It’s official: The new year is here and with it, the ubiquitous trend forecasting for home and fashion.

Pantone (and everyone else) released their 2021 colors of the year, a mix of bright and neutral this year. Designers, influencers, shopping sites, and color experts around the globe are making predictions. So, we decided to dust off our crystal balls and take a go at it, too. Get comfy while we use the art of design divination to tell you what we think you will be clamouring for in your home for 2021 and beyond…

Kellie: First of all—you do you! That’s the biggest trend I see. Find things you love that make you happy. Collect special pieces. You’ll be able to tie them together using color and pattern. Don’t walk away from something you love! Make it yours.

Melanie: Right! And the trends we’re seeing are really cyclical design ideas that rise and fall. Good design and well-made pieces never go out of style. Pick up a design magazine from the 1970s or the 1990s—and you’ll probably see a room that could be on trend for 2021. So choose a few outstanding pieces that make you happy and build around them. Now and always!

Kellie: As far as color trends, I do see a clear path. I see warm, medium tones of blue and green enveloping us in softness this year. We need the calming and healing effect of these colors in our lives. Walls and fabrics alike will boast these serene colors. Add in adobe color palettes and medium clay colors and yum! But don’t forget the boldness of yellows. Yellows and rusts are gorgeous together.

Melanie: I agree. I also see rich, saturated, moody colors continuing to be used. Yellow, for instance. For me, it’s most liveable as a deep, antique gold. I love mixing that with purples, blues and greens in the same intensity.

Kellie: Wood tones can make something seem brand new, or dated. I see light and medium-toned wood finishes continuing to be strong this year. First of all, they’re gorgeous. They work well with many color tones, from light to dark. Light wood is as pretty with white as it is with black. I think you can expect to see lots of light wood in cabinetry and furniture in 2021.

Melanie: Basically, I want everything to be velvet right now! A jewel-toned, velvet sectional sofa in a classic library setting feels super right-now to me. That mix of old and new. Rounded vintage club chairs or ottomans recovered in velvet fabric – that feels perfect, too.

Kellie: I see geometric shapes in art and fabric design continuing to grow. These shapes fit really nicely into even the most classic styles of design. Depending on the colors and scale of the pattern, they can be showstoppers and go totally glam, or they can ground a room and tie palettes together.

Melanie: What about leopard and zebra? What about botanicals and more whimsical bird themes? Are those still on trend?

Kellie: Considering that leopard and zebra are neutrals, they truly pair with everything. Animal prints can run from classic to whimsical, masculine to feminine so there is truly no room that doesn’t need, at least, a dash. I believe there is no other pattern that can take your space from basic to high design quicker than adding leopard print!

Melanie: I’m also grooving on a dark nostalgia—a nostalgia for the future, if you will. It’s a little bit rock and roll, but timeless, too, like a well-worn Rolling Stones t-shirt worn with a diamond bracelet. It’s “Bladerunner” meets “Howard’s End.” Edgy florals mixed with traditional paisleys or damask, and the more traditional patterns might have soft glitches that evoke wear or water damage. Shades of black and purple and blue, with little pops of pink and yellow. That’s my mood for 2021.

Kellie: Nice—but add some leopard!

Healing hues and saturated shades. Luxe velvets and warm wood tones. And, of course, animal print. We’re feeling a little nostalgic and a lot rock ‘n’ roll. But mainly we’re feeling like it’s best when you do you. When it comes to your home, what do you see for the new year?