When designing our homes, most of us are focused on creating an environment that will not only be pleasant to spend time in, but also reflect our taste. However, even though we may know what we like and what we don’t, chances are that we don’t always know how to translate it into interior design.
And with the interior design trends changing quite frequently, staying up-to-date can sometimes feel downright impossible.
Luckily, there are some interior design staples that will simply never go out of style. So, if you lay them as the base of your design, you can easily rely on décor and accessories to add a breath of fresh air into your interior.
So, as we enter the new year, it’s time to check out all of the upcoming home living trends and see how we can implement them in our homes.
The smarter – the better
Smart homes have been on our radar for quite some time now. Both designers and homeowners are starting to embrace various smart home solutions, gadgets and appliances that are designed to make everyone’s lives easier. In 2022, things won’t be much different, aside from the fact that our homes will only get smarter. Companies that work on smart homes will have their hands full, as homeowners look to implement even more of these solutions into their abodes.
Most of the interiors already feature a plethora of smart appliances, thermostats, remote-controlled lighting and sound solutions. Imagining a home without a robot vacuum seems almost impossible. That being said, the interiors are not the only things that are getting an upgrade. Smart irrigation systems, security and surveillance systems and outdoor lighting solutions are slowly becoming the norm as well.
Sustainability all around
According to Georgie Smith and Hilary Gibbs, founders of recycled tile company LIVDEN, sustainability will only continue to reign supreme in 2022. So, not only will homes become smarter, they will also become more sustainable. Using sustainable materials has already become the new staple in home building and the trend only continues throughout the interior design as well.
That is why sustainably-made furniture is starting to rise in popularity. This trend is not only limited to the materials we use and the type of furniture we choose to embellish our homes with. Instead, it is also starting to change our consumer behavior. And going hand-in-hand with various smart solutions, implementing sustainable solutions will also help homeowners significantly cut back on energy waste and their overall carbon footprint.
Beyond interiors, sustainability is extending into outdoor living spaces as well. Homeowners are increasingly looking for eco-friendly upgrades that improve functionality without increasing energy consumption. For example, installing solar landscape lighting allows outdoor areas to remain beautifully illuminated while relying on renewable energy rather than traditional electricity sources.
Nature-inspired hues
For quite some time now, there has been a lot of talk about neutrals being the best choice for any interior. And while that is true to a certain extent, the fact of the matter is that most people find neutrals to be down-right boring. Luckily, nature-inspired hues are gaining quite a bit of popularity, as designers and decorators are getting more and more inspired by them.
Muted natural hues such as sage green, bark browns, ocean blues and cloudy whites are some examples of colours you can easily implement in your home. With nature being the infinite source of inspiration for many, there’s really no reason not to welcome it in your home. Introduce these colours through décor and accent pieces if you are not planning on repainting your entire home. Throw pillows, blankets, drapes and curtains, as well as area rugs can be great additions to any space and will work well as a medium through which you can easily introduce new hues into your home
Vintage and reclaimed is making a comeback
Over the past couple of years, second-hand shopping has really increased in popularity. Partially due to the fact that all of us are now trying to live more sustainable and eco-friendly lives, and partially due to the halt that almost the entire world experienced last year, this trend has also made its way to the interior design realm.
Vintage décor and furniture pieces have a special feel to them. They can easily be fitted into any surroundings and bring in that additional dose of oomph into any space. What’s more, repurposing and redesigning these pieces has become quite popular as well. This allows people to not only practice sustainability when decorating their homes but also make the pieces truly reflect their personal styles. On top of that, refurbishing a vintage piece of furniture can also be quite a fun activity the whole family can easily take part in.
Saying goodbye to open floor plans
Open floor plans have been all the rage in the past few years. The advice was to more or less entirely rid your home of any type of walls or other obstacles – of course, except the bearing ones – to allow seamless and unobstructed flow of energy, air and light. But the real issue of this design became more than obvious just a couple of years ago.
Namely, while open floor plans can really look stunning, the fact of the matter is that they offer little to no privacy. And since all of us do need some privacy from time to time, the majority of open floor plans soon started featuring various room divider screens. If you still haven’t hopped on the open floor trend – you’ll be excited to hear that you were right to wait, as we’re slowly bidding them farewell.
Indoor-outdoor living
Last but certainly not least, the trend we can expect to see in 2022 is indoor-outdoor living. This concept, although certainly not new, will really spike in popularity this year. In recent years, we already had the opportunity to see various indoor areas, such as kitchens and dining rooms, move to the outdoors. Outdoor living rooms have also been quite popular. In warmer climates, the boundaries between the two living spaces were already getting completely blurred, and the trend will only continue to gain traction.
For anyone living in an apartment, however, this may sound completely irrelevant and unachievable. But anyone with even the smallest balcony in the world can turn it into a real oasis by planting various greenery and simply showing it some TLC. And even if you don’t have a balcony, you should definitely try and green up your interior with various potted house plants, as they’ve been proven to have a really positive effect on our overall well-being.
So, if you are currently in the process of redesigning and redecorating your home, or you are simply planning on it in the near future, consider implementing some of the aforementioned trends. Not only will these be a huge staple in any 2022 design, but most of them will also continue well into the future.
