2022 Interior Decorating Trends
I don’t know about you, but 2021 seems to have really flown by. In fact the last two years seem to have gone by in a sort of blur. Life has changed so much in such a short time, but always with the hope for better days ahead.
For my family, we moved to Jakarta, Indonesia in January 2020, excited for a 2-4 year adventure as expats while my husband worked on a big project. When Covid hit, everything changed and we found ourselves back, ‘temporarily’, in Australia, living in an AirBnB with my husband working out of a spare bedroom. Who knows what 2022 holds in store! Still, no grumbling from me - we have done much better than most and here in Perth, Western Australia, we have been spared the worst of Covid.
That said, even here, Covid has still had its impacts - one of the most obvious being the shift to working from home.
This sudden shift in the way we use our houses and the amounts of time we spend inside has had a very real impact on how we decorate our homes and how we want to feel inside of them. All of which is reflected in the emerging decorating trends we are seeing for the new year.
So… without further ado… Read on for my Top 6 picks for interior decorating trends in 2022.
Shades of Green
Greens are clearly on trend at the moment and that trend seems to show no signs of dissipating.
Lucky for me, my absolute favourite colour to decorate with is indeed green - so this is one trend that can hang around for as long as it likes :-)
As with any hue, green comes in all sorts of shades and tones, but 2022 seems to have a special spot for muted, grey-greens (gray-green if you are in North Amercia) as well as darker forrest-greens.
Here in Australia, Dulux has identified several darker greens as part of their 2022 Forecast range.
Over in North America, both Sherwin Williams as well as Benjamin Moore have selected lighter greens as their colours of the year. In the case of Benjamin Moore, the colour of the year is called October Mist. Over at Sherwin Williams they have selected a slightly greyer-green, Evergreen Fog. I am especially in love with Everygreen Fog
Dulux: Benang, Finnegan, Natural Flora, Equatorial Forest
October Mist, Benjamin Moore
Evergreen Fog, Sherwin Williams
2. Rounded edges
Applying rounded edges to design seems to have taken off in 2021, and will continue to be a hot trend in 2022.
Rounded edges create a sense of flow and softness. Although they can be applied to any element of home design, one area particularly popular is rounded kitchen island benches.
When teamed with timber cladding, rounded edges applied to kitchen benches really create a sense of the outdoors coming inside - a relaxing and calming influence for sure.
Images from Kaboodle, www.kaboodle.com.au
This trend towards rounded elements however is not just for cabinetry and fixtures.
It is also increasingly seen in the design of individual furniture pieces including sofas, occasional chairs and even buffets and other items of household furniture.
Coupled with boucle (another big trend) or timber finish, these pieces of furniture add warmth, movement and texture to any living space.
Sources: James Said Brice Swivel Chair; Merlino Furniture Dune Sideboard; ????
3. Earthy colours
Inspired by Morocco and North African vistas, warm, earthy colours are proving very popular as we move towards the new year.
Nominated by many of the main paint companies around the world as key forecast colours for 2022, we are seeing a continued love of muted tans, ochres and terracotas.
Indeed, Dulux has nominated quite a range of earth-toned colours as part of its 2022 trend forecast.
If you want to read more about these colours, head to Dulux Colour Forecast 2022 (but don’t forget to come back here!).
Muted and dulled-down, earth-tones create a warm and calming environment - the perfect antidote to the last few years. When applied to walls, furniture, bedheads or even rugs, they instantly turn a room into a warm embrace.
Even better, they work beautifully with another of this year’s big trends - curves! Indeed, we are seeing earth-tone inspired artwork as well as smaller homewares. Wherever you look, there is a terracata rounded vase, or earth-red lampshade.
Team up with warm neutrals such as creams and beiges as well as grey-greens such as Sherwin William’s Evergreen Fog or Dulux’s Dark Sky to create a beautiful space that speaks to warm nights beside an oasis in the desert and works beautifully in both cooler and warmer climates. Indeed the contrast of the greens and earth colours provide a beautifully balanced space.
4. Maximilism
This is a trend I have written about several times in 2021 and one that I see no signs of abating.
Maximalism is essentially the complete repudiation of minimalism.
My personal view is that after two years of most of the world’s citizens being stuck at home for large amounts of time, people are seeing their homes differently. Whereas many of us previously favoured neutrals and Scandi-influenced design, many are now seeking to create warmth, colour and boldness in their homes - in other words a strong sense of life.
This is being reflected in a revival of patterns, colours and textures from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. From printed wallpapers in a myriad of bold colours and patterns, to gold edged furniture, to bespoke, one of a kind items, this style is not for the faint-hearted.
The best starting point for this style is to commence with smaller items - books, pillows, throws etc - and start layering. Bolder pundits will invest in wallpaper or even carpet and flooring that incorporates all the key elements of the Maximalism Style.
Source - left to right, top and bottom. Firefly and Finch blog, Milton and King, Unknown, Temple & Webster, Wallpaper from the 70s.
5. Extreme Minimalism
Yes, I know - including Extreme Minimalism straight after identifying Maximalism as a trend for 2022 seems a little odd!
To be honest, I have had to really think about whether or not to include this trend in my list, but have decided to do so because just like ying and yang, I think that both maximalism and extreme minimalism will be on trend in 2022.
Interestingly, both trends are based in our response to Covid and the two years of limited movement we have all lived through since early 2020.
However, whereas Maximalism could be described as a strong two fingers up to our current reality, Extreme Mimimalism takes the current situation, acknoweldges it, and adapts accordingly.
Indeed, for many, Covid has allowed us to re-focus on what is truly important in life. Moreover, being at home for long periods of time has shone a light on excess and materialism and lead many of us down the Mary Kondo path of de-cluttering.
Extreme Minimalism is another way of choosing to live with just the bare essentials. Furniture is kept to a bare minimum, colour palettes are full of neutrals and very decorations are few.
Source: Kloud Sofa, James Said.
A great example of Extreme Minimalism is the home Kim Kardashian shared with Kanye West. Yes, yes, I am a fan of Keeping Up With the Kardashians! But seriously, if you have ever watched an episode from one of the more recent series, you would wonder if Kim even has a bed to sleep in or a seat to sit on - talk about EXTREME minimalism.
If you want to check out Kim Kardashian’s home (you know you want to!) then check out this article. You will see what I mean! Kim Kardashian's Minimalist Home
6. Working from Home - the New Home Office
Over the last two years, more and more of us have been working from home. Although here in Perth we have been lucky enough to be able to keep sending our kids to school, in many other places around the world, children have also been ‘working from home’.
This has meant a re-thinking of how we work and live.
In the years prior to Covid, we were seeing a strong trend towards study nooks, usually incorporated into living and family rooms, with the idea that families really could work, play and eat together.
Personally I was never a fan of this concept, but I could see why some were.
However the reality of living and working together 24/7 in recent times has meant that what worked well a few hours a week is no longer functional.
As a result, you only have to browse through new home sites to see a resurgence in dedicated studies and home offices. Not only that, but a simple desk and bookshelf from Ikea no longer seems to be cutting it (no disrespect to Ikea! I have been there too!).
Home Offices are now becoming integral rooms in our homes and another space in which we can show our tastes and preferred style. In fact, with the door often shut for meetings, the humble home office can in fact now become a room to experiment with. How bold you go is of course up to you, but the point is that turning this room into a true reflection of you is becoming more and more popular.
That said, eco-friendly offices are certainly popular, teaming timber and greens to create a retreat from the rest of the house.
Source: Unknown.
For others, the home office is a place to create some luxe and glam, much the same way as the old-fashioned powder room once did.
Sources: www.thedecordiet.wordpress.com, www.stylemepretty.com
And then of course there is the ever-popular Mid-Century Modern look that just screams board room arguments and Mad-Men styled shenanigans (that said, I have never actually watched Mad Men!).
Source: www.newdecortrends.com
What do you think? What sort of home office look do you aspire to?
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