Modern Earthy Home Decor: The Big Interior Design Trend For 2021
Sponsored Content: This blog post is a collaboration with Casalgrande Padana. As usual, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Modern, earthy, textured and raw home decor is the interior look that is dominating the design world in 2021. Slightly rustic, yet incredibly contemporary, this decor style echoes the colours, appearance and finishes of the natural world. The defining material used within this aesthetic is stone or stone-effect, accompanied by artisanal accessories constructed from wood and clay, and textiles composed from natural fibres such as rattan and sisal. The trend leans towards Wabi-sabi with its appreciation of characterful imperfections like wood knots, the incomplete lines and patterns found in natural stone, and rough particles of clay and soil. Carefully considered pieces are prioritised over multiple objects - although the tones of warm brown, muted greys and sandy shades separate this style away from being considered minimalist. Instead, the look embraces a sustainable appreciation of ecological and resourceful living. There is no room for plastics or vivid, inorganic bright colours - every element has a tactility and a depth and warmth originating in nature.
In collaboration with Casalgrande Padana, I am going to be looking at their new Petra collection: porcelain stoneware tiles with all the charm of natural stone, and talking through how you can achieve the modern, earthy decor trend in your own home with a few simple steps.
By placing stone-effect porcelain tiles on the wall and floor, this space encompasses the modern, earthy, raw home decor trend. Floor and walls: Petra Antracite.
Natural stone is the central, pivotal material within this interior design aesthetic. A time-honoured substance layered over time by movements in the earth leads to its details in formation, colour and character. The Petra porcelain stoneware collection by Casalgrande Padana is inspired by the natural elegance of stone and is reminiscent of stone to the touch, yet it is more suited to modern living by being low maintenance and easy to clean. Perfectly squared and rectified and with an anti-slip surface, Petra can be used on both the floor and the walls to complement wooden furniture and furnishings in natural fibers.
Flooring: Petra Sabbia; Walls: Petra Sabbia Muretto decoration
Petra comes in six different shades (Petra Antracite, Bianca, Grigia, Oro, Perla and Sabbia) and five different formats (from the small 20x20 cm and 20x40 cm sizes to the classic 30x60 cm and 60x60 cm tiles, as well as the large 60x120 cm format) in a 20mm thickness. The collection is complemented by the 30x30 cm mosaics, with 5x5 cm or 5x15 cm tesserae, and a new series of brick-effect porcelain stoneware decorations.
Petra is available in six varying natural shades.
Worktop covering: Petra Perla; Splashback: Petra Perla Brick Decoration.
Flooring: Petra Bianca
Autumnal tones of terracotta, browns, muted greys, sandy yellows and shaded whites are the key colours featured within this interior look. Avoid brash shades and lean towards the warm, neutral tones of the earth. These colours are pleasant and inviting and bring a depth of sophistication when used in home decor.
The sandy shades of Petra Bianca on the floor perfectly complement the autumnal colours in this artisan space.
Petra Bianco, Perla and Sabbia are light and can be teamed with darker fixtures and furnishings for contrast, or with lighter woods and fabrics to create an open, spacious feel that can be continued from inside to out. This enables a streamlined continuity between indoor and outdoor areas.
Petra Sabbia is continued on the flooring from the inside out and teamed with light wood furniture and soft grey accessories for a bright, fresh balance between indoors and out. Flooring: Petra Sabbia Grip 20 mm; Walls: Petra Sabbia Muretto decoration
If you want to use darker tones on your floor and wall coverings, Petra Antracite can be combined with dulled metals for a dramatic, urban look that can be warmed up with shades of brown and amber:
Petra Antracite in the options of mosaic, squared and rectangled creates an urban look which is combined with wild grasses and a wood-trim mirror to warm up the space.
This interior aesthetic is all about acknowledging the character and beauty of the imperfect. It embraces the curves, bumps, irregular lines and grains of items made by hand by craftspeople from natural materials; as opposed to the structured, perfected lines and corners constructed by machines of processed, plastic-based goods. As well as being visually pleasing, this look is all about advocating tactility, inviting you to feel and touch each surface. The slightly raised finish of Petra tiles, which replicate the feel of real stone, supplement and contribute to this unrefined decor scheme.
Many curves and soft shapes are used in this kitchen design. The flooring and splashback in Petra Perla lightens up the room and stops the wooden beams from dominating the space. Flooring: Petra Perla; Walls: Petra Perla Brick Decoration
This style is meant to be muted, so avoid any polished metals or flawless finishes. Petra invites the mixing and matching of different colours and shapes within its collection that can be combined together to smoothly work with imperfect finish materials such as lime plaster and chalk wash paints. Below, Petra Oro is used on the floor and the base of the wall, before effortlessly transitioning up to wood and a flawed render:
Flooring and Walls: Petra Oro
Taps and a bathing area in dulled metals work well with Petra Antracite on the floor and wall.
Avoid inauthentic, mass-produced items and materials. The key is sustainability and embracing the characteristics of those items worn or weathered, which adds to the charm. Pieces should be able to be repurposed and recycled, so choose coloured glass and wood containers over plastic in the bathroom and kitchen. Decorative items and home accessories are the finishing touch, so choose organic, speckled glazes in cups, plates and vases that complement the mottled colours found within Petra. Garnish with dried, wild grasses and branches in faded brown and beige tones for a united design.
Flooring: Petra Antracite. Petra can be used both inside and outdoors - use the same tile for a look that flows, or mix to define the separate spaces.
Choose coloured glass and wooden accessories over plastic in the bathroom. Walls and floor: Petra Antracite.
For more information on the new Petra collection from Casalgrande Padana, including a colour cart, sizing and retailers, please click here to be taken to their website. All imagery used in this article belongs to and is used with the kind permission of Casalgrande Padana.
