Home Decor Ideas for 2021

By Serena

With the Covid-19 pandemic still traversing in waves across the globe, lots of us have been stuck at home and will likely be for a few more months. As the trying year of 2020 is coming to a close, it's time to create a new atmosphere to welcome the hopefully better, 2021 and rejuvenate our spirits! In such tumultuous times where we spend hours working from home, your environment plays a big role in your mood and personal well-being.

Art is a great way to improve your state of mind, be it rearranging pieces you already have to invigorate the home, or adding a new piece to your collection to spruce up the hours spent indoors. Some of us may use art as a way to wind down and relax, and some may be in search of the perfect piece to elevate the atmosphere of your office space.

If you're thinking about re-decorating for the year of 2021, read on for some tips and inspiration!

Express your love for art

Jean-Paul

What better way to express your love for art by displaying a meta-painting at home? Bold and eccentric, meta-paintings convey meaning and personality to a place unique to you and add colour and life to more sophisticated and neutral interior designs.

A big piece like this is also perfect for small spaces - as long as the piece makes a statement, it could transform a space, giving the illusion of it being bigger than it actually is.

Art for small spaces

April Ng, The Misplaced Corner 07, The Misplaced Corner 10, Ritz Carlton Residences

Ritz Carlton Residences

The inconvenience of having to wear a mask even for a stroll in the park is unfortunately something we can all relate to. With plenty of us living in urban settings without the luxury of space, life indoors and outdoors can seem overwhelmingly claustrophobic at times. While art is a great way to liven up a home, bringing a touch of nature with wonderful landscapes, hanging art in small spaces may seem impossible. By layering small artworks above one another, you can draw attention to the walls of your home and create interest without overpowering the rest of it. If you’re missing the great outdoors, we recommend an artist like Ronnie Ford, who creates beautiful textured landscape pieces of various sizes that will lull you into a state of tranquility and calm.

Art in the spotlight

David Krakov, Thinking Outside Of The Box

Nothing screams à la mode like wicker furniture. Wicker furniture is a great way to warm up a room without adding a ton of visual weight to your space. This interior design style is excellent for fervent art collectors to keep the spotlight on the art while still making a statement aesthetically in their homes.

For a pop of colour to further brighten up the space, opt for colours that will complement the space while adding enough contrast and interest. This David Krakov piece, titled Thinking Outside Of The Box complements the interior with its subtle red and burgundy tones -- evident in the curtains, while contrasting the warm and understated colour scheme of the area with cooler and brighter colours. The piece also leaves negative space for the interior to peek through, preventing it from overpowering the space.

Statement pieces

Liu Zhen Yong, Book of Time III, at Marina One Residences

Perfect for anyone who is looking to spice things up without the constraints of time or money, a single statement piece is just what you need to redefine the atmosphere of your living space without making any drastic changes. Our tip: To personalise your home even further, follow your heart and choose a piece that speaks to you!

Mixing Metals

Park Seung Mo, Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe

Mixing metals are sleek and in vogue. A perfect piece to go along, whether you decide to follow the trend or not, is definitely an artwork by Korean artist, Park Seung Mo. The artist creates captivating portraits through a painstaking technique of overlapping layers of wire, snipping away areas of mesh and netting to contribute depth, movement and dimensionality, fitting for a home with mixed metals.

However, there are some guidelines to take note of. To prevent the metals from being an overwhelming feature in the room, avoid going beyond mixing 3 different metals and always choose a dominant colour and an accent colour after deciding to mix either cool or warm metals.

Biophilic Designs

A green feature wall, designed by Edmund Ng Architects

Guo Hwa Wei, Dreamlike Clouds

Every cloud has a silver lining, and in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, the community circuit breaker imposed earlier in the year has provided an opportunity for many of us to slow down, tune in to ourselves and pick up new hobbies. Newly dubbed gardeners can rejoice in this next tip, which melds the worlds of gardening and interior design into one.

Biophilic designs incorporate natural elements into modern built environments, which can prove beneficial for overall health! According to research, integrating direct or indirect elements of nature into built environments plays a role in reducing stress, and increasing productivity and creativity -- much needed when many of us are working from home.

Alternatively, if you’re not blessed with green fingers, there are plenty of other ways you can keep up with this trend. Replicate the ambience of nature with these relaxing and simultaneously refreshing landscapes by Guo Huawei. Painted with Chinese ink on paper, the artist reinvents the tradition of Chinese ink painting and creates beautiful works that easily escape categorisation.

Neotenic Furniture

Adi Gunawan, Sandaran Hati (Lean My Heart On), at Marina One Residences

JUMBO's Neotenic lamp

With the stagnation of being trapped at home, many of us may be aching for drastic change in our lives. If novelty is what you’re looking for, look no further than the up and coming Neotenic style of furnishing and decor. The essence of these neotenic forms elicit a positive emotional response with their soft and round appearance, sprucing up your living space while imbuing it with a sense of childlike wonderment, evergreen with excitement. To complete the aesthetic, pair your furniture with works of Botero or Adi Gunawan, whose whimsical artistic style and similar silhouettes will undoubtedly lighten the atmosphere.

An understated statement

Project by Edmund Ng Architects

Make a subtle statement by juxtapositioning the old and the new. Opt for a softer sense of contrast that packs just as much of a punch if bold, colourful pieces aren’t to your taste. Combining the traditional imagery from artists like Lim Tze Peng and modern furnishing in urban homes, create an understated yet powerful ambience at home, and be inspired by the invigorating strokes of Lim’s works.

We hope this has given you some inspiration for revamping your home! Out with the old and in with the new!