January 2021: 10 Home Decor and Renovation Articles to Check Out

January 2021: new year, new projects and even more new articles about renovation, design and decor around the internet! Today, we’re back in force for another year of this series where we look for the best reading material to inspire you in your current or future renovation projects. 

If you’re new to our blog, welcome! We started this series back in May of 2020 to get through our (and especially your) quarantine blues. Each month, we try to find some of the most interesting articles about decor and design, hoping to motivate each and every one of you! If you want to catch up, here is article #1.

So, without further ado, let’s crack into it!

January 2021: 10 Home Decor and Renovation Articles to Check Out

1. Looking at the popular and the outdated construction and design trends of 2021

In our 2020 yearly recap, I shared articles about the predictions of designers for the coming year based on what they observed the year prior. Now, a month into 2021, those predictions have turned into concrete observations with Archdaily compiling a list of the ins, the outs, and any other trends that are here to stay!

Read more on this article here and, if you want more, here is a bonus read on the same subject by Vogue.

Source: archdaily

2. The famous pink seesaw installation on Trump’s Mexico-US border wall named best design of the year  

Imagined and designed by architecture studio Rael San Fratello, these bright pink seesaws, named the Teeter-Totter Wall, were installed so they could bring kids from each side of the border together in a playful manner. 

Despite being up for a mere 40 minutes in July of 2019, its message was impactful, wanting to send a message of unity amidst a heavily politicized and divisive wall, which resulted in the project being named design of the year 2020.

To know more about the project, read the complete article here. 

Source: dezeen

3. Meet this Copenhagen designer who made his apartment trend-proof

What does it mean, you ask? Well, times change and trends tend to fade off into the past, making way to new ones. Often people stick to one specific style for their home decor, but what happens when you get tired? 

This is why interior designer and consultant Susanne Rutzou took the ageing Scandinavian style of her apartment building and mixed in different decor styles, making it almost impossible to pinpoint exactly which influence she used as her primary inspiration.

To discover her building and her story, read here.

Source: remodelista

4. This handy DIY couple built this farm-inspired retreat in the Canadian Countryside

Tucked away in Ontario’s countryside is Kristine Remedios and John Silva’s now renovated 19th-century farmhouse. Standing next to the house was an equally old barn, both wasting away on six-acre farmland.

Take a tour of this dreamy farmhouse here.

Source: dwell

5. Exploring the weird phenomenon of buying mirrors during a global pandemic

Your appearance was probably the least of your concerns in the past year if you, just like me, spent it working from home. This is probably what we would all tell each other as we sit at our desks in pyjamas, but home decor companies tell us a different story.  

Here is why CB2 reported over 4 million inquiries on mirrors, making it their most-searched home product of 2020.

Source: vogue

6. Domino shares with us 5 ways to re-energize your space without any renovations

Speaking of CB2, they recently partnered with Domino to come up with 5 easy ways to revamp our home's energy, without renovations. These tricks are good especially for tenants or people who can’t currently afford renovations, but also for anyone willing to optimize their space quickly and easily!

To discover more, read the article here.

Source: Domino

7. Renowned landscape architect, Carol Johnson, passes at 91

Sad news for the world of landscape architecture early in 2021 with the death of an icon. Carol Johnson, known for large-scale projects in big American cities like Boston and Washington, was also a strong icon for women in her field, having opened the door for many generations to come. Her firm was the largest run by a woman at the time.

Learn more about her story here. 

Source: nytimes

8. This former prison site will soon see some life and greenery

In the danish suburb of Albertslund, not too far from Copenhagen, is a former prison site that recently got the attention of architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects and landscape architects BOGL.

The combined project proposal for the 160,000-square-meter district aims to reuse the star-shaped structure that once housed the state prison, bringing new life and nature to it by creating an attractive mixed-use district.

Get to know more about this project here.

Source: Inhabitat

9.  Visiting one of Catalonia’s architectural masterpieces

Commissioned by rich textile merchant Joaquim Navàs in the early 20th century, Casa Navas is a design masterpiece, still in pristine condition to this day. Located in Reus, Catalonia, Spain, the owner sadly passed away before its completion, but the site is now open to the public for everyone who’d like to see!

More pictures and a virtual tour of the palace over here.

Source: MessyNessyChic

10. Here are 20 homes where nature and living co-exist, with thriving biophilia

I will never get enough of this design trend and I truly hope it gains more popularity with time. Biophilia is the perfect balance for any outdoors and nature lovers, as well as the overall wellness of your interiors and yourself. 

Although it seems hard to maintain or envision, here are 20 homes to give you the perfect example of how this design can thrive in any space!

Source: Dwell

Here are our best home decor and renovation articles for the month

Once you’re done exploring all of these great articles, hopefully, you’re inspired and motivated enough to check our decor and design articles written this month for you!

Here are the best articles we’ve published in the past few weeks

2021: Decor trends for the bathroom

We started this series in early January in order to keep you up to date with the trends, room by room! The next 2 articles that follow are of the same series, so no need for introductions! 

Read the full article here!

2021: Decor Trends for the Kitchen

And here's another one!

2021: Decor Trends for the Bedroom

And another one...

Interior design: Wallpaper inspiration for your entire home!

Not from the same series, but full of inspiration nonetheless! Wallpaper is my current obsession, so I had to share some favourites I have found across the internet.

Read the full article here.