If you’re like *most* people who are planning to build a new home, you want your home design to be overall timeless with a few trendy elements sprinkled in. Well, this is an interesting year because many of the home build design trends in 2021 truly are timeless.
The forecasted residential design trends for this year are an extension of what we’ve all collectively learned while living through a pandemic and spending more time than ever in our homes.
The pandemic taught us just how important it is to have spaces for living and working and virtual school (hopefully just for homework soon!) as well as to create a home that we love spending time in.
OVERALL TRENDS FOR 2021 FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
ADAPTABLE + MULTI-PURPOSE LAYOUT
The trend in 2021 is for adaptable rooms that can change and grow with your family. Also, the need for multifunctional and multipurpose spaces is very apparent after our home became our place of work, school, and relaxation in 2020.
CONNECT OUTDOORS + INDOORS
Bringing the outside in with ample outdoor living, large windows, and natural materials is another big trend in homes built in 2021 … but, natural light and natural materials are always a classic choice!
MAXIMIZE NATURAL LIGHT
I recommend that you include as many windows as your budget will allow. I foresee many of us continuing to work from home even after the pandemic is over, so it’s important to maximize your natural light to keep your spirits up while working at home.
COZY VACATION-FEEL
Soooo … there wasn’t much travel happening in 2020 and it isn’t looking much better for 2021 at this point, so another trend is to bring the vacation feel to your home. Whether your preference is coastal, mountain, or other, vacation-inspired decor and spa-like Master suites are on-trend.
VACAY VIBE + LARGE WINDOWS via DECOHOLIC
ORGANIZED + ORDERLY
Since we’re spending more time in our home than ever, we want it to be as organized and efficient as possible. Be sure to include ample pantry space, cabinet storage, and closets to allow yourself to easily stay organized.
SMART HOMES
Smart homes aren’t exactly a trend, but they are rapidly growing in popularity and will continue to do so. Smart homes include the ability to access and turn on certain items in your home with the touch of a button on your wall or device (e.g. turn on and off your house alarm from 2000 miles away).
KITCHEN TRENDS FOR 2021 NEW CONSTRUCTION
LIGHTWOOD FINISHES
Lightwood flooring, cabinets, and accents will be another trend in 2021. Although I say ‘trend’, these are all very timeless design options that you likely won’t regret in a few years. Also, white kitchens are still very ‘in’ too!
LIGHTWOOD + MARBLE KITCHEN via STUDIO MCGEE
DOUBLE ISLANDS
The more working space, the merrier! Hopefully, we’ll be getting back to eating inside restaurants soon … but until then, our kitchens are getting a lot of use. Double islands are one of the big trends this year.
GOLD FINISHES
Just like in recent years, gold cabinet hardware is still very popular. It looks great on white cabinets but also complements light wood cabinets as well.
MARBLE COUNTERS
Marble counters and backsplash slabs are in. However, marble isn’t the most practical counter material so you can always look for more practical quartz or quartzite products that resemble marble.
LARGE WINDOWS
Just like the overall house trends, large windows in the kitchen are a must so that you have ample natural light pouring into your kitchen (which is the heart of your home).
DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2021 CONSTRUCTION
LIGHTWOOD + GOLD FINISHES
As mentioned in the kitchen trends section, light wood finishes and gold hardware are popular design choices throughout the entire home.
EARTHY TONES + NATURAL ELEMENTS
Earthy tones and natural elements (e.g. wood accents on your kitchen hood) bring the outside in and give your home more of a cozy and comfortable vibe.
NATURAL WOOD ACCENTS via MY TEXAS HOUSE (via Instagram)
TEXTURED + WOOD WALLCOVERINGS
Similar to natural elements, textured wall coverings such as grasscloth give your home a little more ‘life’. I have grasscloth wallcoverings in my kitchen, dining room, and basement stair landing. I loooooove my grasscloth!
DARK EXTERIORS
Dark home exterior colors (e.g. dark blues or black) or contrasting colors on exteriors (e.g. white house with black window trim and charcoal grey sections) are another big trend in 2021. I absolutely LOVE this trend … however, this is the one trend in this blog post that I truly consider a ‘trend’. In other words, it isn’t a classic and timeless choice like the other ‘trends’ in this blog post and might not stand the test of time.
IMAGE via M HOUSE DEVELOPMENT (via Instagram)
There you have it … the home build design trends that you’ll see in 2021. Although I refer to these as ‘trends’, almost everything on this list is truly a timeless choice that won’t look dated in just a few years.
Keep in mind that your house will be gorgeous as long as it’s a reflection of what YOU want and not what designers or trends tell you that you *should* have in your home. You do you!
Next week I’ll be sharing paint color trends for 2021 so be sure to check out that blog post :).
In the meantime, if you want to learn how to prepare for a custom home build with less stress, more confidence, and without going over budget, download my *FREE* Custom Home Build Prep Guide.
Nice post! Good information. I hope you are doing well and staying safe. Winter hasn’t been too bad in Illinois so far but I still am hoping to be in touch with you within a couple years for a build father south. Take care.
That sounds great, Sharon! Looking forward to working with you again in the future :). – Carrie
You made a great point about how modern kitchens will be used more for the time being. Since we’re staying inside more often, my family has looked to home cooking as a potential hobby, and we’ve really been enjoying it so far. To help out with our home cooking experience, I’ll look for any place I can hire a custom home designer so they can help us do a makeover for our house including installing some kitchen islands as you mentioned.
https://goldbergdesigngroup.com/custom-home-design/
We are getting ready to build and love the white painted brick exterior with black windows but feel like it is a trend and over done! Can you tell me what you think the next timeless trend will be for a exterior of a house? I want timeless and classic with a modern flair.
Well, Tricia, I don’t know that anyone can predict the next trend. However, I think it’s interesting that you called it a ‘timeless trend’. Sounds like you want a timeless exterior and not a design that is just trending. I encourage you to read this blog post about timeless vs. trendy. It won’t give you an exact answer of what you should do, but will help get the wheels turning in your head about what style is ‘timeless’ for YOU!