2021…Hot design trends of the past year

It is 2022 already?!?!? It’s hard to believe that 2021 is over so fast! I took a moment to reflect about the past year and the projects I’ve worked on; realizing I’ve completed about 130 e-design projects in 2021. After looking back, I’m predicting that some of the hot design trends in 2021 will continue to remain popular into 2022 as well. Let’s get right into it!

Mid-century modern style foyer with forest green 3D wall designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co.

Forest Green

You probably wondering “wait a minute! I thought the color(s) of the year for 2021 were Ultimate Gray and Illuminating?” Well, Pantone may have claimed that, but it certainly wasn’t my experience from what my clients wanted. In the past year, not only did I receive a lot of requests from my e-design clients that they wanted me to work with forest green, I introduced the color to a few others when I felt it was the right choice for their homes and personal styles. This didn’t show up just in paint color on the walls! I utilized this color in fabrics, artwork, kitchen cabinetry, accessories, and decorative pillows. I personally love this color and is one of my favorite colors to work with. I feel that it’s timeless and will continue to remain popular in the year ahead.

Boho style dining/family room designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co.

Japandi

In the last few months, I’ve received requests by a few e-design clients that they learned about this new design style, Japandi. Japandi, a cross of Scandinavian style with Japanese sensibilities, is not technically new to 2021, but it’s been gaining more popularity and traction in the market. The 3D rendering above is an e-design project I worked on and is an example of Japandi style. This particular style is known for bright white rooms with bamboo or lighter tone woods, subtle textures, and almost no pop of colors. Warm colors are ok as long as they’re not loud, in order to keep this design style exuding a sense of calm, coziness, simplicity, and serenity. It can be mixed with live plants to add life to the space. This kind of design aesthetic will remain around for a while as the Scandinavian vibe has been popular for decades and this is the latest iteration of it. I don’t expect this trend to end any time soon.

California casual style living room designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co. It was rendered by Stuccco.

Curved Sofas

In the past year, I’m not sure exactly what caused curved sofas to become so popular but quite a few of my clients fell in love and specifically requested them to be incorporated into their designs. In some projects, due to the floor plan my clients are working with in their space, it actually made the most sense for their layout to use a curved sofa. Curved sofas create a more subtle sense of intimacy and are perfect entertaining or for conversations. They may look really sleek and cool, but in my opinion, in some cases, curved sofas are not practical for people that love naps or sprawling on the sofa to watch TV or read a book. These sofas tend to have poor lower back support and the curved nature doesn’t lend itself to laying down straight. I think this style of sofa will be around a little while longer since it’s so great to use for creating conversation spaces. There’s some really cool curved sectionals out there as well!

Mid-Century Modern style kitchen designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co.

Bright White Kitchen

White kitchen design is timeless and, when done right, can remain relevant for decades by allowing up changes and updates to light fixtures, appliances, countertops, accessories, and hardware over time. This past year, I’ve worked on about 30 kitchen e-design projects, with more than half of them with a primary bright white palette. This 3D rendering of a Mid-Century Modern style kitchen I worked on recently is an example of a bright white kitchen with a mix of materials to balance the overall kitchen look and not look too sterile. Like I said, a white kitchen is timeless so this kitchen trend will continue thought 2022 and beyond with some adjustments in order to keep the style looking fresh.

Art Deco style bedroom project designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co.

Art Deco is making a comeback

Art Deco style had it’s heyday in the 20’s and 30’s and has been making a slow comeback in the past few years with an increased appreciation for bold colors paired with strong repeating geometric patterns. I’ve been including some pieces that represent a newer Art Deco style, creating eclectic looks for some of my e-design clients. In the second half of 2021, I had several clients that needed my help to design their space and requested styles reflecting strong Art Deco influences; like Hollywood Glam. The above rendering is an example of a bedroom I did for the client in that style. I’m actually really excited about the style gaining more interest as I really love aspects of it, especially in beautiful wallpaper treatments like I used above. I believe this latest design trend will continue throughout 2022 and beyond with a renewed appreciation and modern and tailored interpretation of the Art Deco aesthetic.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these five things that became popular in 2021 and what kind of style or things that you would love to see remain in style or come back in style for 2022? Discuss in the comments below.