These Are the Top Kitchen and Bath Trends For 2021, According to Designers

A new year brings new design trends. With 2020 in the rearview, design industry professionals helped us break down some of the top design trends for 2021 for two of the most central rooms in a home: the kitchen and bathroom, of course. Both oases in their own right, the kitchen and bath are where we nourish our bodies and unwind after long days, after all. These spaces should be reflective of their oases status from a design standpoint, too.

With that in mind, six design industry pros broke down their top decor trend predictions for the new year. According to the designers, Art Deco, wallpaper murals, enclosed spaces, and stone slabs are just some of the design choices that will be big next year. Continue reading for a full breakdown of the trends below. 

Art Deco, a design trend that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, will continue to be big in 2021, according to interior designer Alexander Doherty. Characterized by geometric shapes and bold, busy patterns, Art Deco can “incorporate itself very easily into homes with little architecture” and “give a nod to the past while utilizing modern elements,” Doherty said. “It is the mixture of what is old and new that gives a space character.”

Barbara Karpf, founder and president of DecoratorsBest, predicts that wallpaper murals will be a top trend due to its affordable means of adding drama and art to otherwise barren walls. With the popularization of nonpermanent peel-and-stick wallpaper, renters can now get in on the wallpaper trend.

Open concepts might be a thing of the past. Christopher Peacock, CEO of the cabinetry brand Christopher Peacock, maintains that enclosed kitchen spaces will be big next year—but the design choices will still include nods to open concept. “Within that space, the designs tend to be more open planned with wall shelving and less built-in looking cabinetry,” Peacock said. “An eclectic organic feel of mixed textures and materials is very welcoming and bistro like.” 

Stone slabs will dominate backsplashes and islands in 2021, according to Nancy Epstein, founder and president of Artistic Tile. “It’s an exciting development as these stones are so unique and beautiful, and truly enhance these spaces as the basic neutrals they replace never could,” Epstein said. “They’re complemented by renewed interest in colorful mosaics and textured stone tile with mixed finishes.” 

Sustainably-produced furnishings will be big next year as consumers become more conscious of their design choices, according to Bob Williams, president of design at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. “More and more, we find people wanting to create not only spaces that reflect them, but places of self-care and health,” Williams said. 

Roxy Te Owens, founder and creative director of Society Social, predicts that rattan, wicker, and grasscloth will continue to be a classic due to its versatility—regardless of whether a space is traditional, contemporary, or mid-century modern. “Woven furniture is stylistically versatile and full of texture and warmth which makes it an easy design go-to,” Owens said.