The Home Front: Decor trends add inviting style, personality

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Perfect looking homes are out, and a mix-it-up, personality plus approach is in, says lifestyle expert Dayna Isom Johnson. Johnson is a judge on NBC show Making It (hosted by Amy Poehler) and trend expert for online marketplace Etsy. Postmedia sat down with Johnson to hear about the latest home decor trends.

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If 2021 was all about pivoting fast, and making our homes cater to all our needs at once, being home gyms, our place of work and relaxation, people are now taking a minute to consider how to make their homes more inviting.

We’re seeing this in an increased demand for handmade furniture (custom fit for a particular space), says Johnson. “There has been a 2,313 per cent increase in searches on Etsy for handmade furniture, so that’s pretty staggering.”

People are working with furniture makers to have dining table and chairs built that perfectly fit the dimensions of a particular room, she says.

Having furniture custom-made for the space you’re in indicates you plan on being there for a while. The rise in home purchases and number of people who have moved (particularly out of urban cities in the last two years) during the pandemic, to places that suit them better, would support this idea.

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“People are creating homes. Permanent homes,” says Johnson.

Another thing people are seeking in their homes is over-the-top texture. A desire for texture in the home isn’t new, but people are really going for it at the moment, mixing and matching heavy leather with raised concrete with tufted wall art.

Johnson suspects this could be linked to the fact that touching has been somewhat frowned upon, during the pandemic, with everyone encouraged not to get too close, or hug.

“As we come back to some sort of normality, I think we’re really craving some sort of touch. I think that’s increasing the interest in these tactile type items that can be included in your home decor,” she says.

And she reports that the tie-dye and ombre craze we’ve witnessed in fashion and home decor the past few years has evolved into a more “grown-up gradient” style.

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We’re seeing this in large-scale wallpaper, candles, decorative objects and accent pieces that featured blended tones(light to dark), which have a calming effect.

Sitting alongside this is a rising demand for aura art  — photographs or paintings of one’s aura. Searches for aura art on Etsy have gone up almost 200 per cent in the past three months, says Johnson.

Statement mirrors are massively popular at the moment, says Johnson, which makes a lot of sense because they’re super practical and an easy way to add some individual style to your home.

“Mirrors are the ultimate functional piece. Whenever you have a mirror you’re going to use it. But they also reflect light so well they brighten up any room and make it look larger,” says Johnson.

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Last year, wavy, wiggly mirrors were really popular in home decor, and curves are still trending, but people are also embracing mirrors that have metallic elements, and ornate, vintage pieces.

With travel still being high on the wish list for many, it’s no surprise that travel-inspired motifs are proving really popular at the moment, explains Johnson.

“Wanderlust is on our minds. Perhaps you are ready to go out and explore the world again, but many people are not there yet,” she adds.

For those that crave travel but aren’t doing it yet, they enjoy finding things on Etsy that are made thousands of miles away.

“You can capture memories from places you’ve visited, whether it’s getting a laser-cut map of your favourite street corner in Paris, or getting a vintage globe and marking all the places you’ve been,” says Johnson.