2020 was the year that unexpectedly forced us to spend much more time at home. Many businesses began offering remote working for the first time, while students gathered around kitchen tables to navigate virtual learning. With our usual places of business, education, and recreation closed, we now expect more from our homes.

Heading into the new year, families are looking for creative solutions to better utilize and enjoy their homes in the Covid age. Some have tried shuffling things around in their home—adding workspaces, Zoom corners, or home gyms—to meet evolving needs. To help you thrive at home, we rounded up the top 2021 interior painting and design trends.

Home Office Updates

If you are catching yourself feeling distracted in your home office, it might be time for a re-set. Clearing out the clutter and adding the right wall color can create the right mood; studies show that color can affect how you feel. 

For creative jobs, bolder hues have been shown to be inspiring. A splash of a bold, bright color like a yellow, orange, or red in a room can help stimulate your mind and increase energy. If you or your students are feeling stressed, cooler colors are a relaxing choice; blue and green hues tend to bring a sense of calm and peace. 

If you’re in need of more space for organizing lists or zoom meetings, dry erase paint could be your answer.  This clear coating can be applied to wood, glass, metal, or laminate surfaces, transforming any paintable surface into a versatile command center. The paint works well with standard dry-erase markers; plan or create for your next project right on your office wall and then just erase it away to start over. 

Whether your space is a dedicated home office, converted closet, or a corner of your living room, the place you work should be painted and designed to inspire.

Photo from Benjamin Moore

Natural Inspirations

Due to increased time indoors, people are starting to look for ways to bring a little nature inside. Wall paint offers a simple strategy for enjoying the colors of nature—palates of green, blue, and brown can evoke the peaceful feeling of being outdoors. Especially when paired with a good view, these earth tones can make us feel more grounded and connected to the world around us. 

For a Scandinavian-inspired look, light woods can be used on floors, walls, or ceilings. Incorporating wood grain into interior design is a refreshing way to bring a natural look and feel to a room. The light wood can be left untreated, or for a look that lasts, it can be lightly stained or varnished to prevent discoloring over time.

Exciting Ceilings

While the popularity of painted ceilings has increased over time, this year they are really trending. Although often forgotten or relegated to plain white, a ceiling with flair can help draw the eye up and round out a room’s appeal. Darker colors look more dramatic and can make a room feel more cozy or intimate. Lighter colors can make a room feel larger and more open. 

If you’re ready to try something bolder, wallpaper is another option for ceiling decor. New wall coverings are not the same old wallpapers of the past; modern prints and new application methods make wallpaper a contemporary choice. Choose a removable option to confidently explore this trend without the worry of removal down the road. 

Using wallpaper on the ceiling can bring in an element of texture that would be hard to achieve with paint alone. The right colors and print can help elongate a space to make it feel bigger and less claustrophobic as it draws your eye upward. Small nooks or recessed ceilings offer a great space to experiment with this trend on a small scale while still offering a pop of color.  

Making Your Home Work for You

While we expect life to open up in 2021, small improvements to make our spaces both beautiful and useful will make our time at home more enjoyable. A home office with warm hues may bring the creativity and inspiration you’re looking for. Natural colors and textures can help bring in just enough of the outside to create a soothing retreat. Adding color and appeal to white ceilings will brighten up and enlarge a room without being overwhelming. Don’t hesitate to try these 2021 interior painting and design trends to infuse new life and functionality into your home.

No matter what painting updates you are planning for your home this year, Flying Colors Painting has the expertise to make your dream home a reality, satisfaction guaranteed. Contact us today to schedule your estimate.