With wallpaper murals front of mind, we have been looking into some of the interior design trends which have so far shaped 2021. Featuring high this year are industrial and natural styles where a showcase wallpaper mural is playing a significant role in pulling together all the furniture, soft furnishings and room decor. But the big trend this year is all about repurposing spaces, and making the most of the space available.
1. Repurpose space with a full-image wallpaper mural
During lockdown, many of us have experienced working at home, and until the pandemic a dedicated work-space was very low on priority lists for most households. Now that workers and employers have seen the advantages of working from home, flexible working is becoming a new normal for many people.
The need to redefine or repurpose a room into a multi-function space is growing, but instead of simply placing a desk in the corner of a kitchen, living room or bedroom, there is an emphasis on subtle transitions between working areas and living areas to maintain relaxed spaces. Making the most of your space is therefore essential when looking to create a home office. Multi-function spaces that are both functional and stylish can be achieved with some inspiration and creativity even for the smallest and most challenging of rooms. Could your open plan lounge and dining room have an open bookcase that doubles as a room divider to create a study nook? Is there space in your hallway to create a work area which doesn’t compromise the function of the room? Could multiple wall colours or wallpaper murals be used to differentiate between work and relaxing zones within a room?
A good example of repurposing space is this home office which integrates within a hallway staircase (see the image above). Working from home often requires furniture which are not typically aesthetically pleasing or won’t seamlessly blend into a room’s decor. Painting a desk to match the decor immediately reduces its visibility and helps to make it an integral part of the room. But creating the feature wall with a full-image wallpaper mural in this hallway has created a new focus to the room, as well as extra depth. Incorporating natural scenes like this waterfall creates a depth dimension to a flat surface making the room much larger than it actually is. Whether its a mountain scene, coastal view or forest, a wallpaper mural featuring natural elements can create calm and relaxing environments, ideal for concentrating while at work, and for drawing the eye away from work zones in multi-functional rooms.
A few other ideas for making the most of your space:
- Choose the right lighting for your workspace. Cool light which is typically used in commercial offices is said to be better for concentration. In contrast, warm light is better for calmer atmospheres and probably more suitable for the home.
- Don’t forget about the ergonomics of your home office furniture if you’re planning on spending a lot of time working from home. A good chair and desk is important, but remember they don’t need to dominate the space you’re creating – let them subtly feature within your room.
- Add a feature wall mural using a wallpaper mural created from your own photos. Select an image that brings back lovely memories, or helps you find your happy place, and turn them into a feature wall which transforms your room into a relaxing and personal space.
- If you have space, include comfy furniture such as an armchair or sofa bed so you can get away from the desk but still work, and it doubles as a guest room or a meeting space.
2. Industrial Style Wallpaper Murals
We were not surprised to see industrial styles becoming much more prominent and on-trend this year particularly as some of our most popular wallpaper murals are inspired by this design style.
Interior design in 2021 is majoring on natural elements, and we’ve already discovered how natural beauty helps to create eye-catching and calm spaces, but industrial styling is really taking off. The Industrial or ‘modern industrial’ design offers you an interesting opportunity to juxtapose the raw with the refined, the sleek and modern with the vintage and classic. Industrial is often selected by architects and interior professionals to design spaces in large cities. It’s a timeless style that transforms the concept of traditional architecture mixed with modern living. This style highlights construction materials like bricks, metal beams, concrete, pipes and even electrical installations, almost as if the style is stripping back the interior to the original blank canvas.
If you’re looking to achieve an Industrial style for rooms within your home or place of work, look to incorporate recycled woods, brick, concrete and metal. Think dark metals, textured timber and stone, matte black finishes, and a contemporary “grunge” feel to really make this bold style come to life. You could also emphasise engineering and construction with a full image feature wall murals. Consider city- or urban-scapes; bold architectural or engineering structures like bridges and tower blocks; or even showcase the materials themselves with complete wall murals of brick or concrete. Think dark metals, textured timber and stone, matte black finishes, and a contemporary “grunge” feel to usher in the new year.
We have specific collections of wallpaper murals which integrate perfectly with Industrial styles including cities and black and white wallpaper murals
3. Bold wall art and colour palettes
Neutral wall tones have been all on-trend the last few years, with colour coming from paintings or maybe an accent wall. But this year we’ve seen bold colours filling entire walls to transform the energy in a room. This trend is really inspired by people’s disconnect with the outside world and a yearning to create a home that has a bit more flair and personality. Although it can be fun to go bold with your walls, you’ll want to consider how the colour you choose could impact how you feel in a space before you paint. Intense colours in bedrooms or offices could influence your mood when trying to work or sleep. Pick a space where you will not feel overly impacted by an intense colour palette, such as a living or dining room and instead of filling all walls the same colour consider alternate or feature walls with textures, wallpaper murals and contrasting colour palettes.
Whichever interior design trend appeals to you, the overarching theme for 2021 is combining natural elements, colour and comfort to bring you joy and happiness. We like the sound of that.
