Everything from paints and prints to texture and tech, check out the latest home design trends of 2021.
FALL 2021
Photography: Simons
WE’RE INSPIRED BY...
a sea of blue tones enlivened by a hit of high-energy orange – perfect in a dreamy bedroom. These two prove that opposites attract (they’re opposite on the colour wheel). The trick? Add a dash of one to bring out the best in both.
PAINT PALETTE of the month - November
MOODY BLUES
EVERYDAY ELEGANCE
From $92 per set of 2, glas.vin.
Why reserve your finest glassware just for company? A new professional quality collection of handmade wineglasses and accessories (such as carafes) from New York-based glass company Glasvin looks beautiful and comes without a premium price tag. The collection offers a variety of elegant styles that are designed to actually enhance the aroma and taste of fine wine, and also stand up to daily use and even dishwashers.
FOREVER FLORALS
From $24 per stem, La Bouture, Instagram and Etsy.
The poetic,delicately handmade crepe paper flowers of Montreal-based artist Marie Malgorn look as fresh as newly cut stems, yet they'll bring a bright touch to your home right through the winter. Other items in the collection include potted "houseplants" handmade flower fridge magnets and printable illustrated calendars. All can be see at Marie's Instagram and Etsy handle: La Bouture.
FUN & FAIR
Furoshiki Wrap, from $30, table and picnic ware, from $18, kateaustindesigns.ca.
Canadian textile designer Kate Austin’s vibrant and colourful designs for home decor and clothing are more than merely fun and appealing. Kate fosters fair-trade partnerships and works with artisans who use earth-friendly dyes and recycled water systems – all of which reflects her philosophy of social responsibility and eco-consciousness at every stage of design and manufacturing. Some items, like the Furoshiki Wrap, serve two functions: as a pretty bandanna and as sustainable, reusable gift wrap.
RESTORING CALM
Paint, $145 per 4-litre can; paper, $195 per roll; grahambrown.com.
Leading U.K. wallpaper and paint specialist Graham & Brown has just unveiled its 2022 Wallpaper of the Year and Colour of the Year, and both choices reveal strong desires for the calm serenity of nature and for a more optimistic outlook for the future. The aptly named Restore wallpaper features a softly rendered motif of plants over a chalky, almost concrete-like backdrop, symbolizing the triumph of nature over the manufactured world. It’s available in three colourways, each with a distinct mood: richly dark Restore Midnight, evocative of the notion of healing and rejuvenation; cool and refreshing Restore Sky; and crisp, botanically inspired Restore Emerald. Their Colour of the Year, Breathe, completes the mood: a refreshing yet rich and soulful blue.
Culinary Arts
KitchenAid Limited Edition Light & Shadow stand mixer, $1,000, kitchenaid.ca.
The latest entry in KitchenAid's limited edition small appliance releases is the beautifully designed Light & Shadow Stand Mixer. With its sand-coloured matte finish and striking, dimensional ceramic mixing bowl, it's a ode to the artisanal spirit of food making.
Sweet Dreams
Sheets, $60 each, quilts, $120 each, shopflaxhome.com.
Flax Home’s new Baby and Kids’ Collection features 100 per cent linen crib sheets and cozy quilts, bringing the soft, temperature-controlled luxury of linen to nap time, playtime and everything in between. Antibacterial and quick drying, they’re as practical as they are comfy.
A SMARTER ROBOT?
From $800, irobot.ca.
Reasoning that a robot vacuum should do the thinking, not you – at least when it comes to keeping your floors clean – the new Roomba j7+ learns by doing: it remembers specific rooms and furniture, and how to best navigate your floors. It even asks questions and remembers your preferences. Just about all it won’t do is roll your recycling out to the curb. We can dream.
SPARKLE & SHINE
From $900, lg.com.
Cleanup is not exactly the highlight of most holiday gatherings, but you can be assured that your dishes will not only be sparkling but also fully sanitized with LG's snazzy new Truesteam dishwasher. With features like four powerful spray arms and LG's Truesteam technology, which uses steam to penetrate residue and minimize water spots, it will give your dishes the next level of clean.
We're inspired by moody, mysterious purple, from deep, dark violet to lighter shades like lilac and lavender. Base a room on this powerful hue and show your colour confidence. Combine lighter shades for a soothing monotone feel. Or go for royal gem-like purples that pair well with grey and the warmth of wood. Bold and beautiful!
Paint Palette of the Month
Lilac
Modern Chill
Leather's in the news for fall home decor, and the coachella camel daybed is a great way to bring the look home. The sleek, modern silhouette, slim aluminum legs and feather pillows remind us of an old-fashioned fainting couch updated for the 21st century. We're swooning for it!
Just Picture It!
It’s never been easier to bring beauty to your rooms. Now you can shop for original artwork from your own sofa. The Saatchi Art online gallery includes paintings, photography and sculpture by hundreds of artists, including Canadians. Work with a Saatchi Art curator (free of charge) who will tailor choices to your style preferences, space, budget and colour, or browse through their enormous collection by setting your own preferences in filters.
Back To School
This September, university students will hopefully head to dorms for a true (instead of online) uni experience. These tips will help them leave the nest in style.
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Dorm room beds are notoriously basic. Help students get comfy with a cushy mattress topper.
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Keep them organized with a study lamp, organizers, white board, and – if the residence permits – a quality desk chair. Don’t forget closet organizers and over-the-door hooks. TIP: Try IKEA for great budget-friendly organizers. Go in early August to beat the crowds.
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Beds tend to be lounges for relaxing and even studying – cozy them up with poufy cushions and super-stylish linens. TIP: Check out Bed Bath and Beyond’s website for their Back-to-University program, which gives students 20 per cent off.
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Lights, action! Don’t forget to pack an accent light to help students shift from stressed-out study mode to relax time.
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Art, posters, pictures – students will feel more at home surrounded by inspiring images.
Kitchen Garden
You can't get fresher than this mini hydroponic garden, designed to sit on your kitchen counter and provide fresh herbs and small vegetables even in the fall and winter. Nine mini planting beds and a grow light will have you snipping off sprigs all winter. It's also great for starting spring seedlings indoors.
Hold the Fort!
The 11-piece Play Couch from Barumba Play is great for building a fort, slide, pirate cave, and anything else a kid can dream up. The modular pieces stack, lean or fit together, and feature removable, washable microsuede covers and waterproof inner liners to protect against spills. The soft foam construction makes them comfy enough to stretch a fitted sheet over and use for sleepovers.
The Art of Sound
The symfonisk combo picture frame and Wi-fi speaker turns high-performance sound into a work of art. The wall-mounted speaker comes in black or white with interchangeable fronts for a range of artistic options. Hang it as part of a gallery wall or let it attract the eye, and ear, all on its own.
Art with Heart
Obakki’s collection of artisanal homewares and lifestyle products are much more than a beautiful artistic statement. The company sources ethically and sustainably made products from artisans from across the globe, providing livelihoods and support for local communities.
We’re struck by the woven art from the Mexican community of Querétaro. “Our artisan partners from Querétaro, Caralarga, are an incredibly talented co-op of female weavers who use traditional techniques to create stunning modern creations using raw cotton and fibre from the sansevieria plant,” says Obakki founder Treana Peake. “What we love most about this group is that they began with a mission to provide employment opportunities for women in their area of Mexico.” Obakki’s ever-changing collection includes textiles, pottery, homewares, jewellery, apparel and even skincare.
Paint Pick-Me-Up
The arrival of cooler weather makes fall ideal for tackling outdoor paint projects. With over 360 shades in British-based Graham & Brown’s new-to-Canada exterior paint collection, you’re sure to find the right one to make your own colour statement. Light up your entrance with a striking pumpkin-hued front door or paint your shutters leaf green – both would be stellar against changing leaves and will brighten things up right through winter. The paints are also water based, low VOC, weather resistant and quick drying.
Summer 2021
This season, we're inspired by fresh, clean greens with a cool, minty undertone, whether in a barely-there shade or darker, like woodland ferns. Pair these greens with white, grey and black for an Art Deco-inspired elegance reminiscent of 1930s Hollywood. Add a touch of gold and your rooms will be ready for the big screen.
Paint Palette of the Month
Mint Green
Top Drawer Fridge
We love the new refreshment center drawer in Bosch's 800 series french door refrigerator. Its glass front lets you see at a glance what bevvie you're reaching for — no need to open the door and waste energy while looking for your favourite bottle. Five pre-programmed settings let you customize the compartment for the perfect serving temperature.
Feather Your Nest
Japandi takes on a maximalist flourish in Wallsauce’s Crane collection of made-to-measure wallpaper murals. The distinctive influence of historical Japanese decorative arts gives a lyrical beauty to the designs on offer, but pared-back Scandi-inspired line patterns keep the look modern and fresh. Statement walls just got bolder, brighter and more beautiful.
Fit to Print
It isn’t hyperbolic to say that the Corail table from Roche Bobois is one of a kind. Step one is that the client designs the woven concrete base with a Roche Bobois adviser or downloads software and creates their own design, so each base is a unique shape, size and complexity. The digital file is then sent to a local 3D printer equipped with the technology to print the base! The concrete sets as it is poured in a process similar to how coiled pottery is formed. It’s ready for delivery in 10 days. The price is admittedly prohibitive for most, but the innovation signals an evolution in customization that will likely eventually become more accessible.
On the Surface
Outdoor kitchens are a hot commodity, with the market for products and finishes expanding every season to meet demand. Caesar- stone’s latest addition to the trend is their Outdoor Collection of quartz countertops that offer all the stain-resistance and easy-care maintenance of quartz indoors, but now fabricated to withstand rain, snow or sun, UV rays and even extreme environmental conditions. Perfect for poolside bars and custom patio dining tables, too.
In Style Outside
“Outdoor spaces are essential for our well-being and are becoming an even more integrated part of our homes,” says Kalina Todorova, visual merchandising manager for BoConcept. She says the dominant trend in outdoor decor is multi-functionality. “Flexible seating arrangements allowing for easy reconfiguration, comfortable chaise lounges, easy-to-move-around tables and chairs are all important elements.” If you want the look of your outdoor space to last, Kalina advises choosing neutral hues on big pieces like sofas, then layering in bold colours, as well as investing in good quality furniture in timeless designs. Since BoConcept was founded in Denmark, it’s no surprise hygge is key for Kalina, who says, “Candlelight, cozy pillows and blankets, beautiful pots and vases, functional trays, all play a roll in making time outdoors more personal and special.” We couldn’t agree more.
A Cuppa Canada
Ideal for the cottage, chalet or a downtown condo – Le Creuset Canada’s Canadian Destination collection of stoneware mugs celebrates some of our nation’s most iconic landmarks, including Vancouver’s Canada Place, Montreal’s Mount Royal and Toronto’s CN Tower. We think these will make great Canada Day gifts.
3D Bartender
Serve up some quirky cocktails with these flavoured figurines that are printed using 3D food printing technology. Fancy a Mai Tai, Margarita or G&T? No problem. Simply drop the appropriate 3D-printed figure into a cocktail glass, add alcohol and still or sparkling water, then stir, serve and sip. Welcome to the third dimension in bartending.
Drawing the Line
It's all about strong lines in outdoor furniture this summer, whether you opt for natural-looking wovens or bright, colourful graphic metals. Cords, rails, bamboo or wood — the materials vary, but the line holds strong.
The Art of Craft
A fireclay Shaws sink is an original – each is handmade by a craftsperson. Now Shaws’ new Gallery collection brings artistic flare to their traditional apron-front sink. Patterns – from floral and botanical motifs to more abstracted modern designs – are fired into the sink on the apron front, similar to how a ceramic artist might embellish a vase, elevating the kitchen sink from functional to focal point.
Spring 2021
This season, we're inspired by the summertime blues (the good kind)! Baby blue, cobalt, cerulean, and that oceanic blue that’s a dreamy midway point of aqua and green. No colour is more calming than blue. Pick a favourite shade from Mother Nature, bring it inside in paint or prints, and begin to breathe more easily.
Paint Palette of the Month
Grey Blue
Catch Some Stylish Z's
New at Bed Bath & Beyond is Nestwell, the company's own line of sheets, pillows, bedding and towels. The concept: affordable, coordinating separates for a curated designer look that's comforting but not costly, so you can feather the nest without breaking the bank.
Winsome Winners
Every year the design industry keeps a keen eye out for category winners at KBIS – the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in the United States. Winners end up influencing design directions industry-wide. This year, the Kitchen Gold award goes to Emtek Select’s Door Knob Collection. The knobs, stems and rosettes are available in three designs and seven finishes – go for a coordinated look or mix and match. And the Impact Silver award goes to LG’s Studio WashTower – a single stacked unit that has the capacity to wash and dry large loads but takes up half the floor space of side-by-side machines.
Counter Revolutionary
The Thermomix TM6 is no regular countertop appliance. This sleek German-engineered machine can complete up to 24 kitchen functions, including chop, blend, broil, knead, weigh, sauté, slow-cook, warm-up, ferment, caramelize, cook sous-vide, make rice, grind and stir. It’s got a stainless-steel bowl, mixing knife, precision heating element and an integrated scale. Plus, the downloadable Cookidoo app links your phone to the wifi-connected TM6, giving you access to more than 50,000 recipes. No doubt, the steep price might keep the TM6 on the wish list instead of the countertop of many an at-home chef, but in its favour is its ability to replace a whole army of countertop appliances. Whatever your budget, if you’re a foodie, this baby is drool-worthy.
Objects and Art
Global design giant IKEA has paired up with some of today’s most influential designers to explore the boundary between functional object and visionary art. “We chose to work with different artists from around the world to reflect the diversity of art and design coming together,” says Henrik Most, a creative leader at IKEA. The collection includes artist Daniel Arsham’s wavy clock, which makes one think of how time flies, and a throw by Stefan Marx, lettered with the compelling, thought-provoking message: I wait here for you forever as long as it takes.
Prints Charming
Brunschwig & Fils, esteemed designer-go-to source for fabric, wallcoverings and furnishings, have released their second collab with Canadian designers Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal. Les Ensembliers collection, named for Richard and Maxime’s design house in Montreal, features textiles, as well as paper- and fabric-based wallcoverings in bold patterns with striking metallic details that give a luxe, modern look. Rich colours – bronze, grey, blue, plum and terracotta – feel of the moment, yet timeless.
Full Circle
The swooping scoop of this handwoven resin "rattan" outdoor dining chair will add a colourful, sculptural element to your patio this summer. We're loving it in sage green. Did we mention that you can stack these chairs for easy storage in not-so-nice weather (not that we want to think about that right now).
Nature's Remedy
If we didn’t already know the importance of connection – to each other and to nature – the pandemic sure gave us a crash course. Enter: friluftsliv (pronounced free-loots-liv). You guessed it. Friluftsliv, like hygge, is another concept borrowed from our Norwegian friends. The word itself is said to have been coined by playwright and poet Henrick Ibsen in the 1850s to express the importance to our spiritual and physical wellbeing of spending time in remote wild places. Today it encapsulates an entire philosophy of being both active and social in nature, creating opportunities to connect with people in the beauty of natural surroundings while taking care of the planet, ourselves and each other. And, importantly, it’s about disconnecting from phones, work and worries. Although summer is the perfect time to embrace
a friluftsliv lifestyle, this all-season way of life celebrates being outside no matter the weather – but we’re Canadian, we know all about that!
The Secret to Style
We can’t imagine fashion legend Diane von Furstenberg has ever lacked in self-confidence. Her secret? That’s what she shares in her book, Own It: The Secret to Life (Phaidon, 2021). The fashion icon says the foundational belief to personal and professional growth is acceptance of ourselves. Her latest collaboration is with H&M.
DVF x H&M Home is all about expressing yourself in your home. Of course, glamour underpins the collection with housewares in von Furstenberg’s famous prints, and smaller items, too, like scented candles in boldly coloured glass, including one in amber – her favourite scent. Says von Furstenberg: “The whole collection is fabulous, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.” See? That’s confidence!
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