Big home trends for 2021: More automation, multi-functional living spaces

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The Covid-19 lockdown has changed the way we look at our home and live in it. People now want fancier kitchens, dedicated entertainment rooms, home offices and increased automation at home, to be able to live indoors for a long period of time. The demand for eco-friendly building materials and made-in-India is also on the rise.

“Now is the time for architects and designers to become problem solvers and have an empathetic approach towards people’s lives. After the lockdown, people’s requirements from their homes have changed and evolved,” says Jimmy Mistry, luxury décor retailer, architect, and designer. “Luxury stores and brands have never seen better days. People are investing in their homes, which they have realised is the safest haven,” he adds. 

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HNIs and UHNIs who had left India during the lockdown are back and looking for alternate homes away from metro cities that are designed to be safer and more comfortable. “These clients are asking for fabrics and materials with antibacterial treatments,” says architect Alfaz Miller.  

While Mistry has been working on a 50,000-sq-ft multi-brand home furniture and décor store in Della Lonavala, Miller has been busy with the Bangalore International Airport’s Terminal 1 domestic lounge. The two highlight the top luxury home trends of 2021. 

Home offices and multifunctional spaces
People are reassessing their home design. They want their gym to also be a study, a guest room and/or a theatre room, says Miller. There is a lot happening in the home office space. People are building both large and small office set-ups at home, which can be an isolated and disturbance-free zone. “From collapsible set-ups to permanent rooms and studies, everyone today wants a corner where they can work from home,” says Mistry.

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Kitchens
Kitchens are now becoming fancier as not just the house-helps but even the owners are working in the space. 

Modern, user-friendly kitchen models, which enables all the members of the family, young and old, to cook are being made. Many UHNIs are also building two kitchens, one indoors and another outdoors, especially for Indian cooking. Small kitchenettes are also being built in the living room. 

The demand is also for germ-free cooking spaces. “One way to minimise dust is to get stainless steel kitchens,” says Miller. 

Automation has become very important in kitchens. Dish washers, machines that help you cook–from kneading the dough to rolling chapatis or slicing vegetables, and to make cold press juices are in great demand. 

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2021’s colours 
“We foresee a shift from neutral pastel colours to brighter, bolder and vibrant colours, especially in furnishings,” says Miller. “The Pantone colours of 2021 are grey and illuminating (yellow), and I see all our projects moving away from their brown colour palette to greys and monochrome shades.” Earlier, clients always preferred white and creams for marble, but now they are asking for greys, even in granite and basalt. 

Furniture
While ergonomic furniture continues to be in demand, antique furniture is making its way back in contemporary homes and so is lightweight and easy-to-maintain cane furniture. Curvilinear shapes can be seen in interiors and facades, in curved sofas, round tables, curved walls and partitions.