2021's biggest home trends, according to Macy's Home Fashion Director

With a new year comes a fresh start, and a whole new set of design trends to take note of.  Real Homes connected with Macy's Home Fashion Direction, Roberson Keffer, where he shared the six biggest home trends to watch out for in 2021. 

"In 2020 we began investing in our homes like we haven’t seen in years," Roberson noted, as shoppers were opting for higher quality and even more luxurious products, like professional-grade cookware, durable kitchen appliances, higher quality sheets and pillows, and even indulging in a new sofa.  And you all did the research, too, on finding the best products for your needs. 

Now, he's talking about the home trends he expects to be big in 2021. A lot of the trends revolve around intentional, thought-out choices that only add to our happiness at home. We continue to invest in our homes with products that make us feel good, do good, and be good.

Discover his 2021 home trend picks, below. 

Bright and hopeful decor inspired by travel

"Now that we have our foundations elevated, I am seeing consumers gravitate toward décor that is bright and hopeful; décor that reminds us of travel and gathering together. I am loving prints and patterns that give me a more global feeling, especially the bright and vibrant colors of India and celebrating the hand embroidery and stitchwork of Indian textiles."

Multi-functional spaces, multi-functional products

"As many people used this past year to declutter their homes and really reflect on what we NEED versus an impulse type of purchase. All of our homes have had to play multiple roles as a classroom, office, workout studio, and not to mention a place to sleep and eat! With all this going on, we had to simplify everything else around us and new innovations, organization, and cleanliness will certainly start to trend even more. We are looking for products that make our lives easier, like a small kitchen appliance that is a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and air fryer all in one, or bath towels that have anti-microbial properties to keep our families safe. Moving into 2021, everything is about multi-functionality!"

A color palette representative of a clean and fresh start

"Believe it or not, one of the most important colors for 2021 will be white. We really see this as a color that will represent a clean and fresh start but layered on that clean palette we are seeing accents of much bolder colors like blues, greens and pinks. We had been seeing warmer palettes like calming browns and terracotta gaining popularity over the past few seasons, but I feel like we are now looking for colors that make us smile more than just calm us down."

Evaluating our work from home spaces

"I believe people will continue to invest more in creating that separate home office space and the organization needed so your work life doesn’t take over your home life. At the beginning of our ‘work from home’ lifestyle, many of us just got whatever we could get our hands on to create a makeshift space. Better solutions for organization and comfort with high design in mind will make it onto the market in 2021 and I believe we are only seeing the beginning of this trend."

An emphasis on our home environment

"As we look at sanitizing every surface and buying UV sanitizing products to clean our phones, keys, and even mattresses, we are also seeing that continue into cleaning the air we breathe. We are seeing a lot of focus and innovation around air purification, and products are getting more compact and discrete in order to blend into our existing décor and design schemes. Safety will remain a key factor in our purchases well into 2021."

The enduring power of plants

"This is not a new trend for sure, but it is certainly growing (pun intended)! Having something green and alive in your home adds so much to your mood and the ambiance. Planters with textural surfaces or colorful designs can instantly freshen up a room and add a needed breath of fresh air."

Read next... 

• Etsy says these are the home trends to look out for in 2021 
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