With every new year comes new interior design trends. We asked our River North Design District (RNDD) members to share with us some of their favorite interior design trends that are on the rise for 2021.

Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors: Imperfect Tiles

The team at Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors is seeing a trend already this year towards imperfect finishes, specifically with tiles. Gone are the perfectly smooth, rectified tiles and in their place are more artisanal handmade tiles. Homeowners are starting to embrace this more relaxed, imperfect look which truly adds character to a space through their unique, one-of-a-kind look and individuality. 

Sarah is fully on board with this trend, appreciating the flaws of these materials and recalling vibes of Wabi-Sabi. Wabi-sabi is the view or thought of finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature. It is about the aesthetic of things in existence, that are “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.”

We asked Sarah to share a few of her favorite imperfect tiles. She recommends the Ceramic and Terracotta collections from Renaissance Tile & Bath. 

Casa Bella: Organic Materials

One design trend Casa Bella has seen arise this year through the brands they represent is the warm, engaging feel of natural, organic materials. The Modern Playa collection from Arteriors Home a utilizes natural materials and organic shapes as shown here in the Eleanor Lounge Chair.

The Natural Fiber Rugs from Jaipur Living are pure and textural. These plant-based fiber rugs are woven of organic materials like jute, sisal, sea-grass, and hemp.

And finally, the Newfound Woods from Noir. Further elevating this trend is the Meiko Chest from Noir shown here in Bali Teak. Exotic in nature, translated into modern shapes for the home. All products shown here are available through Casa Bella.

Barrett’s Technology Solutions: Lighting Control

Your home tends to be a reflection of your personality and sense of aesthetics. Finishes, furnishings, color choices, and artwork all form a mosaic of your sense of style and what matters to you. The way your eyes see it every day can change with the way light reflects off of these objects. With tunable fixtures and lighting control, you can enhance the beauty of your carefully curated home every day. For this reason, Barrett’s Technology Solutions is hoping to see more of this lighting control trend in our homes in 2021.

Learn more about how to incorporate tunable lighting into your home here.

Staci Munic Interiors & Cambria: Integrated Trough Sinks

Staci Munic Interiors hopes to see more Integrated Trough Sinks in Primary Bath Suites. Not only are they a statement piece, but they are modern and feel lighter than your normal double vanity. The advantages to using trough sinks in the bathroom aren’t just easier plumbing, they’re a great solution to making smaller bathrooms feel larger while offering the same functionality of dual sinks. When drafting bath projects, Staci Munic always rely on the trusted expertise of Cambria, as she finds their Quartz to be the strongest and most sophisticated in the industry. Their offerings are abundant and appealing and their fabrication is flawless. You can rest assured that there will be no issues when designing with Cambria as their products carry a transferable Full Lifetime Warranty and never have a need for sealing, polishing, or reconditioning – ever!  Also, Integrated Trough Sinks can actually be a more hygienic option than an undermount or single bowl as there are no seams, making them less susceptible to bacterial build up. 

This beautiful bathroom was designed and built by Beautiful Space Co. using Cambria’s Torquay, polished. Photo by dinotonn.

ARMAZEM.design: One-of-a-Kind Furnishings

As we continue to spend most of our time in our homes, ARMAZEM.design believes in 2021 people will continue to focus on making their home their oasis, a space that is inviting, warm and unique. They expect designers and clients to look for one-of-a-kind pieces with organic lines and earthy materials. Once again, ARMAZEM.design has scouted for the best of Brazilian design to bring such pieces to the US market. Here is a sneak preview of their new 2021 curated collection. Unique, relevant, warm and organic.

Go to armazem.design to learn more!

Orizzonti: More Efficient Kitchen & Baths

The latest trend in design is a direct result of people being sequestered in their homes for long periods of time. With children homeschooling and adults working from home, people have come to appreciate all the ways their environment works for them and all the ways it is deficient. Orizzonti has received feedback from projects just completed that shows an appreciation of how much more efficient and convenient their kitchen and bath spaces are. Some have expressed that it was just in the nick of time. Now that they spend most of their waking time in their kitchen/family room they don’t know how they could have survived it without the improvements. Those that are actively planning projects are much more attuned to personalizing their space for lifestyle changes that mean the multi-use home/school/work needs are met. More meals are prepared with multiple cooks. Many more meals are consumed in the home, which means people’s repertoire of recipes have had to expand. Entertainment is with a select bubble of friends and relatives. Form follows function designers are in their heyday. A space that you spend long hours in needs to be warm, calming and inviting. Surfaces needs to be beautiful with an ease of maintenance. 

In this mid-century modern home, Orizzonti took a very under-used formal living room and made it the kitchen/sitting area, maximizing efficiency and comfort.

Jason Lehnhardt Consulting: Architecturally discreet home technology

One of the biggest objections to home technology by architects and interior designers is the visual impact it takes on the aesthetics of the home. At Jason Lehnhardt Consulting (JLC), they often see big black TVs, in-wall touch panels, large round in-ceiling speakers next to small square lighting fixtures etc. Most of this disruption can be avoided with careful planning early in the design and by using technology elements specifically designed to blend into the architecture. Devices such as TVs that look like paintings, flush mount devices that can be painted, small aperture in-ceiling speakers that can be sized to perfectly match the trim on the light fixtures, and distribution technology that allows you to hide all those black boxes in the basement. High performance home technology and top-level design no longer have to be mutually exclusive. Contact JLC to learn more.

Centaur Interiors: Outdoor Oasis and Sustainability

As we spend more time at home and will most likely entertain in more intimate gatherings at home in 2021, Centaur Interiors (CI) has seen the use of outdoor space become a major design trend in 2020 and one they hope to see more of 2021. They have designed beautiful and functional outdoor spaces for everything from entertaining to a kids playground.

Another trend CI hopes to see more of in the new year is sustainability in design and more green design options. Less waste and products that can be reused or broken down when a renovation happens are a big focus for their team. Designers and general contractors are also responsible for our carbon footprint and renovations produce a lot of waste and debris that moves to a landfill.

CI recommends you consider these two products when designing a home to be green and wellness conscious:

1. Use paints without VOCs or toxins like Yolo Colorhouse Paint or Benjamin Moore Natura
2. Use reclaimed wood in the architectural design, like cabinetry, doors, ceiling beams, and flooring

Chicago Luxury Beds: Mix and Match Bedding

Mixing and matching bedding is one of Chicago Luxury Beds’ favorite ways to add depth to the room. These patterns in particular by Christian Fischbacher are fun yet mature and offer a great selection of topics and colors. With so many of us working from home and even working from bed, make the bedroom your haven of creative comfort in 2021. See more here.

Überflieger: Take to the skies with this light and airy summer design. A background of fluffy clouds lends this aeronautical design a dream-like softness. The various flying machines were lovingly drawn at Christian Fischbacher’s in-house studio.

Nautik: The in-house studio was inspired by the Fischbacher family’s long tradition of travel and sailing. Nautical themes and watery motifs were drawn with great attention to detail. NAUTIK, printed on swiss+cotton fabric, displays a summery design invoking a desire for adventure and holidays.

Alissa Johnson Interiors: Bold Colors in the Home

In 2021, interior design Alissa Johnson of Alissa Johnson Interiors hopes to say goodbye to white and gray interiors and hello to more bold and colorful homes with lots texture and patterns. With everyone spending so much time at home, people are craving to create more interest, warmth and happiness in their spaces. Instead of taking a safer route with neutrals, Alissa thinks we’ll see a lot more people willing to take the leap with warmer, bolder colors such as rusts, deep blues, reds and greens. These rich colors can be incorporated on walls/ceilings or be a pop of color on a sofa. She also anticipates colorful wallpaper with large scale patterns will continue to be on the rise in 2021.

Here’s a few projects Alissa recommends as inspiration for punching up your own home with bold color. The red interior is from Studio Shamshiri, the teal interior is from S.R. Gambrel, and the large scale wallpaper is from one of Alissa’s favorite wallpaper vendors, Porter Teleo.

Komandor Chicago: Preserving Natural Light

One design trend Komandor Chicago hopes to see more of in 2021 is preserving natural interior lighting through the use of beautiful glass doors such as LUMI.

LUMI is a customizable, Parisian-inspired system of functional and decorative internal glazing, designed to perpetuate the flow of natural light throughout interiors. ‘Glass and steel’ interior doors and partitions are highly desirable, yet financially out-of-reach for many. However, LUMI utilizes powder-coated aluminum to maintain the durability and timeless look of steel sliding and hinged partitions, at an affordable price-point. Divided by characteristic vertical and/or horizontal true-dividing mullions, the aluminum frame ensures doors are both durable and lightweight. LUMI is as impressive in traditional homes as it is in modern interiors and industrial lofts. The matte-black frame creates a bold contrast with surroundings, while the transparent glass maintains a feeling of spaciousness, even when dividing rooms into zones. 

Decorative glass and custom finish options available as well through Komandor.  See more here.

eggersmann: Powder Rooms

Powder room – a deceivingly pretty name for a very important room.
We don’t given much thought to how powder rooms came to be beyond as a convenience for guests.  However, in this unexpected moment of déjà vu, sparked by the pandemic, its design importance has surged back into focus. The added twist, it is being revisited with modern technological advancements.

eggersmann and Mia Rao Design take a closer look at this trend resurgence here.

Ligne Roset: Individualism

It’s not about maximalism, it’s not about minimalism, it’s all about individualism. Everyone has their own style and if we’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s to lean into what makes us happy as individuals and invest in key pieces for the home that will get us there. Physical comfort is a big part of that. For lounging areas, this could be all foam furniture that molds to the body; for home office spaces, it’s chairs and desks that are as beautiful as they are practical. Color, texture, and shape also play a key role in creating interiors that make us smile and feel at ease when we walk into a room. in 2021, Ligne Roset hopes to see Chicagoans continuing to make their homes a place they enjoy spending time, whatever that means to them. See more here.