Design Trends for 2022

Every year has its own interior design trends as well as vogues that continue from the year before. The coming year is no exception. Interior design trends 2022 will continue to be influenced by trends started during the pandemic, like a focus on WFH spaces. There will also be a few ideas that exist simply because it’s a new year, and the world can always appreciate something new.

“In with the new” implies “out with the old,” and there are some fashions that have been with us for a few years but may be fading away in the future. Here are five trends to watch for as we arrange our living spaces in 2022.

1. Neutral Palettes and Colorful Accents

Neutral and natural colors were big in 2021, and the trend promises to carry forward. People will continue to spend a lot of time at home, and the muted tones are more calming and relaxing than bright colors. White, off-whites and grays will be widespread, and a little bit of black makes a pleasing accent. Some beiges, particularly “greige” and taupe, will fit right it, but the warmer beiges with undertones of pink and yellow may start to fall by the wayside.

Looking at secondary colors, look to different shades of green to be leading the trend pack. The popularity may be because green is a color of healing, tranquility and optimism, things we can all use plenty of. A pale green goes just fine as a complement to the neutrals or as a foundation color on its own. However, the move to green isn’t limited to pastels. Darker shades such as sage and even olive make accents that enhance the neutrals without taking away their dominance.

Behr, for example, has named a sea glass green they call Breezeway as their color of the year, which can bring some vacation vibes right into our home. The Sherwin Williams 2022 Color of The Year is Evergreen Fog. This organic color is simple yet sophisticated at the same time. A true chameleon color of gorgeous green meets gray, with just a hint of blue. It’s the perfect tone for a calming yet stunning statement.

See our Evergreen Fog trend board for design ideas.

Another color sure to be seen throughout homes is PANTONE’s pick for 2022: Very Peri. It is a color based on a familiar periwinkle blue with the addition of a vivid violet-red undertone, making it an exciting and new color that embodies the best of both hues: constancy of blue and the excitement of red.

Learn more about this new hue in our Very Peri blog post.

One color we’ll be seeing less of is millennial pink. It had a great run but now looks to be on the downtrend.

2. Minimalism

The last few years have encouraged us to unclutter our lives from things that are unnecessary, and that tendency has found its way into interior design. The minimalism of 2022 isn’t the stark and severe minimalism you see in some avant garde room design photographs. Rather, it’s a relaxed simplicity that comes from being surrounded only by what you need or want.

This uncomplicated design trend goes hand in hand with the year’s colors. A neutral palette invites an unencumbered look. Any design style that emphasizes airiness and open space will fit, including Scandinavian, contemporary and some interpretations of a traditional theme. While the rustic style certainly isn’t going away, the busier versions of farmhouse design will be less in favor.

3. Multifunctional Spaces

In the past two years, we’ve been getting more out of each room, and we’re finding we like it. People will continue to make the most out of every space in the home. Folks who are heading back to the workplace will still Zoom in from home some of the time, so rooms will keep on doing double-duty as home offices.

Some people find ways to make two spaces out of one by strategic use of furniture arrangement, for example, clustering sofas and chairs in half of the room. There may also be more use of vertical space with tall shelves and ladder shelving.

Multifunctional rooms call for multifunctional furniture, and twin-purpose pieces such as sofa sleepers and storage benches and ottomans will persist in popularity. Furniture will continue to get smarter with features including embedded speakers and USB ports.

4. Natural Sustainability

In 2022 decorating, “green” is more than just a color. The movement toward greenness, sustainability and appreciation of the natural world grows every year, and design trends are traveling right along with it.

The move to the natural establishes itself not only with natural colors but also with natural materials. This includes linen and cotton throws and covers as well as decor items of clay, ceramic and natural stones. Glass will make an appearance in the form of large and small mirrors and of glass ornaments and pendants.

What could be more natural than houseplants? They are less likely to be seen dominating a room but more prone to being strategically placed: a lone ficus potted as a corner accent in a natural-material basket, or a vine in a macrame hanger. Plants not only look good; they also cleanse the interior air.

5. Can You Say “Curvilinear?”

“Curvilinear furniture” also called “curved furniture,” is a trend that’s come and gone over the years, but the 2022 iteration isn’t limited to sofas and chairs. It extends to coffee tables, side tables and anything that has an edge. You don’t have to fill a room with curved furniture to get in on the trend; one or two curved pieces serve as a complement to the angled items.

Curved furniture has an easygoing and forgiving look that conjures romance. Build on it with throw pillows of soft fabrics such as velvet.

Old and New in Twenty-Two

The year’s trends have something for everyone. There are continuing tendencies that track with our renewed optimism. There are classic looks in new form. Together they add up to a unique personality for the illustrious year that lies ahead.