You’ve spent most of the last year in your home. You’ve really lived in it. You’ve really looked at it. And you’ve probably thought about some of the changes you might make. Here are some forecasts and trends that the team at We Design Homes would like you to think about.

It’s your home!
Sure, your home is probably the biggest investment you’ll ever make, but it’s much more than a financial consideration. It’s where you make the most important part of your life. If you’re making changes to your home, make it personal first, financial second.

The Death of Open Plan?
Open plan living exists for a reason - it invites light and connection. But has the last year made you think about quieter spaces? About the need for retreat from the tyrannies of the open plan? Perhaps an extra wall or two isn’t such a bad thing. Make them sliding or folding for maximum flexibility.

Eckford Chong, ElmfieldRoad © Chris Snook

Feel the Noise
If you’ve been trying to combine WFH with raising a family, a pet or a partner then you might have confronted the need for softer acoustics. Carpets, rugs, curtains and cushions can lower the din, all the way up to acoustic wall and ceiling treatments.

Ditch the Whitewash
Particularly if you’re an owner of a mid-century home, don’t strip out the character with a ‘polar bear in a snowstorm’ interior whiteout. There are many architects in the UK adept at updating your modernist home while retaining its mid-20th century essence. We know where you can find one!

Collective Works, UpsideDownHouse © Margaret M. DeLange

Breath of Fresh Air
Less of a trend and more of a reminder – fresh air makes you feel better. If you’re renovating, extending or starting anew, think about cross-ventilation and how you can open windows to let in the air and light, in both cooler and warmer months.

Garden Up
The last year has seen a huge increase in people buying plants for their homes. It’s easy to understand why. If you’re extending your home, consider getting a landscape designer in at the start of the design process. In concert with your architect, a good one can make a profound impact on the way you live, both outdoors and in.

Merrett Houmoller Architects © Alan Williams

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours
Isn’t it great to be able to meet with people again? We’ve missed the face-to-face interaction of other human beings for too long. Now’s the time to consider how you bring friends back into your home. Anyone for a 1970s-style conversation pit?

Is that a fish tank?
We’d love to see the return of the statement household fish tank. But maybe that’s just us.

Unagru © Ståle Eriksen