Build.com Trend Watch

What’s trending for 2020/21? Your home should look like you live in it. Shocking, we know, but what we mean by this is that dust-collecting tchotchkes and untouchable accessories aren’t reflective of the way we live. We engage, we are imperfect, we are unique. That’s why it’s no surprise that the trends below speak to our need for a more personalized experience, from multifunctional spaces and custom shelving to eclectic design styles and curated spaces. Keep reading for more on these trends.

Design Trend: It’s All About Personalization

We’re seeing a move toward classic styles combined with novel twists. Personalization is key, uniqueness makes it yours. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to designers and manufacturers as well as consumers. If you appreciate the beauty of imperfection, then styles like Wabi Sabi and Modern Organic might be a good fit. Think diverse textures, natural fibers, earth tones, and plant life.

Speaking of plantlife, botanical prints are having a resurgence right now, aided by the Jungalow style. If you haven’t heard of Jungalow style, allow us to enlighten you. The word itself is a combination of jungle and bungalow and the only true rule is that your space should be a reflection of your personality and experiences — from your travels or otherwise. And houseplants. Lots and lots of houseplants. It reminds us of bohemian design, which is a very eclectic style that incorporates lots of color, borrows from many cultures, and mixes shabby vintage with fancy Victorian. Look to Maximalism for ideas on getting started with this new style.

Storage Trend: Open Shelving

Open shelving in your kitchen, in your bathroom—we’re also seeing shelves in the bedroom. Open shelving can give your space a bespoke look while actually saving you money on cabinetry. It can be used as a storage option, a decor choice, or both. Use shelving in lieu of upper cabinets in the kitchen to: store dishes and recipe books, display items and houseplants, keep dry goods in jars, even use them to create a bar area. 

Everyone needs extra storage in the bathroom. Use that vertical space by installing open shelving to store bath products, toilet paper, apothecary jars, even towels.

Create a gallery wall with floating shelves in the bedroom or a reading nook with open shelving for book storage and a comfy chair.

Space Trend: Multi-functional Rooms

No matter how big or small your home, everyone is trying to make the most of their space right now. At times, that means some rooms are pulling double duty. We’re seeing people get pretty creative with solutions for dividing rooms. We’ve listed a few of our favorites here.

Barn Doors

In an open space, it can be a bit of a project, but barn door installation only requires a ceiling track to close off a section of room. Barn doors are wide by design and provide a significant amount of privacy. If an open doorway already exists, the job is even easier.

French Doors

For a classic look, incorporate french doors in glass or solid wood. This gives you the option to leave the space open when it’s convenient and close it off when it becomes necessary.

Room Dividers

Room dividers often take up very little room, and pieces like privacy screens are most useful in small spaces. Also, they can be folded and put away with ease because they are usually lightweight. Although some are more permanent but provide display shelving in return. Heavy curtains can provide a modicum of division. Large shelves can be used for this purpose as well.

Area Rugs

Set a space apart in a large room by giving it an area rug foundation. Place furniture with this guide.

Coming Soon: Curated Spaces

Some things we’re excited about and have seen trending correspond with many of the themes presented here: Curated, personalized, unique spaces tailored to the very specific needs of those occupying them.

Home bars, for example, are extremely popular. We don’t just mean alcohol. Love coffee? Create an espresso and coffee bar. Big fan of dirty sodas? Create a gourmet soda bar. Got kids or teens who are always on the run in the morning? Set up a breakfast station. The point is creating a space that works for you instead of making due in a space you’re not completely happy with. Stay tuned for a future article on this!

Kid caves, teen hangouts, homeschool rooms, home offices: these spaces have become much more than just guest-room-slash-whatever rooms of late. Kid caves are complete with everything tiny-sized. Home workspaces have all the comforts, ergonomics, and storage of the office. Homeschool rooms are designed to foster education and cater to many different types of learning. Watch for a feature article on this trend coming soon to Build.com. Subscribe to our emails below for more style news and design inspiration like these.

Mix It Up

It seems that, as a culture, we are embracing the idea of creating spaces that are truly reflective of what we value. This is affecting trends in the way we use color, design our space, divide our space, what we choose to put in our space, and more. Don’t be afraid to mix styles and colors to make your home truly feel like yours.