I’m writing this story from my kitchen table. The set-up was a short-term solution when I started working from home in March — I figured I’d be back in the office in a couple of weeks. Ten months later, not much has changed about my WFH situ — minus my Pinterest consumption, which is in overdrive as I daydream ideas for a kitchen-meets-living-room-meets-home-office combo.

Many of us are looking at our homes with such new, and sometimes critical, eyes. Post-COVID, spending on decor and renos is way up, with some interiors designers reporting to 200% increases in commissions. “People want their homes to feel really cozy and welcoming and give them some comfort right now,” says Jessica MacDonald of Vancouver’s Studio Roslyn.

Comfort, absolutely, but practical upgrades are just as important for those of us now working and playing in small spaces. Bilha Kangethe, lead designer and creative director of the The Lifestyle Loft in Burlington, ON, expects multifunctional spaces and designs — storage that doubles as a desk, wall art that turns into a table — to be a major trend in 2021. “It’s not just about being in the house, it has to be functional," she says. "It has to work for your family, and it still has to look and feel nice."
 
Here are more of the top home decor trends — from wallpaper and paint to must-have materials — for 2021.