Welcome Home - Homing Is Still Trending in 2021

Especially in recent months, home has taken on an even greater central role in our lives. “Homing,” as this ongoing trend is called, refers to a cozy, comfortable sense of well-being within our own four walls—one that we’re enjoying more than ever before. The home is also becoming a social hub, where people typically gather to celebrate with friends and family. “Homing” builds upon and expands the so-called “cocooning” trend, which focuses more on retreating into one’s home. The trend embodies a sense of coziness at home, where people can find respite from the fast pace of modern life.

This trend is nothing new in the fast-paced digital age, where people can be reached at any time with just a click. The coronavirus pandemic has further intensified and expanded this “homing” trend: people are now cooking and eating at home much more, living differently, and even working from home. As a result, the home simply has to be made even cozier and more efficient. According to Nicolette Naumann, Division Manager of Ambiente at Messe Frankfurt, this has led to a massive increase in retail demand, particularly in the dining and cooking sectors, as she reports on möbelkultur.de: “Many of us have spent more time in the kitchen in recent months than ever before. And this is also reflected in retail sales figures, as demand for cooking and baking accessories has risen significantly.”

Especially now, as working from home and distance learning are making their way into spaces otherwise reserved for living and daily life, redesigning one’s own home has taken center stage. For a long time, no one needed their own workspace with a desk at home. Until now, it was mainly schoolchildren who had their own desks in their rooms. However, due to the changes brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, people of all ages are now often working at the same time in the same shared living space. This presents a challenge that calls for ingenuity in designing new, individualized living and working environments.

It’s likely that working from home—in a flexible, time-variable format—has become an integral part of our working lives. Modern, functional, and flexible desk solutions are in even greater demand. Stylish room dividers or dedicated niches for work areas integrated into living rooms or bedrooms create opportunities to balance work, home, and life. Normally, it’s at the annual furniture trade shows that industry professionals and interested visitors get a glimpse of the home furnishings industry’s ingenuity and, with it, the latest interior design trends. Due to the coronavirus, there will be fewer in-person gatherings from trade show venues in the near future.

Ambiente Frankfurt is therefore moving its annual industry gathering to a virtual venue. The Frankfurt Trade Fair has announced on its website that this year’s in-person event will be canceled. Although the dates for the next in-person gathering—February 11–15, 2022—have already been set, the organizers do not want to wait until then. To ensure that networking, consulting, and professional exchange aren’t completely lost, the trade fair—together with Christmasworld, Paperworld, and Creativeworld—is hosting the Consumer Goods Digital Day on April 20, 2021, where the home furnishings industry can come together for a digital discussion.

Some trade shows have been postponed or canceled entirely, but there’s still hope for others. So if you don’t want to miss out on the excitement of a trade show in person, you have a good chance of experiencing it again in late spring or fall. For example, Blickfang Hamburg is scheduled to take place May 14–16 at the Deichtorhallen, the Salone del Mobile in Milan September 5–10, and Maison & Objet in Paris September 9–13, 2021. Until then, the online exhibition is the place to go. Home decor trends also reflect human needs, which are mirrored in interior design trends. Coziness is at the forefront here.

(Source: www.moebelkultur.de, ambiente.messefrankfurt.com)