Interior colour trends have changed to suit our new locked down lifestyle
The last year how changed how we all live in our homes. What used to be a place to entertain, a place to sleep and unwind after a long day at the office has suddenly become the office for a lot of us.
The function of the home has changed and therefore how we live in it has changed too. Everyone has focused on making their home adapt to locked down life and so it’s unsurprising that the latest trends in home furnishing, décor, interior and colour have changed to reflect that.
The colour trends and palettes for 2021 vary greatly across the board, but one thing is for sure: We’re all about calming colours this year.
Check out the latest trends and get some inspo below on how to incorporate these colours and themes into your home to make your space as life optimal as possible.
Sage green
This one is fairly obvious. We’ve seen this look across the board in life – in our fashion, our décor, colour schemes. And there’s a reason why. This is an extremely tranquil, soft shade of green. Focusing on bringing the outside in, lots of us have gravitated towards various shades of green this year in an effort to create a natural, plant-inspired haven when our outdoor lives became limited to our travel restricted area.
This calming sage colour, however, is one of the most common green tones we’re seeing cropping up in interior design. Rustic and cosy, this looks good against antiques and especially in kitchens, bringing a calming cottage and countryside aesthetic to any space. Welcoming warm and relaxing, this is a trend we can see sticking around for a while.
Earth tones
Again, natural and calming these shades are all about connecting you with the natural world. They can vary from dark to light, from creamy to deep brown, but the most important thing is that they make you feel relaxed. These kinds of shades are becoming popular in bedrooms and living rooms, as now more than ever, the home needs to be delineated, separating the working space from the places of relaxation and family life.
These earthy tones look best when complemented by natural textures, rattan, metallic tones, grainy wood. The ambience builds when all the different tones are brought together, creating a soft, rustic and relaxing landscape.
Blush pink
A quote that’s circulating around interior decorating blogs right now is that blush is the new white. The soft, pale pink has been transformed into not only a staple, but a new neutral. Gone are its associations with children’s bedrooms, blush pink adds an element of sophistication when offset with the right coordinating palette of colours.
When paired with clean dark lines and pale palettes, it’s the perfect bedroom look for the chic customer and when offset with a darker, contrasting colour like the deep blue featured above, it becomes avant-garde, eye-catching and a whole feature of its own. Braver and more vibrant than your true neutrals, this is a risk that can be daring and fabulous when pulled off properly.
Dark tones
Did we ever think we’d see the day when we’d be painting our living rooms black our our dining rooms navy? I don’t think any of us saw this trend coming, but we’re loving it. The look pairs deep, dark colours with big blocks of light to create contrasting spaces that make our focus shift. Deep navies, charcoal greys and even deep khaki green are all making appearances in these colour palettes, increasingly popular in kitchens and sitting rooms.
The dark kitchen fitting contrasted with a pouring of light is all about the finish of the paint. Keeping the darker colours to gloss or satin finishes mean that the light available isn’t muted and creates a moody, dramatic look that is a true statement. Stylish and timeless, it’s important to keep the walls relatively bare to allow the colours and clean lines to speak for themselves and avoid making the room appear to shrink.
Terracotta orange
Warm and inviting and suggestive of foreign lands, this colour is stunning against soft, natural colours and textures. Escapist and gorgeous, when paired with a calm tan, it complements the warming neutral base colours. This makes it easy to combine and it slots into many neutral colour schemes that need a pop of vibrancy or warmth.
It falls in with the earth tones trend in that it mimics a rusty, clay colour, meaning it works well with textures like wood or muted metallic materials. It’s been noted as one of the colours that goes well with Dulux's Colour of the Year 2021 called ‘Brave Ground’ – a neutral shade described as 'the cornerstone of decorating' — it's no surprise that grounded tones are one of the best for creating a relaxed and inviting feel.
Jewel greens
Expressive and luxurious, this colour is making a major comeback. It evokes glamour and looks especially good with the dark and light trend, making a dramatic background pop against its brightness. The trend is in keeping with the emerging style of drawing inspiration from 1920s parlours.
Old-world glamour is making an appearance in the antiques and opulent ornaments lining the shelves and walls of living rooms. This bright tone hearkens back to that charm and prestige that oozes from the look, complemeted by burnished golds and bronzes.
