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“In the past year, our relationships with our homes have evolved dramatically. We’re spending so much more time thinking about the spaces we love … and also about how design helps us meet the needs of everyday life.” — Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director and director of fine art for 1stDibs
Despite Trump, Brexit and entrenched political infighting it seemed that at the start of the year there was a great deal of optimism for what lay ahead; then on 31 January — the day the United Kingdom formally left the European Union — it recorded its first cases of Covid-19. Within months, the world was in the grip of a pandemic, with the UK plunged into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Building sites soon ground to a halt, projects were put on hold and the design industry at large retreated to their homes, where A1 print-outs were strewn across the dining room table and sample boxes stacked floor to ceiling in hallways and corridors (apart from those grandees of design who’s immaculately conceived homes, replete not only with fully functional offices, but also gyms, swimming pools and tennis courts, were soon seen plastered over their Instagram stories — much to the chagrin of those mere mortals making do in more modest abodes). However, as the year went on it soon became the “new normal”, which, whilst no less tedious, meant that for a good many at least, they were able to carry on working and, as building sites began to reopen, see projects through to fruition. Indeed due to internet sales — in lieu of showroom and gallery visits — a good many furniture suppliers, makers and dealers have actually been run off their feet, all of which can only be positive. Now as Christmas approaches and the year drags to an unseemly end, a good many of us will take stock and consider what trends might take off 2021. Whether that means looking back or thinking forward, there are numerous experts who have been busily crunching data so as to try and predict those items, styles and colours most likely to persuade consumers to part with their hard earned cash. In the case of Pantone for e.g. the colour of the year is upon us, or rather it’s not, because there are two, which are perhaps more than appropriate as we leave this annus horribilis for what will, hopefully, be a sunnier future: Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating. The former represents, at least according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, the practical, resilient mind-set demanded by the pandemic — and not just the relentless soul destroying nature of lockdown, or the battleships patrolling the channel in the event of a no deal Brexit — and the latter, optimism for the future which, I’m sure, we all have in spades.
A “wabi” inspired interior designed by Axel Vervoordt
The guest house at Château de Fabrègues, the home of home of interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch
Indeed having corresponded (at a safe distance) with hundreds of interior designers from across the globe online luxury marketplace 1stdibs has recently released — to great fanfare and excitement — the result of its annual survey of designers and architects in which it offers insights into interior trends that represent our changing preferences and, in direct consequence of the global pandemic, our new attitudes to pursuing work and leisure activities at home. “In the past year, our relationships with our homes have evolved dramatically,” Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director and director of fine art for 1stDibs, reflects. “We’re spending so much more time thinking about the spaces we love … and also about how design helps us meet the needs of everyday life.” Having broken down the results into five broad categories it has established that warm and earthy tones, nature-geared patterns, and “artisanal” furniture are all likely to be big factors in home decor come next year. While the popularity of contemporary pieces are on the up and up, 29% of those surveyed predicted the 1970’s was the decade most likely to feel “on trend” for 2021; so be prepared to dust off your Avocado bathroom suite and fire up a lava lamp or two. “If I had to pick a favourite decade, the 1970s might be it,” designer Angie Hranowsky told 1stdibs. “From the fashion to the earthy color palettes to the sense of freedom and individuality, I have always found inspiration in this bohemian decade. But it seems to be having a renaissance. Whether it’s modern furniture or traditional details like floral and fringe, we can see these now through a more modern lens.” This is perhaps no surprise, as since the 1960s or 70s (especially, at least, in recent decades) design trends have been largely cyclical, referencing the styles of past-eras and churning out “nine point” knock-offs of twentieth century design classics — be they Art Deco, Modernist or Memphis. Of course, presumably, the latter is simply part and parcel of the relentless and creeping obsession with everything and anything “mid-century” — with the same cast of characters — Jean Prouvé (1901-1984), Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967), Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999), Charles (1907–1978) and Ray Eames (1912–1988), Serge Mouille (1922-1988) and Hans Wegner (1914-2007) et al — seen ad infinitum in every new interiors shoot, at every design fair and in the pages of every other coffee table book. Interestingly, and increasingly, this is not only trend driven, but also by eco-conscious consumers who — no longer motivated primarily by flat-pack convenience — are prepared to spend a little more on investment pieces.
An apartment in Mayfair, London, designed by Rose Uniacke
A Montecito Estate designed by Atelier AM
There’s also a growing trend for sourcing items from small independent makers and manufacturers, for e.g. Edward Collinson and Fred Rigby who can design and build bespoke heirloom quality furniture for site-specific projects; indeed whilst 31% of those participating picked contemporary as their style de jour (Coming in second and third were Mid-Century Modern and Art Deco, at 24% and 22% respectively), 61% said that when buying new, they would aim to make purchases from artisanal designers. (The survey also found that an overwhelming majority of designers (82%) will source custom items in 2021— although this is perhaps not terribly surprising and fairly standard practice, at least within the hospitality and prime-residential sectors.) Accordingly, as perhaps might be expected, the popularity of antiques are on the rise; indeed 32% of designers said the pieces they use in their projects are predominantly antique/vintage, up from 26% last year, something again, seen in the interiors of all the design greats: “In Peter Marino’s extraordinarily interiors, early bronze sculpture and bold items of French 18th Century furniture, often in lacquer or ebony, play a role just as important as the modern and contemporary works of art,” explains Amjad Rauf, International Head of Masterpiece and Private Sales at Christie’s, “Vervoordt’s keenness for contemporary art and antiquities is well known, which he combines to great effect; Jacques Grange’s love for Neo-classical furniture is evident in his projects as well as great contemporary works including Bacon, Hirst and Kapoor.” Perhaps of interest to dealers and those in the trade — those designers surveyed have reported that more than half of their purchases were made online, compared to 44% in stores and galleries; with approximately half saying they shop for items on Instagram — an increasingly invaluable marketing tool, it’s more than likely those style savvy dealers, able to curate an aesthetically appealing photo gallery, will be a distinct advantage when it comes to luring in customers.
Perhaps again pandemic-inspired a quarter of those decorators polled suggested nature-inspired patterns are on the rise. “We inherently have a connection to outdoor spaces and often find inspiration in nature,” designer Laura Hodges told 1stdibs. “Increasingly, we’re finding ways to bring that natural beauty indoors with botanical wallpapers and hand-painted nature-inspired murals, as well as potted plants, trees, and vertical gardens.” Of course after months cooped-up inside, outdoor space has become a huge priority, whether that be a balcony, terrace or garden. For city dwellers in particular — especially those of us unable to tack on a terrace and plant it with espalier fruit trees — there might be a move away from the clean, white anonymity of contemporary minimalist modernism and an increase in biophilic design; that being hues and materials that mimic the sensation of being in nature. The pandemic has understandably spurred a feeling of unrest and anxiety amongst consumers and similarly, the use of warm colours and earth tones — emerald, cobalt blue, burnt orange and ochre — received top marks. A subtle shift towards more grounded colours and richer hues will evoke a sense of calm, and in turn, redefine how the home feels — comforting, safe and inviting. This can also be seen in the increasing use of texture, especially on upholstery, such as bouclés and mohair velvets, as well as the use of plush, enveloping furniture; as seen in Pierre Yovanovitch’s collection of rotund bear-like armchairs and the elegantly oversized 280 and Palais Royal sofas from Pierre Augustin Rose.
For much of the twentieth century interior trends were measured in decades, whereas now, they change with the seasons — fuelling “throwaway” culture, which, like the fashion industry, fuels consumption, running counter to what in 2021 should be an increasing focus on sustainability in design. One might argue trends should be ignored entirely, at least by professional designers, architects and decorators, as those interiors created so as to be intentionally “fashionable” (to be distinguished from those designers so avant-garde and so original that they start trends, for e.g. Albert Hadley (1920-2012), David Hicks (1929-1998) and Jean-Michel Frank (1895-1941)) tend to feel old before their time. Trends by their very definition are transient and often, when viewed through the prism of hindsight, are seen as aberrations against good taste (for e.g. wallpaper borders, gallery walls, shabby chic and carpeted bathrooms). Indeed the raison d’être of many great designers is to create interiors that are timeless and unencumbered by the shackles of any easily identifiable aesthetic trend. As an almost perfect illustration, this year’s survey found that colours on their way out include (fingers crossed) Millennial pink, the popularity of which dropped significantly, losing 7% to set at 4% this year. That said, in the great pantheon of good design, trend doesn’t necessarily have to be seen as a dirty word — at least in its loosest sense — for e.g. one could easily argue that Macassar, parchment and lacquer were trends in the 1920’s, rush seating, caning and metal furniture in the 50s and so on and so forth; and of course, objectively speaking, the very best designers are those who inadvertently be setting trends for 2022.