Home Improvement Project Predictions 2021

With so many people spending more time at home due to the pandemic, we’re seeing a rise in home improvement projects, with 40% of US householders still planning on doing a post-pandemic home improvement project. In the UK, spending on home improvement this September was up 26% compared with September 2019, and furniture sales rose 28% as householders prepare to continue spending more time indoors. The drive to decorate comes as 30% of Brits say they are spending more on home improvements with the anticipation of new lockdown restrictions.

So what are the top projects people will do to reinvent and refresh their spaces at home? Here Trend Bible’s team of home & interiors futures experts share their predictions on some of the key home improvement trends for 2021:

Trend 1 – The Bold Paint Project

We’ve been reporting the rise of creative paint projects for a while, and by 2021 these will really hit the mainstream. Playful colour accents create a much-needed sense of fun and give an uplifting mood at home – something we covered earlier this year in our Colour Therapy report.

“I’m seeing people being bold and experimental. I’ve seen householders using contrast colour paint to highlight period features such as alcoves or to replace an object, such as painting a circle or square instead of having a headboard,” says Trend Researcher Rebekah Hutchinson.

“With the ongoing reliance on web conference calls for home workers, people are investing in interesting backdrops and a cheap way to do this is to get creative with painted accent walls,” says Senior Trend Consultant, Kate Usher. “This isn’t just about a single colour accent wall anymore though, I’ve seen everything from large stencilled shapes, geometric patterns, polka dots, terrazzo and leopard print! We’re also noticing the use of paint to segment or zone areas like a corner where your home office is set up.”

Geometric accent wall DIYs are a big TikTok trend at the minute too – with so many people staying home, the desire to add interest to your background seems to be a big one. We explored this desire for creating a dramatic and boldly coloured environment at home in our Bohemian Lounge trend for Autumn Winter 2020/21 – see how this trend was interpreted by retailers and brands here.

Trend 2 – The Resilience Storage Project

With a huge amount of uncertainty still creating a sense of fear and confusion amongst consumers, we’re seeing people stocking up on items ‘just in case’. In the US, 52% of respondents in the Back to Normal Barometer plan to begin stockpiling or have already stockpiled essential goods. This creates a need for interesting and attractive storage solutions.

“This is all about being able to store all the things we fear we may need in the future – bulk buying toilet rolls and pasta, flour and tinned beans – but also laundry detergent and light bulbs,” explains Head of Home Trends, Naomi Pollard.

“I think we’ll see a renaissance in pantries and larder storage. So many people have developed new shopping behaviours such as ordering a fresh veg box once a week and need more space to store it – outside of the fridge as well as inside. We’ve seen a developing interest over the years around where our food comes from and a rise in cooking from scratch that will warrant larder storage too.”

Trend 3 – The Green Room Project

One of the big home trends of the pandemic has been making better use of our outside space.

“I think in 2021 we’ll continue to see huge investment in outdoor spaces as places to entertain as well as relax,” says Owen Wright, Trend Researcher. “Garden structures provide the benefit of an extra room without the expense of having to upsize or build an extension.”

Whilst there’s been a spike in demand for outdoor patio heaters recently as people attempt to socialise outdoors into the Autumn Winter season, some countries have begun to ban these due to the environmental damage they cause. France’s ban on all outdoor heaters – including electric ones –  comes into effect in 2021.

“People will be trying to find a solution for staying warm outdoors whilst trying to balance that with their environmental concerns” explains Owen. The garden becomes an extra living room – the place you invite others (especially if you can’t meet indoors) and showcase your personality and style. We expect to see an ongoing rise in garden structures, pagodas, shelters and garden room projects.

Trend 4 – The Office Nook Project

With working from home here to stay in some form, we will see a continuing rise in householders investing in their home offices.

“This was already a growing desire amongst office workers to have more flexibility to work from home before the pandemic hit,” explains Naomi Pollard. “What was merely reflected in people’s hopes and desires before, is now a real possibility, and we will see people moving from a temporary to a more permanent set up at home.”

A good quality home working set up is now essential, with people transforming even the smallest of spaces into a work from home nook. Creating clear boundaries in multi-purpose rooms helps householders maintain a good separation between work and home life and helps to optimise space in smaller homes.

During lockdown, the home has needed to be repurposed as a home office and school classroom. People have had the opportunity to see how the home behaves, where it works and where it malfunctions. Having spent so much time there, householders are asking how it could become a more practical and joyous place to be.

Our Home & Interiors Trend Books are seen as an essential tool by some of the world’s best brands and retailers, helping them make sound commercial decisions about how to respond to future change. To receive a free demo of our Autumn Winter 2022 /23 Trend Book click the ‘download demo’ button on this post.