While it may be hard to believe, 2022 is officially here. The past two years have shaped our lives in countless ways, from schools transitioning to online learning and businesses moving toward a more hybrid approach, to a heightened focus on well-being and renewed relationship with nature. It’s also influenced the way we view our homes, what we need from our homes, and ultimately how we want to live. After all, our homes play a more vital role than ever in our daily lives. The desire for stability and comfort were the driving force for many of the home design trends in 2021. So, what’s ahead in 2022?
This year, expect to see more color and patterns, a blending of old and new pieces, a blurring of the lines between the interior and exterior, and more. While you certainly don’t have to follow trends to a tee, getting a glimpse at what’s to come can be the perfect way to get inspired. Whether you’re living in Miami, FL, or Vancouver, CA, here are the emerging home design trends some of the most talented experts predict will dominate in 2022.
A space featuring global-inspired elements with a mix of old and new pieces
In 2022, home design trends will focus on “Livable Luxury” – think tailored, traditional pieces mixed with modern items, blending the old world with the new. My favorite color palette right now is rich and inviting — like a warm hug — with shades of cognac, weathered terracotta, and alabaster. Family-friendly fabrics and upholstery, including high-performance leathers, make easy living an achievable goal. As the pandemic continues to sideline travel, we are longing for the excitement and adventure that only a trip abroad can bring. To conjure up the magic of far-flung destinations, incorporate global-inspired elements into your home with knotted rugs, woven baskets, ceramics, and hand-carved wood pieces.
— Laura Fullow | Laura Fullow Designs | Las Vegas, NV and surrounding areas
Create an unforgettable space with fun neon wall art
With its longevity, neon colors, and the ability to be almost any shape or size, neon lighting opens a door to unlimited moods and visual concepts. Neon can be futuristic or nostalgic. It can be celebratory or soothing. As a hand-crafted medium made from real glass, it can be unique and personal in a way that no other form of lighting is capable of.
— Kenny Greenberg | Krypton Neon | Serving NYC and surrounding areas
Incorporating color into the home
Homeowners still want their homes to be bright and welcoming, but I believe they are interested in incorporating more unique styling and color – more intense color – than we’ve seen in the recent past. The fear of doing something that is too trendy has caused the reverse effect; maybe a bit too vanilla almost. My hope for every client is that their homes are true to who they are and what makes them feel comfortable.
— Jamee Parish, AIA, NCARB, Jamee Parish Architects, LLC | Columbus, OH and surrounding areas
A flexible home office space
2022 home design trends to look out for include robust, flexible, and “shareable” home office setups. It is desirable for these spaces to be in close proximity to a variety of other spaces in the home depending on the particular owner’s lifestyle: private entrance, owners’ suites, and outdoor spaces figure prominently among the requests we receive. We also find that flexibility rather than dedicated use is a desired characteristic. Lastly, we find that the demand for home offices has intensified over the past two years, and we anticipate that this trend will continue to evolve and grow.
— Amy Gardner | Gardner Architects | Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas
Pattern play, color, and natural light
Perhaps somewhat influenced by the increased use of older furniture pieces, I believe there is a realization that it is the details, pattern, and color that make a home feel welcoming and complete, rather than the minimalist, white trends that were previously popular. Forever a home design trend, and continuing to increase is the desire for natural light in our interior spaces. It is in our human nature to be drawn to the light and feel energized by it. We are adding windows and making them focal points wherever we can.
— Becky Rose Grinwald | Becky Rose Design | Nashville, TN and surrounding areas
Functionality is key for home design trends in 2022
With more and more people working from home, formal rooms that went unused are now converted to offices and living spaces. A noticeable connection between the outdoors and the indoor spaces are seen more often with larger wall openings to the backyard as well as the use of more greenery inside as part of the interior aesthetic. The two-tone combination will be super strong this year. The kitchen is a great room to play with different elements and colors. We don’t have to match anymore and yes, we can play with combinations of prints, patterns, and colors. Speaking of colors, neutrals will still be strong this year as well as combinations of vibrant colors like tons of greens, blues, and black will still be around. Stay tuned for the popularity of the porcelain slabs being used more and more. Because of their durability, easy maintenance, variety of colors, styles, and lower cost compared to some natural stones, they can be used on countertops, flooring, wall accents, bathtubs, backsplash, fireplaces, and more.
— Julliana Garten | J. Garten Design | Scottsdale, AZ and surrounding areas
Indoor-outdoor living and home office spaces
First, we’ve learned the importance of outdoor space and how it positively affects both our psychological and physical health. We’ll see an already rising trend in well-conceived, quality outdoor furniture and accessories that will transform those spaces into extensions of the indoors. Homeowners will desire outdoor solutions that are more than mere patio furniture, but rather are intelligent, intuitive designs that will blur the lines between the indoors and out. Second, the work from home trend will continue to grow, both out of necessity and popularity by employers who realize that productivity hasn’t suffered. With more employees working from home, companies will be able to reduce their real estate footprint, resulting in tremendous cost savings, while giving the office a different type of functionality, one designed around collaboration and company morale. At home, we’ll see an even bigger focus on work-from-home furniture, storage, and technology solutions that will better integrate the necessities of work with the comfort of home. Smart designers and manufacturers will continue to offer design solutions that seamlessly allow for both work and life to feel no harm.
— Brad Ascalon | Principal/Founder of Brad Ascalon Studio NYC | New York, NY and surrounding areas
Defined rooms and high-tech homes
The large open-plan that bleeds from one room to the next is suddenly too noisy, too open, and not conducive to productivity. A home design trend our clients seek is peaceful environments with defined rooms and areas that have a designated function. The open kitchen will not go away, but we now look for amenities such as a reading room, an office, or a sun porch, where we can hear ourselves think. Technology integration is inevitable. More and more we see requests for electric auto charge-ports, solar power walls, high-efficiency insulation and windows, top-of-the-line filtration systems for air and water, security, and entertainment integration. As the younger generations move into the housing market, we see the heightened expectation for technology to be a standard-issue integral feature.
— Terracotta Design Build | Atlanta, GA and surrounding areas
Effortless flow to the exterior with a central courtyard
Living spaces designed around centralized and protected outdoor spaces have a great history throughout ancient civilizations and are particularly relevant in today’s times. These smaller and well-curated landscapes are accessible throughout the home, provide a visual connection to nature from the primary interior spaces, and create additional circulation that encourages pathways outside. In almost every home we design the program is dedicated to blurring the lines between architecture and nature and courtyards are perhaps the greatest design tool for realizing this virtue.
— Daniel Kaven, Partner of William Kaven Architecture | Portland, OR and surrounding areas
Elegance and style, at the front door
Pivot systems, or rotating doors, are fast becoming one of the top trends when it comes to customized entry doors, as they inherit a minimalistic tradition of what is considered modern, hidden, and exclusive. The attention to detail is apparent, and although hidden, the system provides countless design possibilities for the ultimate passage-entrance experience. Requiring no structural elements to the floor or ceiling, the pivot balances itself perfectly enabling the door to operate with just the touch of a finger. Following contemporary design trends for 2022, the system is truly an aesthetic perfection.
A strong connection to the outdoors
This is both from a standpoint of creating healthy spaces that are filled with natural light and views of their backyard and/or nature, but also because living in an on-and-off quarantine has everyone wanting more space to safely roam. In that same regard, we have seen requests for more wood tones in place of previously requested white on white. As expected, we have also seen a rise in requests for beautiful home offices and fitness areas since so many employers have turned to virtual teams, and workspaces and group fitness centers have closed or reduced their capacity. Everyone wants a nice background for their zoom meeting (preferably with a door to avoid interruptions.)
— Caitlin E. Struble, AIA, LEED AP BD+C | Winslow Design | Boston, MA and surrounding areas
A blend of organic and modern elements
A home design trend we see emerging in 2022 is organic modern. With more people working and staying home, there has been a drive towards making one’s space pleasant and peaceful by using organic materials and modern elements. The combination of these two trends creates a harmonious design that is bound to make a home current and comfortable.
— Renee Russo | EWF Modern | Portland, OR and surrounding areas
Incorporating family furniture instead of buying new
Infusing antiques or passed down family furniture into spaces is a home design trend I am seeing and cheering on. Adding pieces with memory or connection to another time offers warmth to a space that is not only visual but connects with you emotionally. If done right, these items can not only play perfectly into a modernized space but can become a conversation starter.
— Kari Quick | K.Q. Design | Austin, TX and surrounding areas
Look out for new color palettes
January is the perfect time to refresh your space and start new. The easiest way is to replace throw pillows or rearrange bookshelves. I’ve seen a few new color palettes making their way back into play in 2022. The classic black & white is making a comeback in linens and pillows. While terracottas, royal blues, soft golds, and avocado greens are more pronounced in new accessories. Custom books are on-trend with fun sayings or just beautiful textures to enhance your shelves. Coffee table necklaces that are handmade out of glass beads are the new statement piece for accessorizing. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and can be draped over a tray on a coffee table or dangle out of a vase.
— Michelle Gentile | Founder of Michelle Gentile Interiors | Chicago, IL and surrounding areas
Home design trends in 2022 continue to value space
Social distancing in the home’s open areas allows families to congregate safely. Natural raw materials and eclectic environments seem to be a home design trend that dominates the social distancing model bringing environments and tactical appeal indoors. With materials being harder to obtain due to labor shortages and the pandemic, less involved, stock, and local materials are being considered and worked around creating new environments.
— Amy Tahtabrounian | Founder of StyerGroup Design Build | Philadelphia, PA and surrounding areas
Bringing the outdoors in
More people are enhancing their outdoor living spaces, which means more stylish outdoor-rated furniture. I see more intentionally designed outdoor living spaces that don’t sacrifice style and expand the family’s living and entertaining space in the home.
— Mimi Meacham | Marian Louise Designs | Houston, TX and surrounding areas
United States
Canada