DIY has seen a bit of a resurgence in 2020. With pandemic restrictions affecting the property market and large scale home improvements, many of us turned to DIY to help enhance the look and feel of our living space. Searches around DIY surged by 108% during the first lockdown and although they steadily returned to pre-lockdown levels, they’ve begun to rise again by 26% between September to November, as the year draws to a close.
Insulation Express investigated the top selling colour trends from 4 of the UK’s best known brands. After analysing 362 paint colours and speaking to top interior designers, we can not only tell you the most popular colours and brands of 2020, but we can also predict the trends for 2021, giving you a head start into next year’s must-have shades for the home.
2021’s Colour Palettes, Revealed.
Our research has revealed the top 10 colours being searched for over each season during the last 12 months. Using this and speaking to interior design experts, we’ve created a colour palette for each season in 2021. You can pin these to pinterest, save to your phone or print out.
What Colours Will You Decorate With In Spring 2021?
What Summer Colours Should You Embrace In 2021?
Spring/Summer 2021
We spoke to Katherine Christopher, Director of K Christopher Interiors. She says, “In 2021, as we continue to spend more time at home we are more likely to focus on creating calming and cosy spaces to relax and unwind in. The Spring / Summer 2021 interior design trends are therefore likely to focus on a combination of neutral, warm, calming colours, fabrics and finishes.”
Katherine suggests, “You can also add in accents of green to this colour palette to add more depth and interest to the space. Green has restorative and calming qualities and will create a sense of comfort, stability and calmness while still keeping the interior uplifting, interesting and engaging.”
Marc Hardy from Interior Design and Architectural consultancy Space I.D. agrees, but adds, “Over the past year there has been a movement towards botanical colours and a 60s Miami vibe. Shades of pink proving prominent.”
In April 2020, eBay saw hot tub sales surge by a whopping 1,080%, as consumers recreated their holiday getaway. If you’re not ready to splash the cash on an outdoor hot tub, interior designer Danielle Fleming says “an easy way to transform your garden would be to use outdoor solar lights or festoons (think Love Island terrace!) around your seating areas to give a warm glow.”
What Are Autumn 2021’s Must Have Colours?
How Will Winter 2021 Look In Your Home?
Autumn/Winter 2021
As the shorter days and murky weather overtakes next autumn and winter, what colours will be embracing then? Marc Hardy says, “Looking ahead I wouldn’t be surprised with the prospect of an escape from 2020. That the pungent colours of pink, mustard/brass and monochrome colours and tones will come through, not just black and white.”
Katherine believes that as we transition from the warmer and brighter summer months to the colder and darker winter season, “we are likely to switch up our colour scheme and furnishings slightly, adding warmer colours to ensure a cosy space during winter. Olive green is likely to be one of these colours used frequently in Autumn/Winter.”
Blue has been a popular colour in 2020 and that’s expected to continue into 2021 but with ‘cleaner’ tones making an appearance, as these create “the most calming and relaxing energy within a space.”
Katherine also says that “Warmer tones of red and plum are bold and rich enough to add a luxurious finish to an interior, and if used in the correct tone, can still create a sense of warmness and calm, particularly during the winter months when there is less light from outside.”
The 2020 Colours That Inspired Us
In creating our palettes we looked back at search volume over 2020 for popular paint colours. We found out which ones were most searched for and likely to make an appearance in 2021 too.
Farrow And Ball Take The Top Spot For Most Popular Paint Colours In The UK
The most popular paint colours in the UK have been uncovered and 70% of them are made by Farrow and Ball. Hague Blue and Railings, a grey shade, share the number one spot with an average of 8,100 searches each, per month. Farrow and Ball paints can cost more than 3 times the price of Crown paints for 100ml, depending on where you buy, proving that real value may lie in picking the perfect colour.
See the top 10 below.
It’s even more surprising when you consider that Farrow and Ball paints account for just 18% of our curated list - less than the other brands we looked at.
Dulux’s Polished Pebble The Most Popular Paint Colour During Spring
In the spring months, (March - May), the UK was in lockdown. We also went mad for a spot of home improvement, with searches for Dulux’s Polished Pebble paint reaching 14,800 over those three months. Polished Pebble is a grey shade and between Sept 2019 and August 2020, grey paint saw an increase of 22% in search volume. Average search volume over the year is an astounding 234% higher than that of blue or green paint.
Farrow And Ball’s Railings Paint Is Hottest In Summer
At 12,100 searches over the summer months, Farrow and Ball’s grey paint, Railings, was the hottest paint in town. Some say this is partly fuelled by Pinterest influencing homeowners to try stronger and darker shades.
Farrow and Ball also came out on top for red shades, (Red Earth at 880 searches per month, blue shades (Hague Blue at 8,100 searches per month), green shades, (Green Smoke at 5,400 searches per month) and yellow shades, (Babouche at 880 searches per month).
Top Tips For 2021 Home Trends From Interior Designers
1. Choose Sustainable And Ethical Furniture
Marc Hardy believes a common drive for recycling upcycling and a more eco conscious approach to life in general, is very prevalent. He says, “the need to be sustainable and conscious of the origins of the supply chain are reflected in the choices people are making with brands. Ethically sourced paints are also being talked about more.”
Indeed, Katherine Christopher has noticed the same trend. “Since the pandemic hit, many more businesses are offering upcycling services. It seems that people are looking for more sustainable options to use within their homes and are becoming more conscious of what they use in their homes and the unintended waste it can cause. People will want to reduce waste and save money by re-using and repurposing furniture and this is likely to continue and even increase into 2021. Recycling and reusing materials such as plastic will be an upcoming design trend, along with using sustainable materials with the lowest environmental impact like wood, wool and natural stone, and renewable materials extracted in an environmentally responsible way, such as bamboo.”
Danielle Fleming agrees. She says “we are seeing an increase in ethical furniture and furnishings, and whilst it can be a little overwhelming to design an entire room utilising readily available, ethical products, accessorising your existing interior can be a step in the right direction.”
2. Try Boho Chic & Mindfulness
Boho chic home decor involves an eclectic mix of colours, patterns and textures. Items can be relaxed, bold and unusual. Marc says that this trend will continue through 2021, which is reflective of the need for people to look after themselves in the pandemic and embrace self care and mindfulness. Katherine, who shares her top tips across her instagram too, adds “Self-care practices are widely talked about and this does not stop when it comes to interiors. 2021 is likely to see a rise in soft, comfortable furnishings and textures in mainly neutral and ‘calming’ colours as people continue to seek comfort and security in their homes and a safe space to unwind and relax.”
As we continue to see our appreciation for mindfulness grow, our spaces will too. Danielle Fleming says, “bringing natural materials in our wellbeing areas gives an instant feeling of calm and helps us to promote a more sustainable way of living. There has been a real shift in shopping small and supporting local throughout the pandemic, it can be easy to pop to the supermarket and pick up all your groceries – but what about your local greengrocer, your local bakery? The same applies to interiors, look to artisans where you can. Even if you choose to buy mainstream furniture due to cost or availability, consider how you can style your shelves with local pottery, artwork or sculptures."
3. Embrace Nature Both Inside And Out
Life during the 2020 has seen us spend more time at home, but also more time reconnecting with nature, than we would if we were in an office or commercial space.Katherine feels that because of this, “there is likely to be a rise in ‘bringing the outside in’ where we will feature nature more strongly in our homes. Plants, whether fake or real, are likely to be used more in the home. From tropical palms, to large monsteras, to dried Pampas grass, expect to see a variety of plants making their way into homes in 2021. Even wall murals of plants are likely to be used, giving off a tropical and botanical feel to a room.”
4. Go For Geometric 80s Patterns & 60s Simplicity
Marc says that geometric 80s patterns will continue into 2021. “A retro 80s feel is gaining more and more traction, but the 60s simplicity and vintage elements of character are still appearing.”
Danielle Fleming adds, “If you chose to move with the trends, it can be quite an expensive task. Look to refresh a feature wall with a 2021 Colour Palette – take Farrow & Ball Hague Blue for example, when paired with a geometric 80’s print cushion and vintage cut glass pendants, gives your room an on trend look, without having to undergo a whole refurbishment. Never underestimate the power of refreshed styling!”
5. Design A Creative Working From Home Space
Following Covid, many people had to embrace working from home. Danielle says, “consumers have had to reconsider their spare bedroom or dining table to create a work from home set up. I think a trend we will see in 2021, is the furniture market reacting to this need. We don’t all have the luxury of a dedicated office space, so how can we combine daily functions with our new requirement or desire to work from home, consider folding workstations or portable desks to the extreme of an outdoor office pod!”
6. Build A Garden Getaway
Most of us took to some form of DIY over lockdown or during furlough, but Danielle thinks we’ll see this trend continue into 2021 as people develop their homes. “I think we’ll see outdoor spaces such as balconies or terraces, being maximised to help us adjust to the new social norm of socialising outdoors. The money we once spent on holidays is now being used within our homes.”
She continues, “outdoor mirrors are a great way to reflect light around any darker corners or combined with planting add interest to a wall and create a secret garden atmosphere. If you’re still dreaming of your favourite getaway destination, consider soft furnishings to your outdoor seating areas that remind you of your favourite beach bar or countryside retreat, whether that’s a palm print cushion, boho style outdoor rug or sheer voile curtain around a pergola.”
7. Experiment With Sauna Trends For Bathrooms
Robbie Thompson at authentic Finnish sauna specialist Finnmarksauna.com says that “2021 will see current sauna design trends in Finland making their way across to the UK. They’ll include the use of more glass surfaces and walls plus dark wood panelling, feature wall paneling like juniper log stack effects and extra-wide benches for added comfort.”
With all that has happened in the past year, Robbie says that customers are ”seeking refuge, escape and a return to natural, good looking, quality and long-lasting products.”
If a sauna is something you’re thinking of, contact us to find out more about our insulation options. Or for more insights to help you around the home, check out our blog.
