India's Top Architects & Designers Predict Design Trends of 2021
How we view our homes changed drastically in 2020. Find out what's in store for residential design in the coming new year
2020 was a year that compelled us to stay home. 2021 brings an opportunity for enthusiastic homeowners to explore and embrace a new way of living with a strong focus on wellbeing. To help us make sense of it all, we connected with the top design experts in the country – architects Kohelika Kohli of K2INDIA, Sameer Balvally and Shilpa Jain Balvally of Studio Osmosis, Shobhan Kothari of ADND, Amita Kulkarni, Vikrant Tike of SAV Architecture + Design, and designers Anjali Mody of JOSMO and Shibani Jain of Baaya Design. Here’s what they foresee as the future of residential design in 2021.
Shobhan Kothari,
Co-founder, ADND
Mumbai
The sceptic in me restrains from making any predictions. The one lesson 2020 taught us is that predictions can be anything but right; but then the designer and the optimist in me believes that the future is promising and one that awaits all of us.
There is learning in these hard times. Learnings that will become the benchmark in history. As individuals, we have gone from a society of indulgence to one of forced isolation. We again emerge from isolation, and it’s our fortitude that will determine our course ahead.
As designers, we feel the audience will want spaces that reflect their resolve and cater to their needs beyond the veneering and respond to their functional requirements. Aesthetics will become more pragmatic with a keen and heightened sense of luxury … Luxury which is subtle and understated elegance. The importance of low maintenance will be a focus. Improvements in design in the interiors, as well as architecture to promote well-being, will be encouraged. Designs will find themselves aligned to nature. Designers will embrace technology that can improve the wellness quotient in the habitats they design.
The key design trend for the following year is going to be fluidity in design. Fluidity is noted in multi-functional spaces and can address the compounded lifestyle of work from home and school from home. This design ideology will need a lot of planning and foresight for what is to come in the near future as a lifestyle change.
Find architects and designers in the Houzz directory
Co-founder, ADND
Mumbai
The sceptic in me restrains from making any predictions. The one lesson 2020 taught us is that predictions can be anything but right; but then the designer and the optimist in me believes that the future is promising and one that awaits all of us.
There is learning in these hard times. Learnings that will become the benchmark in history. As individuals, we have gone from a society of indulgence to one of forced isolation. We again emerge from isolation, and it’s our fortitude that will determine our course ahead.
As designers, we feel the audience will want spaces that reflect their resolve and cater to their needs beyond the veneering and respond to their functional requirements. Aesthetics will become more pragmatic with a keen and heightened sense of luxury … Luxury which is subtle and understated elegance. The importance of low maintenance will be a focus. Improvements in design in the interiors, as well as architecture to promote well-being, will be encouraged. Designs will find themselves aligned to nature. Designers will embrace technology that can improve the wellness quotient in the habitats they design.
The key design trend for the following year is going to be fluidity in design. Fluidity is noted in multi-functional spaces and can address the compounded lifestyle of work from home and school from home. This design ideology will need a lot of planning and foresight for what is to come in the near future as a lifestyle change.
Find architects and designers in the Houzz directory
Anjali Mody,
Founder and creative director, JOSMO
Mumbai + Goa
With the coming of a new lifestyle change, the need of the hour will bring a new appreciation and focus for the home, encouraging customers to see different parts of their home that were once left dormant, as multi-purpose spaces.
Warm colours, organic silhouettes, textured fabrics and tactile surfaces will be a welcome addition to products. Along with this, earthy uplifting colours will be widely sought after.
Plants and nature will take centre stage where, unlike before, spaces big and small will be built around these green havens and circle around a calm, functional environment that will be ready for the post-COVID world.
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Founder and creative director, JOSMO
Mumbai + Goa
With the coming of a new lifestyle change, the need of the hour will bring a new appreciation and focus for the home, encouraging customers to see different parts of their home that were once left dormant, as multi-purpose spaces.
Warm colours, organic silhouettes, textured fabrics and tactile surfaces will be a welcome addition to products. Along with this, earthy uplifting colours will be widely sought after.
Plants and nature will take centre stage where, unlike before, spaces big and small will be built around these green havens and circle around a calm, functional environment that will be ready for the post-COVID world.
10 Ways to Achieve the Indoor-Outdoor Connection
Sameer Balvally and Shilpa Jain Balvally,
Founders and partners, Studio Osmosis
Mumbai
The year 2020 has influenced the way we think, interact and live, and our interpretations of space as well as luxury. The pandemic has influenced human behaviour as a whole and in many ways, positively too. The future-ready homes will need to keep in mind how to create flexible spaces for the work environment as well as collaborative and family time, including spaces for mental peace and me-time in the same house, whether it is 500 square feet or 5000 square feet, with well-being at the core of design.
We will see flexible of work and study nooks in homes and a good balance of multi-functional living spaces, yet finding one’s privacy. The importance of social as well as interactive spaces like the kitchen, outdoor terraces and balconies, as well as merging the outdoors into the indoors, will be appreciated by most, and these factors are luxuries that will be incorporated initially itself into the design & planning. Well-detailed yet pragmatic furniture, products and textiles, locally crafted and handmade or artisan-made, will take the forefront, including Indian designer brands who value craftsmanship and detailing.
The joys of listening to music, reading, sitting amidst the greens in open spaces, and quality time with family and friends will be given more importance than ever. Spaces will also imbibe technology and its applications in daily lives in the smoothest manner, making it part of the design, aimed at enhancing well-being.
Due to the effects of 2020, cottagecore, hygge, nostalgia and the need for comfort are all here to stay, where the core design will be simple and natural but can be mixed with touches of glamour to create a luxe traditional style. Warmer, earthy and textural layering, natural mood and neutral, deep colours will be the go-to elements to create spaces whilst giving importance to the outdoors turning into indoors and even more in second homes.
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Founders and partners, Studio Osmosis
Mumbai
The year 2020 has influenced the way we think, interact and live, and our interpretations of space as well as luxury. The pandemic has influenced human behaviour as a whole and in many ways, positively too. The future-ready homes will need to keep in mind how to create flexible spaces for the work environment as well as collaborative and family time, including spaces for mental peace and me-time in the same house, whether it is 500 square feet or 5000 square feet, with well-being at the core of design.
We will see flexible of work and study nooks in homes and a good balance of multi-functional living spaces, yet finding one’s privacy. The importance of social as well as interactive spaces like the kitchen, outdoor terraces and balconies, as well as merging the outdoors into the indoors, will be appreciated by most, and these factors are luxuries that will be incorporated initially itself into the design & planning. Well-detailed yet pragmatic furniture, products and textiles, locally crafted and handmade or artisan-made, will take the forefront, including Indian designer brands who value craftsmanship and detailing.
The joys of listening to music, reading, sitting amidst the greens in open spaces, and quality time with family and friends will be given more importance than ever. Spaces will also imbibe technology and its applications in daily lives in the smoothest manner, making it part of the design, aimed at enhancing well-being.
Due to the effects of 2020, cottagecore, hygge, nostalgia and the need for comfort are all here to stay, where the core design will be simple and natural but can be mixed with touches of glamour to create a luxe traditional style. Warmer, earthy and textural layering, natural mood and neutral, deep colours will be the go-to elements to create spaces whilst giving importance to the outdoors turning into indoors and even more in second homes.
The New Normal: 9 Gadgets You Need to Buy Today
Shibani Jain,
CEO & founder, Baaya Design
Mumbai
I am certain that the new year will bring a décor trend of bringing nature into our homes through classic contemporary interiors. Combining the art of interior and product design into the concept of nature-inspired environments is a refreshing perspective. Nature’s involvement and presence in design is garnering attention as legitimate concerns about the environment have led to the use of sustainable materials in homes.
I predict in the coming year, interior trends will revolve around earthy tones with soft forms reflecting the serenity in nature. Minimal décor accents, using materials like brass, copper and glass, will be in vogue. With families spending more time at home, one can elevate the comfort zone using soft fabrics, light wood, and pastel tones. Bringing nature indoors will provide a sense of a serene tropical getaway, making the home a safe and inviting place to recharge. Infusing vibrant accents will add a zest of energy and uplift the mood of any space.
Softer forms created in blown glass, pastel glaze on handcrafted ceramics, floral illustrations on blue pottery are craft forms that will express the concept of nature in the classic contemporary styling. Techniques like Pitara, Dhokra and Thikri will serve as ideal accents with smart use of vibrant tones to get a balance.
In 2021, most families will focus their energy on designing a work-friendly space in their own homes. The only thing to keep in mind is that your home workspace can be full of style, but your style doesn’t have to be full of work.
Scroll through Houzz for home office design ideas
CEO & founder, Baaya Design
Mumbai
I am certain that the new year will bring a décor trend of bringing nature into our homes through classic contemporary interiors. Combining the art of interior and product design into the concept of nature-inspired environments is a refreshing perspective. Nature’s involvement and presence in design is garnering attention as legitimate concerns about the environment have led to the use of sustainable materials in homes.
I predict in the coming year, interior trends will revolve around earthy tones with soft forms reflecting the serenity in nature. Minimal décor accents, using materials like brass, copper and glass, will be in vogue. With families spending more time at home, one can elevate the comfort zone using soft fabrics, light wood, and pastel tones. Bringing nature indoors will provide a sense of a serene tropical getaway, making the home a safe and inviting place to recharge. Infusing vibrant accents will add a zest of energy and uplift the mood of any space.
Softer forms created in blown glass, pastel glaze on handcrafted ceramics, floral illustrations on blue pottery are craft forms that will express the concept of nature in the classic contemporary styling. Techniques like Pitara, Dhokra and Thikri will serve as ideal accents with smart use of vibrant tones to get a balance.
In 2021, most families will focus their energy on designing a work-friendly space in their own homes. The only thing to keep in mind is that your home workspace can be full of style, but your style doesn’t have to be full of work.
Scroll through Houzz for home office design ideas
Amita Kulkarni & Vikrant Tike,
Co-founders, SAV Architecture + Design
Goa
One of the major trends we will see for home improvement in 2021 is a great sense of emphasis on the feeling of well-being and on multifunctional spaces. Most designers will have to ensure that spaces within homes can be converted to temporary work zones or learning areas for children. This can include dining tables to be extended to create workstations or activity/coffee tables in children’s areas or walls with washable surfaces that can be used for sketching and drawing. Multifunctional, concealed and flexible storages will be needed to ensure that the home spaces are as clutter-free as possible, especially since they are intended to be used for multiple functions.
Along with that, there will be a need to create spaces that are bright, fresh and with plants to create that sense of outdoor and well-being. Even in smaller homes, people will try and carve out a semi-outdoor kind of space through a balcony, patio, or just a large window reveal. Even though the typology of homes may not change dramatically, the way and culture of experiencing and using homes are going to alter a lot as work, learning, playing and living will get more and more interwoven as part of our homes.
Read more:
Houzz Forum: State of Indian Design
Expert Speak: How to Make Your Home Adapt to a New Normal
Tell us:
What new décor trend are you excited to experiment with, in 2021? Tell us in Comments below.
Co-founders, SAV Architecture + Design
Goa
One of the major trends we will see for home improvement in 2021 is a great sense of emphasis on the feeling of well-being and on multifunctional spaces. Most designers will have to ensure that spaces within homes can be converted to temporary work zones or learning areas for children. This can include dining tables to be extended to create workstations or activity/coffee tables in children’s areas or walls with washable surfaces that can be used for sketching and drawing. Multifunctional, concealed and flexible storages will be needed to ensure that the home spaces are as clutter-free as possible, especially since they are intended to be used for multiple functions.
Along with that, there will be a need to create spaces that are bright, fresh and with plants to create that sense of outdoor and well-being. Even in smaller homes, people will try and carve out a semi-outdoor kind of space through a balcony, patio, or just a large window reveal. Even though the typology of homes may not change dramatically, the way and culture of experiencing and using homes are going to alter a lot as work, learning, playing and living will get more and more interwoven as part of our homes.
Read more:
Houzz Forum: State of Indian Design
Expert Speak: How to Make Your Home Adapt to a New Normal
Tell us:
What new décor trend are you excited to experiment with, in 2021? Tell us in Comments below.
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Kohelika Kohli,
Co-founder, K2INDIA
New Delhi
Furniture
I am an architect but also a furniture manufacturer and a furniture designer. Unlike fashion trends that are seasonal, it takes three to four decades for furniture styles to change. Among the upper echelons of design, luxury will continue to be an aspirational trend, but luxury that is understated and appears minimalistic.
I think that the trend for furniture in 2021 will be classic contemporary with the use of raw, exposed grains on wood surfaces. There will be a huge emphasis on hand-crafted furniture. For K2INDIA, this trend is a continuum, as all our furniture for the past fifty years has been specialised with hand-made excellence.
Natural organic materials will be favoured and statement items of furniture will be in a mixture of materials. The use of different metals like brass, copper and mild-steel – all treated differently and creatively – will be in vogue. It will be used together with wood and other semi-precious materials like translucent onyxes, petrified wood, sophisticated pyrite and abalone shells set in pietra dura for tabletops.
Within a contemporary framework, one will also see sophisticated rusticity. Shabby chic will be in style.
The use of contemporary furniture, with focal pieces of retro and vintage furniture, will become increasingly popular as this brings harmony and order. This trend will be seen juxtaposed with pop-art elements.
Layered shades of grey, taupe and earth-grounded colours will continue to be favoured, with colours like indigo or majorelle, as Yves Saint Laurent called it. Dulux Paints has announced Urbane Bronze as its colour of 2021.
By a happy and intuitive coincidence, at an India Design Fair where, since its inception, we have always showcased our annual new line of furniture, in 2017, I had used ash-pink velvet upholstery on all the main sofas. Surprisingly one found, in the September of that year, at the Maison&Objets Exposition in Paris, that they had declared ash pink as the colour trend for the following year. Serendipitous!
Architecture
The trends in architecture will be based on buildings that are sustainable, energy-efficient and use natural materials. The use of exposed concrete will continue to trend for people who are attracted to industrial design. The biggest trend in architecture, particularly in homes, will be the increasing interest in timber construction. This will be a new trend for urban India.
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