As the year of 2021 ends, let’s take a look back at some off the most viral home trends that emerged this year.
If you went through or are still going through your home improvement, then you are probably familiar with the popular community on Facebook – Home Buddies.
Home Buddies is not just your usual online group for home style and interior design enthusiasts, it has quickly become a cult favorite and a go-to platform for tips, tricks, conversations, and celebrations of milestones and achievements unlocked.
The said Facebook Group has shaped the rise of home makeovers this year. The group’s creator, Frances Lim Cabatuando, initially formed the group to encourage people to declutter and get organized in their homes similar to the 30-Day Minimalism Game of American authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.
Home Buddies was initially conceptualized as a “barangay” which is typically made up of “kapitbahays”, “tanods”, and headed by a certain “Mayora”. While the group is influenced by foreign ideas, Home Buddies is very Filipino in nature. It is a unique online community that welcomes all members to post questions, share ideas and “budol” finds from various stores.
Since its establishment in September 2020, the group has grown into a massive community of over 2.8 million members who interact and enjoy fun exchanges of their DIY home solutions. Through this community, we were also able to see various trending DIYs and have become familiar with the “budol” finds, which pertains to instances when other community members are persuaded to buy the most talked about items for themselves.
With just a few short weeks remaining before the New Year, let’s look back at some of the great finds that were shared in Home Buddies.
1. DIY Mirror Wall
Think about tufted and arched mirrors, 2021 has seen a lot of funky and creative mirror projects that make you appreciate your daily OOTDs. If you want a mix of functional mirror and wall installation, then these DIY mirror walls are perfect for your home. They are made of on trend mirror panels of varying shapes and sizes.
With the goal of having easy and budget-friendly additions to one’s home interior, Home Buddies has also been sharing its own variations and twists of DIY projects. Because of the impact it created, community members of Home Buddies keep rushing to try every DIY project that even major department stores are running out of mirrors and other DIY supplies!
2. #TeamKahoy and #TeamPuti
Taking inspiration from mid century modern and Muji home interiors, Home Buddies got people from all over the world crazy over this aesthetic trend. From geometric vases to pendant lights, art decor, twisted candles, and sculptural furniture, people went all out with their #TeamKahoy and #TeamPuti finds.
3. Bea Alonzo’s Chicken Egg Basket
Home Buddies is known to be the first one to spot viral home trends 2021 and get the home enthusiasts to talked about popular interior design trends. In fact, in the past year Home Buddies was quick to trend when it spotted actress Bea Alonzo’s quirky egg basket in a vlog that showcased her farmhouse.
After the egg basket was spotted and shared on Home Buddies, a lot of community members shared about their respective finds – where they purchased them and their similarities with the celebrity style of Bea.
4. Irish Spring Challenge
Have you ever wondered why the Irish Spring soap bar trended this year?
One of the more recent hacks that went viral on Home Buddies is the #IrishSpringChallenge. This brings a new and inexpensive way to get your rooms smelling fresh for hours.
All you need is a bar of Irish Spring by your air-conditioned unit and your room will surely smell fresh for hours. There are numerous fans who shared their respective versions of the hack like using face mask filters and recycled air fresheners as a soap holder, while others have tried tying the soap bar directly onto the air vents!
Because of its popularity, Home Buddies has helped shops sell out their products and encouraged the brands to explore more partnerships with them for giveaways!
5. 24/7 Aircon Challenge
According to a post in the said Facebook group, keeping your air conditioning unit on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week would save you money and reduce your electricity bill. However, this came from one of the members who just wanted to share his or her experience.
This challenge made a lot of members curious and eager to save on their bills, thus they were quick to join the said challenge, which became known as the 24/7 AC Challenge. While the challenge reduced the electricity consumption of some inverter users, the majority were left shocked about the increase in their electricity bill but managed to handle the situation lightly and just cracked jokes to lessen the blow.
This encouraged most members to share their own experiences and reactions to this 24/7 AC Challenge.
6. #TeamDesign
With its huge impact on home buddies, the community members were inspired to eventually form their respective sub-groups that are in accordance with the design aesthetics they are most interested in.
If you have been following this Facebook Group, you may be familiar with #TeamPuti, which is composed of those who love white-colored home items, natural light, clean lines, simple aesthetics, and minimalist furniture. There is also #TeamKahoy which is composed of fans of wooden furnishings, and #TeamDENR, also known as the plant enthusiasts. #TeamItim is also in! This is a sub-group composed of those who are attracted to black home items and elements. Meanwhile, #TeamGray represents those who are in love with gray-colored finds. There are also groups for Dark Academia and Mid Century Modernism fans.
And the list goes on and on, but all of these teams have one thing in common – themed interiors are the way to go this year.
The popularity of this group also created a huge impact on online sellers who began selling their items following thematic distinctions. Even retail giants rode on these trends. One significant benefit of these trends is the opportunity for local craftsmen such as dried flowers sellers, rattan weavers and basket makers to sustain their industries despite the pandemic.
Despite the challenges that we faced this year, 2021 has been an interesting year because it has sparked the interest of many to explore home improvements.
7. Personalized storage spaces
One of the trends that shocked many is the rise of new items that we never knew we needed.
Think egg baskets, water gallon covers, and stackable flap boxes that suddenly became a hit. We have seen organizers of different shapes and sizes come in native rattan, white plastic, and transparent acrylic. This trend made most of us become somewhat obsessed with finding the perfect containers that help in organizing home items, decluttering the space, and elevating their homes to a themed design.
These small items have allowed online selling to flourish, providing Filipinos more opportunities to survive and paving the way to earning money despite the widespread loss of jobs during the pandemic. Who would have thought that suppliers from Divisoria, Dapitan Arcade, Dangwa, and other well-known shopping markets will eventually be active on social media, especially during the lockdown period. This helped small businesses adapt to the digital transformation and even prosper on their own.
8. Coffee nooks and mobile carts
Since most Filipinos were forced to work or study from home during the lockdown, most coffee shops were severely affected, forcing many to close down.
Fortunately, former employees and other entrepreneurs found a way to continue serving cups of coffee through mobile coffee shops, which became very popular, providing the average Filipino’s regular caffeine fix through a van, bike, or jeep.
With this trend, many Filipinos were inspired to have their own makeshift offices and coffee nooks at home, which varied in sizes and were placed in the kitchen corner or an actual room. In the group, you can see members posting about coffee machines, labeled jars, side tables, uniform mugs, and matching utensils that filled their areas, often featuring aesthetics that are in line with themes.
These nooks allowed Filipinos who were used to working at coffee shops to stay safe at home while still enjoying their favorite cup of coffee.
If we are to ponder on what has transpired in 2021, we can still say that it was a year full of hope, and has tested the resilience of Filipinos. We can still see how Filipinos can easily form communities that are ready to help each other in the simplest way they can. Think community pantries that were also born this year and while it is not related to home design, these neighborhood initiatives perfectly reflect Filipinos’ strong will to help others especially in times of need.
Although some of the biggest interior design trends have come and gone, the Home Buddies community continues to increase its following each day. A lot of people are still joining the group because of their shared interests and passion to improve their homes, make new friends, and take part in sharing their “budol” finds.
If you haven’t hopped checked on Home Buddies yet, you still have time to read on any of these trends and get inspired in doing last-minute home improvements. With just a few days remaining in 2021, you can still add to cart and wait for the latest trends.
Despite the challenges, 2021 has been an interesting year because home improvements have become an interest for many.
When it comes to planning and designing Bria Homes, the management believes that developing pandemic-proof communities for the Filipino people should become one of the top priorities, which means creating more sustainable urban spaces.
BRIA Homes is a subsidiary of GOLDEN MV Holdings, Inc., one of the largest real estate companies in the country. BRIA Homes is primed to bring quality and affordable house and lot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families. This is the goal that drives every single employee in the company, for which the ultimate fulfillment is seeing a client happily moving into BRIA’s homes.
For Bria Homes though, its communities are already known to be sustainable by having open spaces, amenities, and even solar-powered street lights. It has even been one step ahead in developing future-proof homes.
With the emerging needs in housing spaces identified nowadays, creating and designing your home to assist your changing needs is important. Especially now that we have come to embrace that these changes brought by the pandemic can be permanent.
For existing homeowners, these tips are something you can just add to your current home. Massive renovation is not necessary since sustainability and affordability are always top of our priority list. Meanwhile, for potential homeowners or those who are just planning to acquire their homes, you might want to adapt these features.
First is having a drop-off and disinfecting area in your home. This will be designated to drop off stuff and disinfect them before entering their home. This has been a common practice for some already but having a designated space mostly applicable to groceries and shopping items will make everything easier.
Aside from that, people have learned to appreciate more space outside their homes and at the same time, maximize small spaces inside. Feeling cramped up in our own home can hinder productivity thus getting smart in the use of space to create an area for learning is a must.
Meanwhile, potential homeowners can start looking into houses that offer bigger front or back yards. This is because yards can be used as social spaces during the pandemic. Just be careful to implement social distancing with your visitors, though.
Additionally, amenities and features that can address health concerns in your home or community should be something that you should look for as well.
Lastly, the prolonged changes in community quarantine protocols in the Philippines have brought a rise in work-from-home setup. This resulted in people going back to their provinces or looking into the suburbs for an affordable home since the cost of living and the need for commuting in the metro is less needed.
If you’re looking for an affordable house and lot in the suburbs to accommodate your work-from-home needs, Bria Homes just has the right house and lot packages for you. Check them out here. Virtual Tours and online consultations with property consultants are also available.
Written by Cheska Castro
