With the options listed above, we’re sure you’ll fall in love with something!
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