Summer is the time when exterior spaces like patios, porches, decks, and balcony's, can be optimized and elevated to their full potential, while interior spaces like living rooms, dens, and library's can be paired down and simplified.
Here is a list of the top ten interior design trends of the summer that will help you transform any space into your summer oasis.
What makes a trend the best?
The best trends are the ones that are easy to implement, exceptional to experience, and stick around long enough to enjoy.
Check out our top picks and let us know which of these trends you’ll be trying this summer.
I0. Over Sized Prints
The subdued hyper-minimal aesthetics that dominated the last decade are being traded for bolder, more graphic designs. From lavish over-the-top wall paper, to attention grabbing upholstery, oversized prints are stealing the show this season.
Why it's sticking around: Lockdown has required many of us to spend more time in our homes. The need to have a personal space that is fun, uplifting and indicative of who we are has never been so important. Incorporating over-sized prints into a design is a flexible approach that adds interest and personality to any space.
9. The color green
Blue walls and cabinetry are a popular options, especially in the warmer months, but blues can be challenging to work with. Darker shades can make a space feel too cold, and the lighter shades veer too close to coastal kitsch.
Thats why we’re opting for greens. From hunters green, kelly green, and even some retro-inspired olives. Greens look phenomenal with natural tones and by adding it onto the larger elements of a room, like walls and cabinets, the space feels like a more cohesive compliment to its landscape.
Why its sticking around: Unlike tricky shades of blue, green is a great cross-over color that can carry a space throughout the seasons. The right shade of green will feel fresh in warmer months, and cozy in the cooler ones.
8. Pattern clashing
Not only are we seeing over-sized prints on wall paper this season, we’re also seeing a rise in printed upholstery, rugs, throws, curtains, and pillows. To add some playful tension into your space, try an ensemble of varying prints layered together.
While this technique was really honed by the eclectic and bohemian design movements, we’re seeing it implemented in more traditional and modern spaces as well.
why its sticking around: The pattern clashing trend can be attributed again to the millennials and their embrace of grandma-chic nostalgia. Millennials are the next generation of home owners and it's likely that this style will continue to dominate modern interiors for years to come.
7. An industrial influence
The need to work remotely has directly impacted the way we utilize and appreciate our spaces. Industrial designs are perfect at accommodating our need for an at home office space because it incorporates the hyper-functional layout of an old factory and juxtaposes it with luxurious modern elements that keep the space feeling cozy without detracting from its utility.
Why it's sticking around: The need to work remotely has expanded the boundaries of a traditional office space. The inclusion of a useful, beautiful work space built into the design of a home is a demand that will continue to increase over the next decade and industrial designs achieve the functional demands of any space while adding a stylish modern edge.
6. Go natural
Rattan and whicker are elements that have been popular in outdoor spaces for some time, but this year they have made a huge impact in interior spaces as well. From whicker lamp shades, to rattan chairs and sofas, natural finishes make for a relaxing, welcoming space.
Why it's sticking around: Natural fibers and materials like jute, rattan and whicker are timeless elements that help to ground any design. They evoke a sense of peace and spa-like tranquility that we could all use after such a challenging year.
5. Get botanical
Comfort has been a key influence on interior spaces this year, and nothing is so as comforting as being surrounded by a hand curated indoor garden. From towering fiddle-leaf figs, to the sturdy meandering pothos, house plants are a welcome addition to any home this summer. On top of removing toxins from the air and increasing oxygen levels, house plants are an excellent source of color and design onto themselves.
Why it's sticking around: House plants are easily accessible, low maintenance installations that are universally appreciated across design styles. It is hard to imagine that these lively additions will ever retire from their rank as one of summers top interior design trends.
4. Let there be light, lots and lots of light
Time to toss those heavy double-lined drapes and bring out the organza! Natural light is a sure-fire way to increase the perceived size of any space and airy semi-transparent window treatments give a dreamy touch to your already flawless decor.
Why it's sticking around: Natural light will always be in style, and after collectively experiencing more than a year largely stuck inside, we want as much sunshine as we can get.
3. Japandi
On the surface Scandinavian and Japanese design styles may seem like an unlikely pair, but they both celebrate exceptional craftsmanship and share a formal integrity that balances the tension between function and design.
So it's not surprising that Japandi, a style that combines the two, has emerged as one of summer 2021’s top interior design trends. Japandi style relieves a space from fulfilling tasks that are superfluous to its nature. Colors are neutral, furniture is simplistic and elegant, and every element that is incorporated into the space satisfies a functional need.
why it's sticking around: Japandi may be new, but its paired back formal sophistication make it a timeless design that feels cozy and balanced.
2. Cottagecore
Cottagecore is an aesthetic movement famous for its romantic interpretation of simple living. Inspired by vintage landscapes and rural tradition, it embraces motifs reminiscent of the english countryside.
Why it's sticking around: The world went into lock down and suddenly the clean minimal designs of the last half decade felt cold, impersonal, and lonely. The cozy interiors that have been inspired by cottagecore offer a softer, more inviting approach to home design that will serve as a welcomed refuge for years to come.
1. Rustic Vogue
Rustic Vogue is a design style that shares cottage core’s love of all things natural but relinquishes its little-house-on-the-prairie tendencies for a more sophisticated approach.
Its muted color tones and down to earth finishes juxtaposed with lush textures and inviting motifs make it this summers top
interior design trend.
Why it's sticking around: Rustic vogue pulls together natural materials like reclaimed or aged wood, clay, rattan, cement, and linen and pairs them with ornate luxurious details that results in a truly elegant contemporary design.