The Biggest Interior Design Trends for 2021: What’s Going to Be Popular in the UK & Around the World?
With most of us spending more time at home than ever, the design of our internal space has never before had the power to affect our daily lives in quite the same way.
Rooms that previously needed to serve just one purpose, now need to be flexible and become home offices, gyms, soft play centres, and everything in between. Add to that the increased time that is now spent looking at the same décor, furnishings and colour schemes, and it’s easy to see why many people are keen to improve the design of their homes in 2021 – be that with a refreshing redecoration, or going the whole hog and extending to increase the space on offer.
So, if you’re in the market for some inspiration, we analysed Google Trends data throughout 2020 for a range of different interior design styles, colours, furniture, home improvements and accessories, to reveal which are set to dominate 2021, and which are on their way out.
2021: The Year of Cottagecore
Our trends research shows 2021 is stacking up to be the year that dark blue walls are out and dark green is in. Cottagecore is everywhere, dark kitchens are key and anything that helps to connect us to the outside world, like roof windows, orangeries or conservatories will be in high demand.
The UK’s Top 15 Interior Design Trends for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Cottagecore |
1075.00% |
|
2 |
Dried flowers |
250.00% |
|
3 |
Antiqued mirror |
224.00% |
|
4 |
Roof lantern |
203.03% |
|
5 |
Herringbone floor |
177.42% |
|
6 |
Dark blue kitchen |
147.83% |
|
7 |
Roof window |
127.78% |
|
8 |
Japandi |
112.77% |
|
9 |
Copper taps |
111.11% |
|
10 |
Dark green walls |
103.13% |
|
11 |
Scandi style |
96.08% |
|
12 |
Mermaid tiles |
94.74% |
|
13 |
Macrame |
90.00% |
|
14 |
Wall panelling |
88.64% |
|
15 |
Rustic style |
83.87% |
It’s easy to see why Cottagecore and other more natural styles are looking to be the top trends for 2021, as we begin to do away with harsh, rigid industrial styles and seek to bring more homely comfort into our surroundings. Cottagecore’s popularity has risen by a huge 1075% since the beginning of the year, with many going the whole hog, invoking the rural aesthetic with a thatched roof or adorning their home with roof tiles in abstract patterns and profiles.
Many of the other trends that are also increasing in popularity have a connection to natural materials and a more traditional and homely style as well. Dried flowers, macrame, antiqued mirrors, wall panelling and roof lanterns are all looking like they’ll be key interiors trends in 2021.
A Rainbow of Colour
Where paint colour is concerned, dark green walls have seen an uplift of 103%, while once sought after dark blue walls seem to be the home décor trend on the biggest decline, with the moody hue seeing a 64% decrease in popularity over the last year.
The Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in The UK for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Dark blue walls |
-64.18% |
|
2 |
Chrome taps |
-46.48% |
|
3 |
Retro style |
-27.03% |
|
4 |
Mid-century furniture |
-26.00% |
|
5 |
Industrial light |
-22.35% |
|
6 |
Geometric pattern |
-21.05% |
|
7 |
Gold taps |
-18.29% |
|
8 |
Statement wall |
-15.00% |
|
9 |
Pink walls |
-10.77% |
|
10 |
Metro/ subway tiles |
-3.28% |
Other trends we’ve grown tired of include metro tiles, industrial lighting, retro styling and statement walls.
The Interiors Trends That Are IN and OUT Around the World
As with any type of design, often it’s different cultures, history and architecture that shape trends in other locations, so we were also keen to see which décor styles were increasing in popularity across the world in the run up to 2021.
First up – Australia
Cottagecore reigns supreme again, with popularity increasing by almost 700% in less than a year. Grey walls, velvet sofas, blue kitchens and roof windows make up the rest of the top 5 most popular trends for next year in Australia.
The Top 10 Interior Design Trends for 2021 in Australia
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Cottagecore |
683.33% |
|
2 |
Grey walls |
342.11% |
|
3 |
Velvet sofas |
314.29% |
|
4 |
Blue kitchen |
248.00% |
|
5 |
Roof window |
194.12% |
|
6 |
Dried flowers |
193.55% |
|
7 |
Wall panelling |
185.71% |
|
8 |
Metro/ subway tiles |
163.16% |
|
9 |
Black kitchen |
115.00% |
|
10 |
Grey Kitchen |
106.90% |
Similar to the UK and other places around the world, kitchens that are anything but white are increasingly popular.
When it comes to the trends that have had their time in the spotlight, conservatories, industrial styling, chrome taps and matt kitchens are the trends that are decreasing in popularity the most in Australia.
Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in Australia for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Conservatories |
-89.00% |
|
2 |
Industrial style |
-63.04% |
|
3 |
Chrome taps |
-45.45% |
|
4 |
Matt kitchen |
-45.16% |
|
5 |
Industrial light |
-43.33% |
|
6 |
Diffusers |
-42.67% |
|
7 |
House plants |
-35.19% |
|
8 |
Black taps |
-32.69% |
|
9 |
Mid-century furniture |
-28.13% |
|
10 |
Floral wallpaper |
-26.32% |
America
In the US, Scandi styling is exploding in popularity. Up by a colossal 2,400% in just under 12 months, it’s set to be THE interiors trend of 2021. Also increasing in popularity is Cottagecore, in addition to statement walls, mermaid tiles and geometric patterns.
The Top 10 Interior Design Trends for 2021 in The USA
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Scandi style |
2400.00% |
|
2 |
Cottagecore |
628.57% |
|
3 |
Dark green walls |
282.35% |
|
4 |
Cane furniture |
273.68% |
|
5 |
Statement wall |
170.00% |
|
6 |
Drinks trolley |
117.39% |
|
7 |
Mermaid tiles |
114.81% |
|
8 |
Geometric pattern |
78.79% |
|
9 |
Dried flowers |
68.57% |
|
10 |
Dark grey kitchen |
62.07% |
At the other end of the trend scale, pink is another popular colour from the last few years that’s now losing its appeal. Crushed velvet, art deco styling and subway tiles are also not as popular anymore, but taking the top spot for the trend that’s decreasing in popularity the most in the US, is wall panelling.
Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in The USA for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Wall panelling |
-53.45% |
|
2 |
Orangeries |
-52.00% |
|
3 |
Metro/ subway tiles |
-46.38% |
|
4 |
Textured bedding |
-45.59% |
|
5 |
Herringbone floor |
-40.96% |
|
6 |
Nature wallpaper |
-40.38% |
|
7 |
Art deco style |
-36.21% |
|
8 |
Crushed velvet |
-34.72% |
|
9 |
Pink walls |
-24.00% |
New Zealand
Unsurprisingly, the addition of a home office is seeing a massive uplift. In New Zealand, it’s the home improvement seeing the biggest shift in popularity – up by almost 200% in a year. Elsewhere, retro styling, conservatories and industrial lighting all make an appearance in the top 10, highlighting how some trends that are ‘out’ in some countries, can very much be popular in others.
The Top 10 Interior Design Trends for 2021 in New Zealand
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Home office |
188.24% |
|
2 |
Retro style |
102.56% |
|
3 |
Wall panelling |
100.00% |
|
4 |
Conservatories |
70.00% |
|
5 |
Cottagecore |
63.89% |
|
6 |
Line art |
60.87% |
|
7 |
Industrial light |
57.69% |
|
8 |
Grey kitchen |
54.55% |
|
9 |
White kitchen |
30.00% |
|
10 |
Mid-century furniture |
8.77% |
Despite popularity in other places around the world, blue and black kitchens both make an appearance in the trends decreasing in popularity in New Zealand. The trend that’s losing the most traction however is something that appears to have had its heyday in most places now – it’s metro tiles, down by 60% since last year.
Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in New Zealand for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Metro/ subway tiles |
-60.81% |
|
2 |
Vintage style |
-57.14% |
|
3 |
Blue kitchen |
-57.00% |
|
4 |
Floral wallpaper |
-54.00% |
|
5 |
Roof window |
-49.33% |
|
6 |
Black kitchen |
-38.30% |
|
7 |
Diffusers |
-29.55% |
|
8 |
Dried flowers |
-21.79% |
|
9 |
Cane furniture |
-20.00% |
|
10 |
Macrame |
-18.00% |
South Africa
In South Africa, many of the key trends looking to take over in 2021 are kitchen related – six of the top 10 most popular are either cabinet options, worktop materials or types of taps. Dark grey kitchens appear to be the style increasing in popularity the most, but living walls, line art and drinks trollies are also in the top 10.
The Top 10 Interior Design Trends for 2021 in South Africa
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Dark grey kitchen |
284.62% |
|
2 |
Black kitchen |
229.63% |
|
3 |
White kitchen |
206.67% |
|
4 |
Drinks trolley |
194.12% |
|
5 |
Floral wallpaper |
185.71% |
|
6 |
Line art |
181.25% |
|
7 |
Living walls |
170.27% |
|
8 |
Grey kitchen |
145.00% |
|
9 |
Granite |
100.00% |
|
10 |
Brass taps |
94.44% |
Despite a huge explosion in popularity over the past few years, when it comes to paint colours for walls, grey now seems to be making way for other more earthy and neutral tones.
The trends that are proving the least popular in South Africa are conservatories, cane furniture, grey walls, diffusers and macrame.
Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in South Africa for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Conservatories |
-53.85% |
|
2 |
Cane furniture |
-45.31% |
|
3 |
Grey walls |
-38.71% |
|
4 |
Diffusers |
-31.03% |
|
5 |
Macrame |
-23.26% |
|
6 |
Retro style |
-13.73% |
|
7 |
Chrome taps |
-12.50% |
|
8 |
Copper taps |
-12.00% |
|
9 |
Gold taps |
-10.00% |
|
10 |
Industrial style |
-9.18% |
United Arab Emirates
Three different colours for kitchen cabinets feature in UAE’s top 10 – black, grey and white kitchens all appear to be increasing in popularity. Although marble and granite are both in the list, granite appears to be 10 times more popular than marble, with interest increasing by more than 100%, compared to just a 9% rise for marble. But, when it comes to the top spot – it’s conservatories that are seeing the biggest increase – up by a huge 156% in less than 12 months.
The Top 10 Interior Design Trends for 2021 in UAE
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Conservatories |
156.41% |
|
2 |
Granite |
102.63% |
|
3 |
Black kitchen |
88.24% |
|
4 |
Line art |
88.00% |
|
5 |
House plants |
88.00% |
|
6 |
Grey kitchen |
75.44% |
|
7 |
Statement wall |
73.68% |
|
8 |
Diffusers |
40.85% |
|
9 |
White kitchen |
38.10% |
|
10 |
Marble |
9.43% |
Geometric patterns, grey walls and retro styling are some of the décor styles on their way out, and although grey, white and black kitchens are increasing in popularity, blue ones are definitely not on the up, decreasing by 10% in the last year. The number one trend that’s decreasing the most is industrial lighting, down by 55% in the run up to 2021. A trend that seems to have had its day around most of the world.
Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in the UAE for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Industrial light |
-55.00% |
|
2 |
Home office |
-54.76% |
|
3 |
Herringbone floor |
-53.00% |
|
4 |
Roof window |
-52.86% |
|
5 |
Retro style |
-30.00% |
|
6 |
Cottagecore |
-12.24% |
|
7 |
Geometric pattern |
-10.81% |
|
8 |
Grey walls |
-10.71% |
|
9 |
Blue kitchen |
-10.20% |
|
10 |
Macrame |
-10.00% |
Canada
To finish our look around the world at different interior design trends, we visit Canada. And, we have another list with Cottagecore at the top. Up by almost 500% in the run up to 2021, it’s pretty safe to assume this is definitely going to be a key trend in interior design next year.
Also in the list is Scandi style, two tone kitchens, line art, macrame and dried flowers.
The Top 10 Interior Design Trends for 2021 in Canada
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Cottagecore |
457.14% |
|
2 |
Two tone kitchen |
334.78% |
|
3 |
Industrial style |
151.35% |
|
4 |
Geometric pattern |
138.10% |
|
5 |
Scandi style |
117.39% |
|
6 |
Rustic style |
117.39% |
|
7 |
Dried flowers |
113.04% |
|
8 |
Line art |
110.00% |
|
9 |
Macrame |
106.45% |
|
10 |
Brass taps |
100.00% |
Similarly as we’ve seen in other places, retro, vintage and industrial have all seen a decrease in popularity in the run up to 2021 in Canada. Blue and grey kitchens, despite popularity elsewhere also make the list and the trend that’s decreasing in popularity the most – nature wallpaper.
Interior Design Trends on Their Way Out in the Canada for 2021
|
Rank |
Trend |
Popularity |
|
1 |
Nature wallpaper |
-64.71% |
|
2 |
Art deco style |
-50.00% |
|
3 |
Conservatory |
-38.27% |
|
4 |
Vintage style |
-36.96% |
|
5 |
Industrial light |
-36.11% |
|
6 |
Grey kitchen |
-31.17% |
|
7 |
Herringbone floor |
-26.00% |
|
8 |
Diffusers |
-25.68% |
|
9 |
Retro style |
-21.79% |
|
10 |
Blue kitchen |
-11.94% |
---
Methodology
Roofing Megastore collated 60 of the most popular home décor trends from the last few years, and used Google Trends to reveal the popularity of each. This was achieved by tracking the interest level at the beginning of 2020 and calculating the percentage increase or decrease to the interest level at the end of 2020. The trends were then ranked accordingly.
All research was completed between 21st – 23rd October and the data range used for analysis was 01.01.20 – 17.10.20
