Top home renovation trends for 2021

1) Multi-zone kitchens

have moved on from that recipe, but we’re all still in the kitchen. Less eating out means more people around the oven. And you know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen – make more room!

Enter the rise of multi-zone kitchens. Today, people want cooking spaces that allow for everyone to flow through the room without dead-ends. Often, that means installing large kitchen islands big enough for handling prepping, chopping and serving endless loaves of banana bread – all at once.

2) Bathrooms that double as spas

Zen vibes only. That’s what we’re all hoping for in 2021, and what better place to find it than right in the home? Since homeowners can’t go to the spa, remodelers can bring the spa to them.

Freestanding soaking tubs. Big rain showers. Bidets. (Because, as we know, toilet paper isn’t always so easy to find.) This year, remodelers will be busy helping others unwind. All that’s left for homeowners to do is bring their own candles and glass of wine.

3) Home office nooks

Nobody expected work from home to stretch from one spring to the next. However, here we are – and homeowners are going to try to make the best of it.

What was once unused space is about to become the most productive corners of the home. Nooks, basements and guest bedrooms will become home offices as more businesses make the decision to shift to a work-from-home hybrid model, even after the pandemic ends.

4) Open floorplans become closed

Have you ever been in a single room where several people are attending multiple different virtual meetings? Forgetting to unmute your mic is the least of worries in that situation.

Due to the reality of our new normal, the ever-popular open floorplan is being reconsidered. No, it’s not going away anytime soon, but the addition of sliding doors and partitions will likely become more common. Installing soundproofing may grow in popularity too as people look for other ways to find privacy.

But things can’t just sound good as you work from home. They’ve got to look good, too. That brings us to our next trend …

5) Backgrounds worthy of your many Zoom calls

If walls could talk, they would say, “give us a facelift, please!” After all, they never expected to be the star of so many meetings or virtual happy hours.

Remodelers are happy to help – and that goes beyond slapping on a new coat of paint. Luxe-yet-striking looks will be the way to revitalize any room. We’re talking floral wallpaper, fabric upholstery, textured finishes and even blank walls becoming eye-catching built-ins.

6) Windows that wow

Let there be light! It’s going to be a long time until warm weather returns, but that doesn’t mean homeowners should go sunless for several months. Spending more time indoors, consumers will look to install windows to liven up spaces even during darker winter months.

Beyond installing new or additional windows, this addition to our list of top home renovation trends of 2021 may also take the form of new lighting. Sconces in the kitchen, a new chandelier in the entryway or back lighting in the bathroom. Whatever a remodeler’s clients choose, this year’s going to be brighter than last, indeed.

7) The great outdoors made greater

Winter won’t last forever, and neither will the pandemic. By early predictions, the timing of when most have received the vaccine may coincide with the return of summer. That means people may be able to more safely host smaller gatherings again, especially if held outside.

Outdoor spaces have never been more valuable – and that trend continues into 2021. Homeowners now want the outside to be as grand as the inside, whether that means adding a pergola, inground pool, water features, outdoor kitchen or firepit. For many, the backyard now takes the forefront.