My ‘marshmallow couches’ and new swivel chairs in the living room of my new Toronto Vicotiran house!
INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2021 AND 2022
With renovations soon to begin on my new Toronto Victorian home, I have been finding myself feeling a new sense of purpose and passion for interior design. What once was a collection of ‘wouldn’t it be nice’s’ and ‘maybe one day’s’ is now inspiration on my ‘First Floor Renovation’ Pinterest board and things just hit different. ‘Pinning’ is ‘planing’ and 2022 interior design trend reports, home decor colour trend boards and industry highlights are definitely what I have been gravitating to. For those who don’t find that stuff as sexy though, here’s a summery of what I learned and what I’m loving.
From the rise of Japandi (Scandinavian functionality meets Japanese minimalism) to the fall of grey kitchens, 2021 and 2022 interior design trends seem to show a shift in how people are moving through life and feeling about their spaces. Now that they are forced to stay home, comforts and cozy atmospheres are a must as well as a need to incorporation more sustainable elements and natural materials into the home. If we can’t go out, we want to bring the outside world in and create beautiful spaces to enjoy while doing so. An emphasis on functionality has taken centre stage as we declutter our spaces and focus on having a few statement pieces rather than an abundance of décor and furniture. When it comes to paint, neutral and grounding colours are also being favoured over vibrant jewel tones and powerful patterns, but nothing has stolen my heart more than these 10 interior design trends for 2021 & 2022:
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Round and Irregular Shaped Mirrors - A useful tool when it comes to interior design, mirrors can help make a room feel larger, reflect light, or even add a splash of glamour to an otherwise stagnant space. Of course, hanging a few mirrors in a home is definitely a must, but one 2021 interior design trend that I am absolutely loving is the use of round and irregular shaped mirrors to unify a room or add a statement. One such mirror that I am currently coveting from Ferm Living is called ‘The Pond’. In some ways it reminds me of Salvador Dali’s melted clock because of it’s similar ‘melted’ characteristics. I especially love to see round and irregular mirrors used as a way to add juxtaposition to a room that otherwise would have a lot of sharp edges like a dining room or a tiled bathroom. Further, irregular or round mirrors perform the double duty of being a design element that is both functional and eye catching while still reflecting light around the room.
Crittall Doors, Windows and Partitions - Not only are they edgy and versatile, but Crittall frames are incredibly eye catching and work well with all types of aesthetics including industrial, mid-century or Scandinavian interiors. Characterized by the grid-like frames and modern lines, the use of Crittall allows both light and space to feel abundant while creating zoned areas within it. Although traditionally used for doors and windows, lately I have seen Crittal also being used to create walls around at-home office space, as doors to pantries, as shower screens and even as partition between rooms. It’s definitely something I’ve been pinning a lot and can guarantee it will be showing up in my new home.
Moody and Dark Kitchen Cabinets - A white kitchens may be timeless but nothing can do ‘sleek and striking’ better than dark kitchen cabinetry. The industry has seen a strong gravitational pull towards dark cabinet kitchens when previous overlooked as purely an 'accent' colour. Black walls, cabinetry and work surfaces are having something of a moment as dark grounding colours feel liveable, luxe and inviting. Mix in some floating shelves made of textured woods and the spaces now feels warm, rustic and inviting. Earthy tones such as terracotta and sand continue to be popular as we aim to create natural, grounding environments to help us truly disconnect from our busy lives. Same holds true for appliances. Back Stainless Steel appliances are now being offered by brands like Bosch, LG, KitchenAid, and Samsung. I myself, feel its gravitation pull and recently purchased a La Cornue stove for my new kitchen in a dramatic dark navy with brass knobs! It’s going to look SO YUM, I can’t wait!
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PHOTO CREDIT: @oldstockantiques
Natural Elements - Bringing nature in doesn’t have to be as literal as filling your place with a million new plant babies. Instead, switching furnishings out in favour of those that incorporate more natural fibres such as rattan, wicker, cane, and wood are a great place to start! Fabrics such as wool, linen and cotton are also being used to add texture to a room along with terracotta vases, dried flowers, marble coffee tables, and wicker baskets. These all add warmth to a room while creating an atmosphere that feels organic, relaxed, and calming.
Accent Lighting - Lighting doesn’t just need to be functional, it needs to make a statement and much of the inspiration I have been pinning these days for the living room in my Victorian house include a beautiful chandeliers. Emphasis on luxurious lighting offers a great opportunity to draw the eye upwards accentuating high ceilings in a house like mine. If you don’t have high ceilings, no worries, you should still think of lighting as a form of jewelry. Make sure to choose something that provides some sort of opulent grandeur without overwhelming the entire look of the room.
Blush In Bedrooms and Bathrooms - Although not a new colour, earthy pinks are super popular when it comes to 2022 interior color trends and textiles. Perhaps it’s because they mix so well with earthy pigments such as terracotta and sand or natural materials like rattan and woven jute, but I have been very attracted to a rose pink palette when it comes to master bedrooms and powder rooms. There is something so subtle, sophisticated and delicate about it that it evokes feels of relaxed romance for me. I will definitely be incorporating this colour into my home after renovations are complete and am already banking a ton of inspiration for my master bedroom in this colour.
Marshmallow Couches - Definitely not an industry term but instead 100% something I just made up, marshmallow couches and/or curved and shapely furniture have been gracing the IG pages of so many of my favourite home decor accounts for the past few years. Of course striking lighting can make a statement but nothing makes a living room more welcoming than an enticing sofa. Curved couches invite your gaze to dance across a room and nubby textile like bouclé appeal to the touch drawing you further in. I have already began to embrace this 2021 living room decor trend and have procured two couches in this ultra comfy style. I also found two swivel chairs that I plan to reupholstered in bouclé to help me create the dreamiest living room setup!
Rattan, Cane & Wicker - Two things I have been swooning over for what feels like an eternity is rattan, cane and wicker! Although woven furniture styles have been gaining popularity in the last few years, they have always had a place in my heart. Growing up there was a lot of rattan and cane in my home and to me, it feels nostalgic. Natural materials like rattan and wicker add warmth and lightness to home decor while adding texture and natural elements. Both weaves are lightweight and versatile with the ability to work in every room of your home as well as outside! Think rattan garden furniture or cane dining chairs! I will definitely be incorporating a lot of this kind of furniture into my new home as I already have a few DIY’s planned and my eye on a few pieces!
Dramatic Flooring - One things Adam and I are super excited about updating in our new Victorian home are the floors. Currently we have four different kinds of flooring on just our first floor and in order to make the room feel more cohesive, we knew changing the floor was going to be a priority. I have always loved Parisian apartments and Scandinavian interiors which is why we are opting for herringbone flooring. If you’re renting or looking for a lower commitment solution, another way to jazz up your floors is to add a dramatic carpet, animal hide or animal-printed rug to your space.
Swoon-Worthy Ceilings - Accent walls have been around for a while but swoon worthy ceilings are gaining popularity especially if dramatic flooring is not in the budget. Instead of adding wallpaper to one wall, more and more people are opting in for neutrality on their wall and instead using easy stick wallpapers on their ceiling for added flair. I know when Adam and I were house hunting we came across a few Toronto Victorian homes with tin kitchen ceilings and I couldn’t help but fall head over heels in love with them. Thankfully swoon worthy ceilings are in vogue once again and I look forward to incorporating this trend into my home in some aspect.
CREDIT: Peter Salerno, Wyckoff kitchen & bath designers, NJ. Stratta tile design. Rangecraft hood. Peter Rymwid photo
So there you have it! Ten 2021 & 2022 interior design trends that I am currently loving. If you are curious to see how my first floor renovations turn out I invite you to follow along. I am planning to post a lot more video’s documenting the process on my Instagram and YouTube channel as well as write a lot more blog posts like this one, so feel free to subscribe! If you think this list is missing big trends or you are obsessed with anything I shared above, feel free to let me know in the comments below!
Until next time!
- Soheila
