Come November/December every year we get inundated with questions about what we predict the trends will be for 2021! This year, rather than just sharing these ideas with journalists and the team in the studio, I thought I’d get them in a blog post.

For 2021 I have narrowed a substantial list down to 7 key trends that I think will feature. I could of course add more, and talk about trends that will endure for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t seem quite in the spirit of things.

Fluted Timber

Myself and the team at Blakes London have talked and designed a-lot of fluted glass joinery in our time. Pantries, wall cabinets, home bars, crockery cupboards and studies to name but a few. It can be a fabulously versatile, tactile feature in so many settings.

For 2021 I see this fluted trend moving from glass to timber. Fine, evenly spaced, undulating curves in a wave effect creating depth and texture to flat fronted surfaces.

Depending on the way it’s introduced into a scheme it can delivery a feminine feel with the use of lighter/softer colours, or a masculine feel with the use of darker stains and set against chunkier furniture and thicker more brutal concrete worktops. The exciting thing about this application is the myriad ways it can be used for a different but striking effect. I recently introduced a fluted timber into a bathroom vanity and painted in bright orange and it looks smoking.

I see fluted and ribbed timber being a big thing this year wrapped on kitchen islands and used for feature cabinet runs to lift the space. Perhaps not in bright orange, burnt orange at a push for the braver client, but certainly in a light natural timber finish as a feature that will add warmth and texture to contemporary flat fronted kitchens.

The Panelled Shaker

It’s been a long time coming, and it’s not exactly a new trend, but 2021 will see a renewed appreciation for adapting a standard shaker door to include wide pin panels or just as the simple shaker but in a treated timber. Images are starting to penetrate social media and design publications and as they do, so too will the popularity of this style.

At Blakes, I take pride in our design teams ability to seamlessly blend different materials and styles to create kitchens that sit comfortably and with purpose within homes that span design eras. This adapted timber shaker kitchen door plays to this passion perfectly and I’ve already signed off a version of this design for installation later this spring.

This trend will work particularly well on an island or as a feature run, perhaps with a painted finish. It will be a striking way to make a more traditional shaker kitchen pop!

Personally I would love to see this in a natural, “treated” but looking untreated timber for a spiced upcountry chic look, perhaps with black hardware and Critall to give it a more edgy industrial vibe, or with raw brass hardware that will patina in time for a softer more relaxed vibe.

As with our Blenheim kitchen which was the starting point for so many popular designs such as Sudbrooke, Trinity III and Cambridge Gardens, this panelled pin shaker door will stand the test of time. Just remember, you heard it here first.

Curves

Subtle curved end panels on islands as well as bigger semi circle barrel-shaped island ends will become increasingly popular next year. This is great news for families with young toddlers who run the daily gauntlet of head hight squared-off mitred corners that have been more common in recent years.

Curves will also be big within cabinetry with elegant semi-circular tops to cupboards and wall units and even within recessed shelving units and bookcases.

This will also be something that becomes featured more often within the architecture of buildings. Glazing has transitioned from timber French doors, to bi-fold doors, then moved on to large floor-to-ceiling sliders, through to the industrial Crittall phase and I predict that we will now see more romantic, softer glazing solutions using steel Crittall and timber with curved tops. It’s an exciting move!

While curves can completely transform a space they should be used wisely. Don’t just add a curve because you want to use them, you need to read the space and use them to promote flow, soften a hard edge and complement the surrounding architecture. Tread carefully but do by all means tread!

We recently installed a super striking deep red kitchen into a Georgian villa complete with curved tall units and larders. I can’t wait to get images shot so that I can share those with you.

Muted colours

Natural, earthier tones and hues are on the rise as people opt for less impacting colours.

Darker colours have been the staple for the last few years but we are now finding it more impactful and sophisticated to introduce mood and feeling into the space using softer tones. Natural, earthier tones and hues will therefore be more popular going forward.

Here is a sneak preview of our Lilleshall project which highlights this trend so beautifully.

Veneers

Across the board, we are seeing a shift towards all things natural, both in the choice of materials used such as timbers and veneers as well as the use of rough and polished mortar finishes on walls and floors. With that natural element dominating in 2021, veneers with strong veining will be a big trend.

Veneers are a perfect way to introduce warmth and texture to your space, a stunning complement to a painted kitchen. Think feature island or a run of feature wall cabinets.

As highlighted in the previous trend, veneers in both natural colours and also stained timber and tactile finishes will be strong in the coming years. I do recommend being considered in your use of this material. Use it wisely to complement the space as appose to allowing it to take over and your scheme will be well rewarded.

Home bars.

Even pre-Covid we were seeing the trend for home bar's increasing. Next year home bars will go stratospheric!

The great thing about a home bar v's a wine room is that they are perceived as somewhat less ostentatious; younger and a bit more fun perhaps and certainly friendlier on the wallet. Bars can incorporate a wine fridge anyway killing two birds with one stone.

Home bars are an area where people can be a bit more adventurous and playful with the design of their home. Hidden away behind beautiful joinery in a kitchen, or as an alternative to a bookcase within a living room, most homes can incorporate a bar hence their increasing popularity. The trend is to use high-end materials to give a glam, decadent feel. Materiality will be key.

At Blakes we are using high gloss paint finishes in bold colours, luxurious marbles, glass shelving, antique mirrors, brass accents, and mood lighting with pops of artwork or ceramics to create bars brimming with personality. Clever lighting can turn a humble kitchen cupboard, or bookshelf into a sparkling jewel as the light bounces of perfectly placed glassware and bottles.

What’s not to love about this trend!

Outdoor kitchens

I believe this is going to be one of the biggest growth areas for 2021.

As we head into yet another national lock down here in the UK, there will only so much spring cleaning people will do before their attentions turn towards their outdoor space.

People have had to open their eyes to using outdoor space for more months of the year and with that comes more interest in outdoor kitchens, integrated BBQs and firepit seating areas.

It's a brave new outdoor world in 2021!

Kitchen design trends 2021

Project in focus: LILLESHALL

Project in focus: CAMBRIDGE GARDENS