August 20, 2021

In its 2021 Emerging Home Design Trends Report, Houzz identified the top emerging home design trends based on the latest search insights* from its community of U.S. homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home professionals. The trends seen on Houzz reflect a need for dedicated activity spaces within the home, a desire to bring the outdoors in, a requirement to create flexible interior spaces and a passion for luxurious colors and materials. Outside, people are getting creative with swimming pool styles.

Dedicated Activity Spaces

People have been relying on their homes to provide new avenues of activity and entertainment since the beginning of the pandemic and it shows in the emerging search trends – art studios are up nearly 10 times, home bars and wine cellars are up nearly 4 times and home theaters, home gyms and home offices are up 3 times, 2.5 times and 2 times, respectively.

Bringing the Outdoors In 

The 2021 Houzz Kitchen Trends Report found that one in five homeowners are opening up their kitchens to the outdoors. That openness to nature and the role of greenery in homes is a trend that seems to be accelerating. Searches for artificial plants and trees, as well as indoor pots and planters, are up 7.5 times and 4.5 times, respectively, since the same period last year. There is also a significant uptick in searches for green kitchen cabinets, bathroom tile, accent chairs and bedrooms.

Living Room Refresh

The living room has always been an important gathering space within the home. As people have spent more time within it over the past year, they may be seeking inspiration to refresh the space, with searches for living rooms up 52% compared with the same period in 2020. Accent pillows and home accents in general have seen some of the most dramatic increases, along with decorative accents, abstract paintings, display shelves and slip or chair covers.

Design that Offers Flexibility

Many homeowners are turning to design options that offer more flexibility within the existing footprint of their homes. Searches for TV armoires with pocket doors, queen murphy beds, and nesting side tables, create dual uses for a room by creatively hiding them away when not in use. Swivel accent chairs create flexible definitions between rooms and daybed sets offer multiple uses. 

Luxury Fabrics, Materials and Colors

Trending fabrics, materials and colors are going glam with searches incorporating velvet, gold and crystal all jumping in Q2, compared to Q2 2020.  

Making a Splash with Pool Design 

Pool professionals on Houzz that interest has been heating up over the past year. In Q2 2021, searches for swimming pools and pool houses each more than doubled compared to the same period in 2020. More precisely, people are looking for specific pool styles, shapes and designs, with searches for pools with water features up nearly 8 times and rectangle, lap, infinity, plunge and geometric pools all seeing a significant uptick. 

*Source: Data reflects year over year growth in searches on Houzz from April-June 2021 versus April-June 2020