Spice up your space in 2021 — this year’s interior design trends on a budget

Mixing textures is an intriguing way to create depth and dimension in your spaces. With earth tones trending this year in interior design, using throw blankets, pillows and plants as a pop of colour adds life to any room. Photo courtesy of WallsHeaven.

With the year we’ve had, it’s not surprising that the biggest trends we can expect for interior design in 2021 are multipurpose spaces, lots of plants and arguably the most important of all — zen spaces and calming earth tones.

Here are some student-friendly ways to achieve these trends in your space on a budget.

1. Multipurpose spaces

Being at home as much as we were in 2020, it’s given us the time (perhaps even too much time) to rethink and reimagine the areas in our homes and how we could use them better. For example, I recently downsized and I had to figure out how to use one area for multiple uses — and in comes my vanity/desk duo. I had a large, white desk that I’ve used throughout the years as a desk, or as a vanity table, but never both. To make it feel like new, I changed out the table legs and separated the two spaces with the ALEX drawers from Ikea to hold my makeup and school supplies. I added some matching chairs that belonged to my parents and voila! In total, I spent only $20 on the new table legs, and yet I completely transformed the space.

Creating multipurpose spaces in areas of your house that don’t get used much can make your home seem bigger, and if your whole family is working from home like mine is, it can be a lifesaver.

2. Plants, plants and more plants

Picture this: you’re sitting in your room doing your online classes. Your space is dull and monotone with no life to it. You are unmotivated by this, and you eventually fail all of your courses. Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic but I strongly believe that the space you’re in can directly affect your mood and energy. If there’s anything that can immediately bring life to a room, it’s plants.

Having a few plants brings colour to any room and they are relatively cheap home decor. Creamy and earthy-hued ceramic pots are currently trending and will look good in any room. Plants like Devil’s Ivy, Peace Lilies and Spider Plants actually filter the air in your home and reduce toxins like formaldehyde, benzene and even carbon dioxide. However, some plants like Peace Lilies can also be dangerous for pets such as cats and dogs. So choose wisely!

If you’re looking for plants on a budget, lots of people sell seedlings from their plants on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace for cheap or for free. So go to the thrift store to find some cool and unique plant pots and get planting!

3. Zen spaces

Meditation, yoga and spirituality have been at the forefront of TikTok and interior design this year for obvious reasons. If you have a quiet space in your home that can be dedicated to relaxing and winding down for some much needed you-time, do it. This space can be a versatile place in your home designed for whatever you want it to be.

Perhaps you have a small waterfall feature that plugs in with an essential oil diffuser. Ensure you focus on earthy tones that exude relaxation and warmth, like wine red, golden yellow and sage green, with lots of natural sunlight contrasted with white walls. Decorate with plants, floor poufs, your yoga mat and you have the perfect zen paradise to escape to when 2021 gets too real.

To achieve this on a budget, secondhand online retailers are going to be your best friend — and as a bonus, you’re minimizing your environmental footprint by buying used items and giving them new life!

I hope this list inspires you to revamp your spaces, without breaking the bank. Happy decorating!