Many start early in the year to take steps to update the aesthetic of their homes. Top architects and interior designers have weighed on predicting what trends will dominate living spaces in 2022, and which will fade as the new year unfolds.
Experts are hailing a future where individuality and confidence rule and a continuation of leaning into personal tastes and needs. There is also movement against - and push back on - the homogenization of homes that big-box retailers are famous for. That which is readily available will become decreasingly popular, giving way to expressive pieces that reflect genuine lives. Notice the following top picks.
Seeing Green
Calming, plant-filled environments that establish a visual connection with nature continue to steadily emerge. Even before quarantine periods, studies showed that having plants indoors improve concentration, reduce stress levels, and improve air quality. As working-from-home appears here-to-stay, collective love will continue for the lush indoor lifestyle that continues to bloom.
In addition to bioliphic architecture trends like staircase gardens and floral ceilings, green-painted interiors ranging from kitchen cabinets to living room walls will rise in popularity too. Major paint brands are all sharing shades of green as their top paint colors for 2022.
Flora- and fauna-patterned wallpapers and fabrics round out this nature-specific trend, with playful accents throughout the home.
Reclaimed Materials
Greener materials - as in those sustainable - are said to reign supreme in 2022.
While 2020 and 2021 found many consumers rushing to get what they could and choosing utility over longevity, those behaviors will be left behind in this new year. Interiors and furnishings will be chosen to reflect a longer lifespan, and for both timeless chic and functional purposes.
Reclaimed wood and stone will be popular elements in both architecture and interior design. These choices also support an upward trend of restoring historic structures rather than building anew. Clever adaptive reuse projects will continue and expand, such as barn conversions and warehouses renovations.
Earthy Textures
Expect to see more tactile materials—wood, plaster, bronze, and leather—and finishes with textures derived from nature. Also, earthier finishes like plaster, clay, lime washes, and grainy stuccos are durable and can be made water-resistant.
Watch for such experimental textures to start moving outdoors and even onto custom furniture.
Craft Revival
Experts are agreeing that a growing number of consumers are seeking out vintage, antique, and handcrafted furnishings and decor for their homes. Homestay-season living and slowing down lent opportunity to explore hands-on crafting like ceramics, painting, and baking. Appreciation of these time-honored, traditional arts has been a welcome surprise.
This appreciation extends to the rise of natural wine and archive textiles in fashion. The desire for intricately crafted and historic decorative forms will play out in more homes. Short living spaces like vestibules and hallways, console desks, and dressing spaces will be more inclined to display object collections.
Throne-like chairs, consoles, and sideboards will become more popular along with generously scaled table lamps, the return of candlesticks, quilts, and rustic linens. Designers even believed minimalistic textures in upholstery will give way to edge details like ruffles, pleats, tassels, and ball fringes; paired with bold colors and patterns, they become playful and contemporary.
Wavy Geometry and Circular Design
Rounded details will continue to reign in 2022, and the motif will expand to new areas of the home and take shape in new iterations. Wavy undulations continue as popular in furniture and will also take shape in millwork and stone backsplash detailing; this is considered an ever-increasing versatile motif.
More sofas with softened corners and arched windows/doorways have green lights. Now look for circular structured details like waterfall corners on consoles, countertops, desks, and headboards. Drum tables and rounded area rugs work for less-permanent - yet hot&trendy - décor choices.
Rumored by Pinterest Predicts for 2022 – Curved Bar Design and Round Pool Deck Designs are hotly sought after searches, so these may make the biggest circular splash in the year ahead.
Multifunctional Space In, Open Floor Plans Out
With the continuation of hybrid and remote work into 2022, flexible live/work spaces that accommodate that needs of various generations under the same roof are paramount.
Architects contend that there are several reasons why multifunctional spacing is important right now. A very desirable home has room for residents to work, children to school, multiple generations to live comfortably, plus the possibility that the entirety – or parts - of the home can be used as a rental property. The high costs of housing and elder care have played a significant part in this trend.
More separation between common spaces like kitchen, home office, dining area, and living room are in demand. Carefully proportioned and sequenced spaces are trending in residential projects at the moment.
While open floor plans once soared in popularity, the trend may taper off in 2022 in favor of layouts that distinguish between living and working spaces and provide opportunities for privacy.
