The ‘Emotional’ Interior Lifestyle Trends of 2021
This second part of my 2021 Interior Trends article, following on from the ‘Physical’ trends in my last post, investigates our shift in feelings and attitudes after analysing the long-lasting affects of 2020. Where the physical trends concern the tangible, ‘material’ designs that we’ll be reading about in magazines, and see emerging in the products on the websites we browse, this post is in relation to how we are ‘emotionally’ adapting to the ever-changing world around us, and in turn, how our lifestyle and homes are changing with us.
As well as the usual ‘physical’ side of trends, in my opinion, 2020-2021, more than previous years have given rise to what I’m calling ‘emotional’ trends. These are what I believe to be the common sentiments and attitudes of the public, in terms of how we’re approaching general life, working life and home life as a result of Covid-19.
The virus, the lockdowns and therefore working from home has given us some much needed perspective. We require much more than just ‘trendy stuff’, but deeper emotional connections as a result of what we’ve endured for the past year. We know that spending much more time at home has resulted in us re-evaluating elements of our physical four walls, meaning, our feelings towards home, have changed.
Words that I keep thinking about are ‘investing’ and ‘investment’. I recently posted a quote on my Instagram; ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest’, said by Benjamin Franklin. It made me think that a lot of us are wondering if we’re doing enough right now, and if we are ‘enough’, questioning if we’re spending our (in some cases, extra) time in the best possible way.
When I put my mind into something productive, like; investing my time in reading, researching, learning and developing, I always feel empowered afterwards, like the feeling of never regretting exercise after doing it. Investing time in knowledge is exercise for your brain, which you will never regret and no-one can take away from you.
I’ve whittled my emotional trends to four main categories, all starting with the word ‘investing’.
Investing in home
Whether lockdown has made you realise that you space doesn’t work for you, or if since reevaluating your home, it means you’re looking at your four walls in a different light, we are investing in our homes now more than ever. Moving away from the city to gain more fresh, outdoor space, moving to the city to be closer to the job that we’re unable to work from home for, moving to larger homes, smaller ones, or staying just where you are; whichever of these you may fit into, it’s because we’ve had the time to think about what it is that we really need from our surroundings. Extensions and restorations could turn out to be much more affordable, doable and better, design-wise, than moving house entirely.
Wherever we’re laying our hat, we’re shifting our focus towards items and materials that will last. A growth in searches for ‘craft’, ‘artistry’ and ‘bespoke’ highlights that we want products and designs that offer a deeper meaning, whether made sustainably, locally, or by a designer we admire. There’s a greater need for products with stories that represent us, and speak for us in our home. Investing in heirloom pieces that will last the test of time, even though they may cost a little more, sits better with us now, knowing that their value is not only monetary but personal and sentimental.
Susi Bellamy’s collection is made in England from start to finish using the highest quality materials, all designed by Susi.
We’ve discovered that open-plan living is not particularly ideal for lockdown life, and we’re now considering if putting those walls back up is a better, quieter, less chaotic way to live. ‘Instead of taking walls down, architects will be asked to put them up and design separate rooms, with extra noise insulation’ - WGSN.
The word ‘luxury’ will take on a new meaning, it will be having a room that does more than one thing; to work in, to work-out in, to relax in and eventually, to host in. Rooms that do more than one thing, will therefore require furniture that can adapt to this. We will be seeing much more modular furniture and deconstructible sofas, magically transforming from sofa, to bed, to footstool, to den, if needs be.
Sully - modular furniture - Made
‘Cosy Living’ has been a rising trend for the past few years, but since we’ve been spending unprecedented amounts of time at home, searches are up for items like candles, throws, cushions and products with a homespun feel. Seeing as we’re at home for huge periods of time, why not maximise on comfort? Styles like hygge and cottage-core epitomise the feelings of warmth, comfort and relaxation that we crave to experience each day.
Perfect example of ‘cosy living’ over at @jduncancampbell
Redundancies, furloughs and changes to job situations equals salary changes for a lot of us. We want our current disposable income to go further, we want to spend it on dependable, good quality items, and colour palettes that transcend trends. We will be finding newness in new ways, make-do and mending and having a go at making our own accessories. The ‘slow-movement’ is really coming into its own, with many of us learning new DIY skills therefore saving money on labour costs whilst enjoying the process.
New skills - velvet floral cushion made in lockdown using fabric from Textile Express
Investing in knowledge
An increased amount of time to yourself might just lead you to picking back up your old hobbies, those ’small luxuries’ that you didn’t have the time or energy for, pre-lockdown, after a long day and commute. Reading, painting, craft, sewing, potting, drawing… investing, and taking pleasure in these skills again reminds us that there’s more to life than working. WFH may have just been the thing we needed for us to take stock of our personal lives, as well as our homes, to re-discover the people, and personalities that we once were, that we may have lost a part of.
Some of my favourite ceramics - Peter Pilotto for 1882 Ltd
For me personally, reading has been the thing. Not just novels, but design books, magazines, news articles (other than the obvious topics) and blog posts. Catching up on months’ worth’s of blogs and podcasts from some of my favourite creatives including Melanie Lissack, Mad About the House and Sophie Robinson has given me life, let alone additional knowledge and therefore conversation! Webinars have had a similar effect; an outcome of lockdown that I’ve really enjoyed is seeing and hearing some of my favourite people do their thing on Instagram stories, Live, Reels and actual webinars, which is such an interactive and visual stimulant for my brain.
Sophie Robinson Colour Psychology webinar
Investing in mental health
Although I’m probably talking a fewer steps each day now that I’m working from home (since my commute to and from the train station, then to the office, then to a cafe for lunch, totted up quite a few - all of which had to be done come rain or shine) the quality of my steps now, are much more pleasant. Although I miss perusing Manchester’s shops and cafes, an altogether different daily walk means that I see squirrels, breed upon cute breed of dogs, birds, the swans growing so beautifully in the lake, the trees and seasons changing and now, the buds of new life starting to show. Nature and biophillia is something that I’m now consciously aware of, and connected to on (almost) a daily basis.
This is not an image of the swan from my park walk, but a general swan image that I love via @sashabikoff
With home decoration, we can bring elements of our new found appreciation for nature ‘in’, through our choices of paint colour, wallpaper, plants, and using natural and layered materials to create calm and tranquility. Pinterest reports a 105% year on year increase in the search for ‘sage green’ interiors, known for it’s cosy, calming, restful qualities.
When it comes to using warming textures, we can think about what fabric and materials to use for our curtains, bedspreads and cushions. Opting for velvets, wools, faux furs and jacquards will certainly give us the look and feel of comfort. Bringing in natural woods, marble and sisal will provide a feeling of peace, warmth and tactility.
Did you read my blog post on the Dulux Colour of the Year 2021 - Brave Ground? You can take a look at it here. Dulux’s Creative Director Marianne Shillingford described the colour as ‘the mother earth of colours’, a soothing, grounding colour that reconnects us with nature in a non obvious way, from the ground up. Dulux got it quite right I think. Our reconnection with nature since the start of last year has certainly unearthed a need within us to be true to ourselves, whether or not that be to paint our walls in this earthy tone, but any colour that we feel that we identify with, we should use it to envelope ourselves.
The moodboard I created based on Dulux’s ‘Brave Ground’ as the wall colour, read about it here
Our love for figurative botanicals grows existentially and the recent collaboration of William Morris and Ben Pentreath proves that illustrative natural shapes appeal to new audiences as well as the original fans, including a very interesting audience called ‘New Heritage’. They are a younger generation who share the enchantment of the English eclectic aesthetic, and pair it with modern elements, vibrancy and rich styling. These archival designs have been reinterpreted for a contemporary audience, teaming nostalgia with new palettes, creating something that is beautiful, timeless and exciting.
William Morris x Ben Pentreath
But again, with the increase in frugality and cautious spending, of course not all our budgets will stretch to the price tag of William Morris. The good news is that the rise in popularity for this kind of style has opened up the floor to more affordable designers and brands, who are offering attainable versions of nature inspired wallpapers and fabrics.
Paint is also such a cost effective way to explore your personality within your home. Instead of focusing on being ‘on trend’, we’re investing in the colours and items that are trans-seasonal, surrounding ourselves with the things, palettes and textures that are important to us and make us feel the most at home.
These are just a few ways we can bring the outside in, to ensure our mental health is nourished and stimulated whilst indoors.
Read how my client used colour through paint in her family home including Dulux ‘Spiced Honey’ on the kitchen walls here
Investing in our bodies
I have to admit I treated the first lockdown like a sort-of Christmas, I ate everything I wanted and I didn’t feel guilty. Me and my parter both have a sweet tooth so we saw it as an opportunity to go a bit mad, thinking that this lockdown situation would be a one-off and wouldn’t last long. How wrong we were, and needless to say we gained a few pounds. I quickly realised that my eating habits weren’t sustainable, and with the extra time I had, I could be learning new cooking skills, adding a few more recipes to my repertoire and perfecting old ones.
Cooking from scratch and revisiting favourite recipe books is something that a lot of us have spent time and energy on, and incidentally, WGSN have reported a growing trend in ‘celebrating vegetables’. As the plant-based movement continues to evolve, as well as our interest in gardening, we’re looking for recipes that showcase vegetables in new and exciting ways, making them the hero of a dish. And back to cost-effectiveness, substituting meat for vegetables and plant-based foods means we can produce hearty, healthy meals for less.
Image via WGSN
The limitation on how many times we can leave the house per day has motivated us to cease the opportunity, and take that walk. My job is pretty sedentary, which I see as a problem for me personally - I’ve not had this many aches and pains for a long time. I’ve had to motivate myself to do a little bit more, and take a few more steps each day. Continuing to move goes hand in hand with a healthy body, and mind.
Some of my recommendations for what I call ‘healthy-tasty’ meals include The Happy Pear, BBC Good Food Nigella; Cook, Eat, Repeat (but basically, Nigella anything) and Delicious magazine. Me and my friends have been sharing recipes too, which I find certainly helps with the inspiration when it comes to meal planning.
Next recipe on my list - vegan ‘bounty bars’ via @thehappypear
Conclusion
A sentence that would round this blog off nicely is another I found via WGSN trend reports: ‘When combined, these trends are all about a growing sense of digital-cosy that will develop in the coming decade’ - the more digital we become, stay in, work from a sitting position, whilst in our homes, the more time and effort we will need to invest in these four vital areas; our knowledge, our bodies, our mental health and last but not least our homes - as this is the place where the other three things will take place.
If you would like help with your next interior project to try to incorporate these four emotional trends into your home, I would be happy to assist you. Please contact me here to chat about what you have in mind. Until then, stay safe and stay at home. LLG x
