Home design trends change all the time. Popular colors also seem to vacillate between neutrals and bold colors. Is it important to keep up with trends in house design and decor? It depends. Are you designing a floor plan? Then you should see how people are using the spaces in their homes. Is your home where you intend to stay for your lifetime? Then you have the freedom to make it unique regardless of trends. However even though I am not remodeling my home or thinking of redecorating, our homes are where we abide, set down roots, and become parts of the community. Home design trends help me see how the focus of our society changes and adapts. For example, let’s explore three 2020 home design trends heading out in 2021: modern farmhouse, neutrals, and minimalism.

Modern Farmhouse

Chip and Joanna Gaines not only put Waco, Texas on the map, but made the modern farmhouse look super trendy. Elements like shiplap, farmhouse sinks, and sliding barn doors can be seen everywhere. In rural areas the look is organic, but many people have grown tired of it in places where it makes no sense like apartments in big urban areas. Kelly Mason in an article with Forbes said, “Shiplap wall treatments, barn doors, and other hallmarks of the modern farmhouse style are still beautiful but look clearly out of place in city apartments and suburban homes.” Modern farmhouse may never completely go out of style, but people are being more mindful where the look is done. Therefore for the majority of Americans, the modern farmhouse look is out.

Neutrals

Shea McGee of Studio McGee has built her career on the neutral color palette. Although she makes everything beautiful on her Netflix show, Dream Home Makeover, neutrals can make a space feel cold and outdated. There has to be texture and depth of colors even with a neutral palette. However too many people went for the gray on gray look. Additionally we have all spent more time at home this past year with the pandemic and we want to inject some color with visual interest in our spaces. Interestingly, Pantone’s colors of the year are a bright yellow called Illuminating and a gray named Ultimate Gray. I think this illustrates perfectly that people will be injecting bold, vivid colors like Illuminating with their already in place neutrals like Ultimate Gray.

Minimalism

Think clean lines, space, and simplicity. Interior designer Aurore Martial explains to Amanda Lauren with Forbes, “I think there was a trend for a couple of years for perfect shapes, ultra-sleek design, very modern and neat interiors. Now I can see a return to reality.” He continues to say, “Maybe it’s the COVID and the fact that we all went back to basics the past year. But, I feel there is an exodus from that perfect world to the profit of imperfection.” People realized minimalism was hard to attain when they were home all the time. Minimalism also can make a home feel cold due to the lack of personality in the decor. Instead maximalism is the new trend. The pendulum has swung in the completely opposite direction. We will have to explore maximalism in depth at a later time.

In conclusion, 2020 home design trends heading out the door show us that our focus as a whole has shifted. People are moving away from the modern farmhouse trend, neutrals in a monochromatic palette, and minimalism to embrace almost the opposite trends, which tells me that COVID affected our society immensely. We spent tons of time at home and want that space to feel organic to where we live, have interesting and vivid colors, and reflect our personalities in maximalist design. Regardless of where you fall on these trends, I always believe that making your house into a home is truly finding a way to express your likes while combining them beautifully with your needs.